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{{Short description|British video game developer}}
{{Use British English|date=September 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=
{{Infobox company
| name = Free Radical Design Ltd.
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}}
'''Free Radical Design Ltd.''' was a British [[video game developer]] based in [[Nottingham]]. Founded by [[David Doak]], Steve Ellis, Karl Hilton and [[Graeme Norgate]] in [[Stoke-on-Trent]] in April 1999, it is best known for its ''[[TimeSplitters]]'' series of games.<ref name="Hwang">{{cite magazine |title=Free Radical: The Face That Launched A Thousand Games |last=Hwang |first=Kaiser |date=June 2007 |magazine=[[PlayStation: The Official Magazine|PlayStation Magazine
After going into financial administration, it was announced on 3 February 2009 that the studio had been acquired by German video game developer [[Crytek]] and would be renamed '''Crytek UK'''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://kotaku.com/5145829/crytek-buys-free-radical |title=Crytek Buys Free Radical |last=McWhertor |first=Michael |date=3 February 2009 |website=[[Kotaku]] |publisher=[[Gizmodo Media Group]] |access-date=28 April 2017}}</ref> Crytek had a good relationship with the city of Nottingham due in part to its sponsorship of the [[Gamecity]] festival and its recruitment drives with [[Nottingham Trent University]].<ref name="This is Nottingham">{{cite web |url=http://www.nottinghampost.com/gaming-firm-crytek-tenant-nottingham-s-southreef/story-12173429-detail/story.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100620005956/http://www.thisisbusiness-eastmidlands.co.uk/media/Gaming-firm-Crytek-tenant-Nottingham-s-Southreef/article-1452497-detail/article.html|title=Gaming firm Crytek to be first tenant at Nottingham's Southreef |author=This is Nottingham |archive-date=20 June
In May 2021, two of the original founders, Doak and Ellis, reformed Free Radical Design under [[Deep Silver]] to create a new entry in the ''TimeSplitters'' series. Two years later, the second iteration was shut down on 11 December 2023.
== History ==
Most of Free Radical Design's initial employees previously worked for the game developer [[Rare (company)|Rare]]. While at Rare, they ([[David Doak]], Steve Ellis, Karl Hilton, [[Graeme Norgate]], Lee Ray and James Cunliffe) worked on the [[Nintendo 64]] [[
Free Radical Design was working on ''[[Star Wars: Battlefront III]]'' from 2006 to 2008, but it was cancelled by their publishing partner when it was supposedly "99 percent" complete.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/battlefront-3-was-99-percent-done-when-canceled/1100-6400833/ |title=Battlefront 3 was 99 percent done when canceled |last=Makuch |first=Eddie |date=30 November 2012 |website=[[GameSpot]] |publisher=[[CBS Interactive]] |access-date=28 April 2017}}</ref> The cancellation of this title, and the poorly received release of ''[[Haze (video game)|Haze]]'', contributed to Free Radical Design going into bankruptcy.<ref name="Vs Monsters">{{cite web |url=http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2012-05-04-free-radical-vs-the-monsters |title=Free Radical vs. the Monsters |last=Stanton |first=Rich |date=4 May 2012 |website=[[Eurogamer]] |publisher=[[Gamer Network]] |access-date=28 April 2017}}</ref> In late 2008, Free Radical Design was approached by [[Activision]] to work on [[GoldenEye 007 (2010 video game)|a ''GoldenEye 007'' remake]]. Although the studio rebuilt the Dam Level for the [[PlayStation 3]] and [[Xbox 360]], negotiations fell through, with the studio entering administration soon afterwards.<ref name="Vs Monsters"/>
On 18 December 2008, it was reported that the studio had shut down,<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.edge-online.com/features/source-free-radical-locked/ |title=Source: Free Radical Locked Up |last=Graft |first=Kris |date=18 December 2008 |magazine=[[Edge (magazine)|Edge]] |publisher=[[Future Publishing]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131227220348/http://www.edge-online.com/features/source-free-radical-locked/ |archive-date=27 December 2013 |access-date=28 April 2017}}</ref> though it was later confirmed that the company had gone bankrupt,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nottinghampost.com/185-jobs-risk-games-company/story-12263335-detail/story.html |title=185 jobs at risk at computer games company |author=This is Nottingham |date=18 December 2008 |website=[[Nottingham Post]] |publisher=[[Local World]] |access-date=28 April 2017 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150928004351/http://www.nottinghampost.com/185-jobs-risk-games-company/story-12263335-detail/story.html |archive-date=28 September 2015
=== Financial difficulties and closure ===
