Subj : Embracer could be shutting down TimeSplitters studio Free Radical
To   : All
From : TechnologyDaily
Date : Wed Nov 29 2023 12:30:05

Embracer could be shutting down TimeSplitters studio Free Radical Design in 
December, CEO reportedly confirms

Date:
Wed, 29 Nov 2023 12:13:56 +0000

Description:
Embracer CEO Lars Wingefors has reportedly acknowledged the potential closure 
of Free Radical Design in a company email.

FULL STORY
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Three weeks after it was reported by VGC that Free Radical Design was 
allegedly being threatened with closure , Embracer Groups CEO, Lars 
Wingefors, has reportedly acknowledged this threat within a company email ( 
shared with VGC by anonymous sources). 

Free Radical Design is a British game development studio, arguably best known 
for developing the iconic first-person shooter TimeSplitters series. The 
studio is owned by Deep Silver, which is a division of Embracer-owned company 
Plaion. 

According to VGCs latest report, in the supposed email, Wingefors thanked 
staff for their hard work and commitment thats been shown throughout the 
companys consultation process, and noted that Free Radical Design faces 
potential closure on December 11. He also allegedly called it a challenging 
time for all of us but especially for you. However, the studios potential 
shutdown still hasnt been publicly announced. 

This year, numerous studios owned by Embracer Group have been impacted by the 
companys ongoing restructuring program, which as of the end of September, had 
resulted in 904 job losses. At the time, that amounted to around five percent 
of the workforce , but a November financial report confirmed that the 
restructuring is expected to continue through to the end of the current 
fiscal year. Embracer Groups interim chief strategy officer, Phil Rogers, 
recently spoke about the layoffs, and said theyre how we win, despite the 
"agonizing" human impact. 

If Free Radical Design is shut down, it wont be the only Embracer-owned 
studio to meet that fate this year. In August, Saints Row studio Volition 
Games announced its immediate closure, confirming that the difficult decision 
had been made after Embracer had evaluated strategic and operational goals. 

Furthermore, in the last 24 hours, it was revealed that Galaxy on Fire studio 
Fishlabs is expected to see around 50 job losses . The vice president of 
worldwide studios and talent at Plaion, Lars Janssen, said the painful 
decision is a reflection of the broader challenges in the gaming industry. 

 Trying to keep up with future video game releases? Take a look at our 
roundup of upcoming games to check what titles have already been announced. 
You can also find some fantastic recommendations for games to play now on our 
best PC games list.



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Link to news story:
https://www.techradar.com/gaming/embracer-could-be-shutting-down-timesplitters
-studio-free-radical-design-in-december-ceo-reportedly-confirms


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