PC players can now claim a free copy of AC Syndicate via Ubisoft Connect through December 6.
08.11.2023 - 18:25 / destructoid.com / Steve Ellis / David Doak
Citing sources close to the studio, Video Games Chronicle has reported that Timesplitters developer Free Radical is facing closure by Embracer Group.
The original Free Radical filed for bankruptcy in 2008 after the cancelation of Star Wars: Battlefront III and a failed bid at a Goldeneye 007 remake for Activision. The remains of the studio were bought up by Crytek, rebranded Crytek UK, and the staff went to support some of that developer’s games, such as the Crysis series and Warface. During this time, a lot of the staff reportedly left the studio. Most of the remaining staff was later transferred to Dambuster Studios under Deep Silver, where they worked on Homefront: The Revolution and Dead Island 2.
In 2021, Deep Silver (a subsidiary of Plaion and Embracer Group) reformed Free Radical with some of the key staff returning, including Steve Ellis and David Doak. The intention was for them to revive the Timesplitters series.
According to Video Games Chronicle, Embracer and Plaion “must consult employees for a minimum of 30 days before making any redundancies, including exploring ways of avoiding them.” This means that the studio could remain open, but as VGC initially reported, many key staff are currently looking for work.
If the closure of Free Radical goes through (and it looks like it will), this will be another in a long line of closures and layoffs for Embracer Group. This follows the loss of a potential $2 billion investment that reportedly fell through earlier this year. It’s been really painful to see so many losses due to the failures of an overly optimistic, expansion-hungry corporation.
Beyond Embracer Group, many other companies have been laying off huge portions of their staff, including Epic Games and Ubisoft. It’s not a fun time to be covering this industry, let alone working in it.
PC players can now claim a free copy of AC Syndicate via Ubisoft Connect through December 6.
Delve into the lore of Lordan, Yarnham, and The Lands Between.
Would you believe the reboot of classic fighting game Killer Instinct is now a decade old? Well, it is! To mark the occasion, developers Iron Galaxy are taking it free-to-play - but not before they give existing PC players the game’s entire roster and premium DLC for free.
Good news for UK viewers – two Disney Plus shows will make their way over to a UK streaming site where they can be watched completely for free.
EA Sports FC 24 is getting a big free Euro 2024 update next year to coincide with the start of the football tournament.
For anyone who fancies some demon slaying over the Thanksgiving weekend, Blizzard has got you covered. The developer has announced that their popular ARPG Diablo 4 is free to download and play on Steam for the next week and is also on sale for anyone looking for a good deal.
Blizzard Entertainment has made its action role-playing game Diablo 4 free-to-play on Steam for a week.
Embracer Group CEO Lars Wingefors has chosen not to deny reports that Timesplitters studio Free Radical Design faces closure.
Grounded is currently available to play for free on Steam, at least until tomorrow.
The reformed Free Radical Design could be closed by its parent company Embracer Group.
UK games companies can now download the free Salary Survey summary.
Free Radical Design, the studio best known for the Timesplitters series, is in danger of closing down a second time. Per VGC, the Nottingham-based developer is at risk due to the current restructuring program of its parent company, Embracer.