TimeSplitters fans have long been wishing for a new game in this eclectic time travel first-person shooter series. Koch Media acquiring the license in 2018 was cause for hope, but there’s been little to come from that—until now. Today, Deep Silver (a division of Koch) officially announced that development is commencing soon on a new TimeSplitters, with a reformed Free Radical Design behind it.
The original TimeSplitters, released in 2000, put a comical twist on first-person shooters with its premise of each level being set in a different time period and a satirical approach to those settings. But it was also backed by solid action, with a team founded by former Rare staff who’d previously worked on GoldenEye 007 and Perfect Dark for Nintendo 64. TimeSplitters spawned two sequels, but financial difficulties saw Free Radical get sold, rebranded as Crytek UK, and ultimately shut down in 2014.
This reformed Free Radical brings back key members of the original team, including founders David Doak and Steve Ellis. “To finally be able to confirm that the studio has been formed and that we have a plan for the next TimeSplitters game is incredible,” said Ellis. “While we cannot tell you anything more at the moment, we look forward to sharing information in the future.”
Development on the new game will begin soon, with the team currently focused on setting up its new studio in Nottingham. That means the new TimeSplitters, whatever it turns out to be, is still a long way off, but it’s good to know that there’s something on the horizon.
Meanwhile, TimeSplitters fans can still enjoy TimeSplitters 2 on modern systems thanks to an easter egg in Homefront: The Revolution. That game includes an arcade machine in which you can play a couple of levels of the classic game, but it turns out that the full game is actually hidden in there too, tucked away behind some cheat codes that were uncovered earlier this year.
Elsewhere, work continues on TimeSplitters Rewind, an unofficial, fan-made “greatest hits” remake of the original games. It’s been in the works for a number of years with no release plans announced yet, but periodic updates from the creators suggest that it’s still trucking along.
