Free Radical Design, the British game development studio best known for its work on the Time splitters And Crysis series, is reportedly in danger of being canceled, according to VGC sources. This comes just two years after it was reformed under parent company Deep Silver.
The studio is a subsidiary of Deep Silver, a division of Plaion, which in turn is owned by Embracer Group. According to VGC’s report, employees have been informed that there is a possibility the studio could be closed after it was evaluated as part of Embracer’s recent restructuring program. TRG has reached out to Plaion for comment, but has not yet received a response.
The same restructuring program was completed earlier this year Saints row developer Volition. The studio explained at the time in a LinkedIn message that the program was rolled out with the goal of strengthening Embracer and helping the company “maintain its position as a leader in the video game industry.” The post continued: “As part of that program, they evaluated strategic and operational objectives and made the difficult decision to immediately close Volition.”
Furthermore, in September Embracer-owned studio Crystal Dynamics (known for his work on the Gex series and several Tomb Raider games) announced it had parted ways with 10 employees to “align the studio with our current business needs.”
This week it was also confirmed that Embracer Group’s now-former Chief Operating Officer Egil Strunke had left the organization to build his own games company. In a statement posted at the time, he admitted that “the past year has been tough, in line with general market changes and industry consolidation,” but noted that he is “positive” that Embracer “will emerge stronger.”
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