The UK-based studio Free Radical Design, located in Nottingham, has announced its closure via a comment on LinkedIn by Plain.
The message conveys the deep sadness felt by those forced to leave just before the holidays. The statement confirms the closure of Free Radical Design and acknowledges the loss of many talented and hardworking individuals.
It’s with a heavy heart that we must announce yet another difficult decision. Today, we have to confirm the official closure of Free Radical Design, and say goodbye to many remarkable, talented and hard-working people.
There were rumors before, so it was not surprising when Free Radical was threatened with closure just two years after it was established, as part of a large company-wide cut at Embracer, according to VGC.
Users who try to access the developer’s website are encountering an error message that reads 404 Company Not Found accompanied by a sad emoticon. As of the time of writing, none of the website’s other pages are accessible.
In 2021, Deep Silver, subsidiary of Embracer Group, revealed that Free Radical Design, the team responsible for the TimeSplitters franchise, had been reformed with the intention of developing a new installment in the series. Amidst its ongoing cost-cutting initiative, Embracer Group has been systematically shutting down studios.
Volition faced closure following the disappointing outcome of Saints Row, while parallel fate awaited the nascent Campfire Cabal, terminated before unveiling any game, mirroring the trajectory of Free Radical Design. The latter, poised to helm the Expeditions series, succumbed to the same corporate cull.
The closure of Free Radical Design has exacerbated the already strained job market for game developers in the UK. With the backdrop of layoffs at Creative Assembly, Frontier Developments, and Media Molecule.