TimeSplitters studio Free Radical Design appears to shut down as Embracer fallout continues

It was previously reported the studio might close today by VideoGamesChronicle. Embracer Group did not immediately respond to The Verge’s request for comment.

This is the second time Free Radical has closed its doors. In its original form, the company was founded by several developers who’d worked for Rare on GoldenEye 007 and Perfect Dark, and the studio would produce a trilogy of acclaimed PS2-era TimeSplitters games. But after the release of the studio’s poorly received PS3 exclusive Haze and the cancellation of its Star Wars: Battlefront project, Free Radical Design went bankrupt in 2008. It would go on to be sold to Crytek and rebranded as Crytek UK, which effectively shut up shop in 2014.

Reports that the revived Free Radical could be impacted by Embracer’s financial difficulties emerged in early November, when VGC reported that employees were notified that the studio could close.