Following the unfortunate news of the closure of Free Radical Design late last year, and in turn the all-but-sealed fate of its in-development return to the iconic TimeSplitters franchise, even more materials from the project have surfaced online – this time with just over five minutes of footage of an in-progress build of the game.
Dated for July 2023, the Development Snapshot video is our first real look at the vision for the game, which was seemingly titled or at least codenamed TimeSplitters Next. The most immediately-noticeable change from the original games is a third-person perspective and a gameplay format that bears a striking resemblance to the game that executives and shareholders everywhere see as the holy grail – Fortnite.
In the video we see iconic TimeSplitters characters like the Maiden, Ape and even a modern version of INSETICK dropping into large, open world environments and battling it out royale style in teams or in solo play, with some prop hunt-looking mechanics for good measure. And of course, there’s a whole Battle Pass economy with plenty of unlockable characters to take advantage of TimeSplitters’ eventually-hefty roster.
The footage was shared by ex-Free Radical developer Rob Steptoe on LinkedIn, though the original post looks to have been taken down. Thankfully it’s been preserved on the internet via YouTube, so you can take a look below:
When it closed the studio last year, one of many teams decimated by its horrific slash-and-burn of assets, Embracer Group said in a statement, “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.
“We are beyond grateful for their incredible contributions to PLAION and wish them the best of luck and success on their professional journey from here on out.”
