Report: Free Radical Lays Off 140, Sees Buyer Interest

Timesplitters developer Free Radical's bankruptcy administration has now officially resulted in the layoffs of some 140 staff members, reducing the studio to about 40 employees. Resolve Partners is currently handling Free Radical's administration, and administrator Cameron Gunn tells local website This Is Derbyshire that the Sandiacre, UK-based developer has received "interest" from a number of possible acquirers. "We are inviting all interested parties to come forward," says Gunn. "Significant interest has already been shown and we are hoping to make further announcements by the middle of January." Free Radical, also developers of Haze and Second Sight, were at one point working on an unnamed title for LucasArts, believed to be Star Wars: Battlefront III. Indeed, this Is Derbyshire reports that "a Star Wars game for LucasArts... fell through after two years of development". The company was also working on Timesplitters 4, its wholly-owned IP, and it's believed that a combination of the cancellation of the Star Wars title and a lack of publisher for Timesplitters led to the company's collapse.