TimeSplitters revival first look shared online by developer

A first look at the now cancelled TimeSplitters remake has surfaced online, and it's breaking our hearts.

When you think of classic FPS games, you’ll likely think of GoldenEye 64, Halo: Combat Evolved, and the topic of today’s discussion, TimeSplitters. Unfortunately, a remake of the latter title was cancelled earlier this year when the company in charge of it, Free Radical Design, was shut down.

If you haven’t seen a TimeSplitters game before, take a look below

Fans were obviously heartbroken by the news, as thousands have craved another TimeSplitters game for years, one that captures the magic of its skill-based, arcade shooting and embellishes it with all the bells and whistles of modern-day first-person-shooters.

As if to add insult to injury, some of the game's assets have been appearing online thanks to some of the developers, giving us a glimpse of what might have been if the studio hadn’t unfortunately shut down.

The TimeSplitters News & Archives account shared some of the art on Twitter, all of which is being collected and stored on the game’s fandom website for those interested.

Art for the untitled TimeSplitters project that Free Radical Design had been working on has started to surface on the internet thanks to former employees.

Credits: Will Brown, Elmo La Mantia, Callum Summers pic.twitter.com/5WFBfiVLcH

— TimeSplitters News & Archives (@ts_archiv) December 16, 2023

Commenters stared at the gorgeous artwork in sorrow, wishing something could be done to give Free Radical Design another chance to finish the game.

One fan summed it up perfectly by recalling the “fun modes, amazing maps and insane guns” the TimeSplitters series was known for, and how incredible it would have been to see them return to modern platforms.

Another added that Free Radical Design “deserves better” and hopes PlayStation will swoop in and save the day, potentially converting the game into an exclusive and giving it a fair chance of success.

Finally, someone said “Gutted. In an era when Sony and Microsoft are buying up game companies, why haven’t they or someone else picked up TimeSplitters? Incredible games and IP. Definitely a fanbase for it.”

It’s simply not fair, but unfortunately, that’s life sometimes. That being said, all hope isn’t lost, as plenty of games have returned from the brink of destruction in the past, so TimeSplitters could very well come back one day if the right studio picks up the IP.