Free Radical Design, the Timesplitters studio that was reformed in 2021 to create a new entry in the franchise, reportedly faces a potential shutdown in December 2023.
As reported by VGC, this decision may be part of company-wide cuts at Embracer Group and could happen as soon as December 11. The fate of Free Radical Design has yet to be made public, but sources told VGC that Plaion, a subsidiary of Embracer Group, recently addressed the matter in a company email.
“As we move through the consultation process and face the potential closure of Free Radical Design on 11 December 2023, I want to express my gratitude for your commitment and the remarkable work you’ve done and still keep doing,” wrote Plaion VP, Worldwide Studios & Talent, Lars Jannsen. “This is a challenging time for all of us but especially for you, and our focus is to support you as much as we can during this transition.”
It was then noted by VGC that Plaion will be “required by UK employment law to consult employees for a minimum of 30 days before making any redundancies, including exploring ways of avoiding them.” This could mean the studio could be acquired by a third party before it is simply shuttered.
Unfortunately, it appears many of Free Radical Design’s employees have already indicated they are looking for new work. This includes over 55 of the studio’s 100 staff members on LinkedIn saying they are seeking new opportunities.
This news follows Embracer Group’s confirmation that it has laid off 904 staff, or 5% of its workforce, since its $2 billion deal that was reportedly with the Saudi government-funded company Savvy Games Group fell through. It also warned more layoffs could be on the way, and this could be one of the studios sadly impacted.
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Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.
