Free Radical closes shop [update]

by Alexander Sliwinski on Dec 18th 2008 9:15AM

The haze is lifting and numerous UK gaming outlets are reporting that Free Radical, based in Nottingham, England, has shut down. The studio has yet to confirm, but according to sources: the doors are locked, phones aren't being answered, and the staff met at a nearby hotel today for a "final company meeting."

Free Radical's last project was the critical and commercial failure, Haze. TimeSplitters 4 and an unannounced project (believed to be Star Wars: Battlefront III) were currently in development at the studio. We'll update as soon as the studio makes a statement.

Update: Confirmed. [Via videogaming247]

Source

Tags: breakingnews, free-radical, free-radical-design, haze, time-splitters-4

Reader Comments (97)

Damn, so what happens to TimeSplitters 4? Will the assets move to another studio? Or is it deep sixed for good? :(

I'm not sure if I would rather the game to be gone or picked up by someone like Atari that will only tarnish its good name!! I know Haze wasn't great but I will gladly go buy it if it means they can develop a new Timesplitters!!

Fuck. FUCK!

Timesplitters has consistently delivered the goods, Free Radical took what good was left of Rare and made the best shooters I've played since Goldeneye.

I can't fucking believe this is it for them, it just seems so sudden...

One of my last bastions of truly great development, gone.

Christ, I hate this gen.

@finaldarklord

Don't blame this gen. Blame this global economy.

The day Free Radical dies is the say I stop playing video games. DO NOT LET TIMESPLITTERS DIE!!!! :(

Wow, so you're giving up videogames starting today? Well at least you'll have a head start on that whole hunting and gathering thing before most people.

You see how this is saying they shut down right, last meeting at a hotel and all...why would you read that and say that you would quit gaming if they shut down? There is nothing we all can do to stop it after the fact.

So, I guess you will be moving on from gaming then. GL with that.

So no Haze 2?

Maybe Ubisoft owns the property, not Free Radical.

Why would you want a second Haze...

Jokes.

Let's please have a moment of silence and remembrance.

Ladies and gentleman, I present to you the Joystiq Haze Memorial Flamefest:

http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/20/megaowch-haze-handed-4-5-review-by-ign/

What a great day that was. :)

*sniff*

*looks around*

I love you guys.

I love reading that one every couple of months.

Funniest bit is the link to PS3 Fanboy's "we think Haze is graphically superior to Crysis" article.

Wow... I was kicking a lot of Sony asses that day...

=p

Thats what happen when a company gets hooked on "Nectar"...

:P

That's unfortunate if it's true.
...but also exactly what everyone said would happen if smaller studios were going to put all their eggs in he HD basket. Gotta love the risks you take when you make a videogame these days!

If loosing studios like Free Radical is the price to pay for HD, then its not worth it.

I've yet to be impressed by a game because its in HD.

NOOO!!! MY HAZE SEQUAL!

The Halo Killer one, right?

This is a very sad day for gaming....They have delivered some of the best FPS games ever...The Timesplitters series is one of the best in existence with clever writing, excellent gameplay and a very addictive multiplayer....I for one am very sad to see them go!!!

R.I.P Free Radical and thanks for the many great years of high quality games....

TimeSplitters 2 is still awesome. I probably spent about 500 hours playing that thing for over two years with my three friends.....

I loved The Simpsons Hit N Run. That game was probably one of the best Simpsons games.

That was Radical Entertainment (some Canadian-based guys around for nearly 20 years now).

Free Radical grew out of Rare post-Goldeneye/Perfect Dark.

I loved Simpsons Hit n' Run too. Oh no.. urge to re-install it..

Timesplitters FP was one of the best offline multiplayer fpses ever. This is a sad day, and I bet if they had just been given a little more time to get TS4 out they would have been ok. Such a shame they wasted so much time and money on Haze.

This is terrible but only because i am from Nottingham. Oh wait I know they say they are in Nottingham but they are in sandicare which is in Derby so actually don't care.

Look, they churned out a turd names HAZE, aka Most generic Halo clone EVER! It bombed, therefore....

On a sidenote you migt see me logged in on PSN playing HAZE (H4.5E) but it will be my kids playing it. :) Thats the only good thing about it being a Halo clone. My boys love it. They don't know its generic, the story line is garbage and they cant tell the graphics aren't up to snuff. They just know there is SPLITSCREEN!!! :D

Fenix don't come here on this sad occasion and talk smack talk!! No one cares about the fact you(or anyone) didn't like Haze, we are here to say goodbye to the developers of Timesplitters, a fantastic game in its own right.

So for once in your life please keep the H4.5E comments to a minimum....Your self restraint will be greatly appreciated!!

Well atleast they don't consider every first person shooter produced after Halo is a Halo clone...

Sorry, The-E. I never played any of their old stuff. SO I dont know if they were good.

El Serpiente

Guilty! lol!

Seriously though, why would I play that if I have Halo 3 in the next room? O_o lol!

I miss being a kid. Quality whats that? Although i was rather picky about what toys i required on X Mas/Birthdays.

"Tunnel Rat!?!?" I specifically said Quick Kick or Storm Shadow!!!"
*Chucks GI Joe package at the back of fleeing parents head*

At least I'm supporting them (in a way) by buying Haze for my kids. Forget yall. :P

Damn Fenix, you schooled me in Haze last night. I was amazed at the skills you have in that game. Each time I thought I could get a kill - blam! You were right there like you had the maps memorized. You sir are one Haze mega star!!!

Thats it Duke, you're off my PSN friends list! I told you not to tell anyone that we're closet Haze players! :P

BTW, I actually haven't bought it yet. You must have been playing with Noshino and thought it was me. :P

I had more fun with the Haze demo than i did the resistance one. I'd probably buy haze before resistance, but until they're cheaper, i'll pass, as they both seemed to be very boring.

But it is funny to see the Haze Defense Force come out of hibernation for one last bout, though.

eN, you opened up my mind, man. I can see that butter is way better than margarine. I saw through the bullshit.

Sad day, I really enjoyed Time Splitters 2 and Second Sight. Well I hope all the people on the team find new jobs.

Seems like the business got stuck in a Haze...

It's never good to hear a stodio close down, i never like Timeshitters and Haze i did like...until i watch the 2nd trailer at features gameplay in a second time...

Read the post I'm replying to out loud with a fake Russian accent. It's good for a lol.

Such a damn shame.
Every, well most, dev houses make a mis-step or two, but its just a shame they made theirs right as the world plunged into the financial toilet.

These are dark times, my gaming compadres, dark times indeed.

Oh please Microsoft or Sony buy them before they go bankrupt.

Just when TimeSplitters 4 was headed in Wii's direction, too...

Oh well

Presumably a result of the commercial failure (or just insufficient success, I don't really know the exact figures) of Haze, combined with the lack of a major seller since the last 'Splitters in 2005 and the general state of the economy.

Still a shame though, especially since a new 'Splitters and Battlefront 3 would probably have been more than enough to keep them going. It wouldn't be ideal but it would be better if they were swallowed up by some big company than if they just closed down completely.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

Where will us Derby University Games Programming students get placements now? ;-;

Criterion - dang (used to work there)
Eidos/core - not sure where they are now - circle's gone. Is Rebellion still about?

Think there's still Rare & Eurocom.

I got out of it all though, there's a lot more security in WATER.

Unfortunate.

One of my favorite 3rd party developers.

Looks like I'll have to pick up Haze in memoriam.

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Free Radical closes shop [update]

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