In June 2014, reports surfaced that Crytek had missed wage payments and withheld bonuses for the company's employees, and that as a result, a number of employees had filed [[Grievance (labour)|grievances]] and refused to report to work, and at least 30 employees had left the company since 2011 alone due to a decreasing [[morale]] at the studio. After denying that there were issues, Crytek later admitted on 25 July 2014 that the company was in a "transitional phase" as it secured [[Capital (economics)|capital]] for future projects, with a particular emphasis on online gaming.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2014/07/03/report-crytek-uk-experiencing-financial-problems-fate-of-homefront-the-revolution-in-question.aspx |title=[Update] Staff
On 30 July 2014, Crytek announced that, due to an internal restructuring, it would sell the intellectual property of ''[[Homefront (video game)|Homefront]]'' (the sequel for which, later restructured as the reboot ''[[Homefront: The Revolution]]'', was in development at Crytek UK at the time) to [[Koch Media]], parent company of video game publisher [[Deep Silver]], and lay off much of the company's staff. Crytek left it unclear whether the company had been shut down entirely, however all staff were transferred to the new [[Dambuster Studios]] being established in Nottingham in accordance with [[Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006|British law]],<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2014/07/30/deep-silver-now-owns-homefront-new-studio-handling-development.aspx |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140730173253/http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2014/07/30/deep-silver-now-owns-homefront-new-studio-handling-development.aspx |url-status=dead |archive-date=30 July 2014 |title=[Update] Deep Silver Buys Homefront, UK Staff To Transfer To New Dambuster Studio, Crytek USA Scaled Back |last=Futter |first=Mike |date=30 July 2014 |magazine=[[Game Informer]] |publisher=[[CBS Interactive]] |access-date=28 April 2017}}</ref> where they afterwards continued to work on ''Homefront: The Revolution''.<ref name="Sarkar" /><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/crytek-lays-off-staff-after-selling-homefront-cryt/1100-6421398/ |title=Crytek Lays Off Staff After Selling Homefront; Crytek UK May Be Shut Down |last=Pereira |first=Chris |date=30 July 2014 |website=[[GameSpot]] |publisher=[[CBS Interactive]] |access-date=28 April 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/crytek-no-longer-developing-homefront-sells-rights/1100-6421395/ |title=Crytek No Longer Developing Homefront, Sells Rights to Publisher Deep Silver |last=Pereira |first=Chris |date=30 July 2014 |website=[[GameSpot]] |publisher=[[CBS Interactive]] |access-date=28 April 2017}}</ref>
[[File:FreeRadicalDesign.jpg|thumb|Free Radical Design in May 2023]]
=== Reformation and second closure===
In May 2021, [[Embracer Group]] announced during their 2020–2021 full-year report that Free Radical Design would be reformed as a subsidiary of [[Deep Silver]] with the intent of bringing "the much-loved ''TimeSplitters'' IP back to life".<ref>{{cite web |title=20/21 Full Year Report |url=https://embracer.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/1419895.pdf |publisher=[[Embracer Group]] |access-date=
In November 2023, [[Video Games Chronicle|VGC]] reported that the company was set to be closed down on 11 December by the Embracer Group, which had been restructuring its company and subsidiaries for the last six months, unless a third-party buyer was found.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/embracer-ceo-confirms-timesplitters-studio-faces-closure-before-christmas/|title=Embracer CEO confirms TimeSplitters studio faces closure before Christmas|last=Robinson|first=Andy|website=[[Video Games Chronicle]]|date=28 November 2023|access-date=28 November 2023}}</ref> Developers confirmed the closure on 11 December.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/free-radical-closure-confirmed-as-timesplitters-developers-bemoan-broken-industry/|title=Free Radical closure confirmed as TimeSplitters developers bemoan 'broken industry'|last=Robinson|first=Andy|website=[[Video Games Chronicle]]|date=11 December 2023|access-date=11 December 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231211162629/https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/free-radical-closure-confirmed-as-timesplitters-developers-bemoan-broken-industry/|archive-date=11 December 2023}}</ref>
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== References ==
{{Reflist
== External links ==
* {{official website|https://www.freeradicaldesign.co.uk}}
* {{Official website|https://web.archive.org/web/20080927190638/http://frd.co.uk|Official website of Free Radical Design (archived on 27 September 2008)}}
* {{Official website|https://web.archive.org/web/20140812052619/http://crytek.com/career/studios/overview/nottingham|Official website of Crytek UK (archived on 12 August 2014)}}
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