A dedicated fan team has successfully resurrected the beloved first-person shooter series timesplitters with the release of TimeSplitters Rewind in Early Access. Initially appearing lost to time after the 2013 closure of developer Free Radical Design, the project overcame significant hurdles – including engine conflicts and programmer departures – to deliver a free, playable remake of the original game. This remarkable achievement highlights the enduring passion of the TimeSplitters community and the power of fan-driven preservation in the gaming world.
Fans of the early 2000s first-person shooter (FPS) series TimeSplitters are celebrating a remarkable revival. The franchise, often considered a spiritual successor to GoldenEye 64, gained a dedicated following with its unique blend of action and humor.
Hope for a modern iteration of the classic games appeared to vanish in 2013 following the closure of Free Radical Design by Embracer Group. However, a dedicated group of fans has successfully resurrected and relaunched TimeSplitters Rewind, a remake encompassing the three original titles that captivated players between 2000 and 2005. This demonstrates the power of community-driven development in preserving gaming history.
A Story of Resurrection
In 2013, Crytek acquired the rights to Free Radical Design’s intellectual property, including the TimeSplitters franchise. Following Embracer Group’s restructuring, the future of the project looked uncertain. But with the approval of Crytek, a team of fans began working on a revival, even receiving original assets to aid in their efforts.
The project faced further setbacks when key programmers departed in 2015, forcing the team to discard their progress and rebuild using Unreal Engine 4. This change was necessary after discovering that their initial use of the Unreal Tournament engine violated the terms of use set by Epic Games. Despite numerous challenges that nearly derailed the project, the long-awaited remake is now available.
First Campaign and Multiplayer Now Available, for Free
The fan-made remake is no longer a distant dream. Currently, the first campaign – from the original TimeSplitters – has been updated and is playable both offline and in online cooperative mode. The game features remastered versions of all 28 maps, 91 characters, and over 40 weapons from the original, alongside 20 arcade modes and support for up to 10 players in multiplayer.
Notably, as Techspot highlights, the remake is available in Early Access for free, and the full story of its development can be found on the project’s official website. The minimum system requirements are relatively modest: a GTX 760 GPU, 8GB of RAM, an Atom C2750 CPU at 2.4 GHz, and 35 GB of free disk space.
