Free Radical shut down?

Could it be that Free Radical has closed down during this holiday season? According to numerous sites, the independent UK studio bolted its doors this morning with senior executives leaving the company and employees showing up to work to find that the doors of the design studio were locked and security guards were stationed outside to prevent workers from gaining access. News site Gamesindustrymentioned that Free Radical director Steve Ellis stated that there were no problems with the studio, saying "Nothing unusual is happening here. Projects end. New projects start. That's how things have worked for nearly 10 years." However, no one in the entire gaming industry has managed to receive a response from any senior staff at Free Radical Design for a few days. This is a rather disturbing turn of events, not only considering the time of year, but also considering what Free Radical was working on. While their recent release of Haze was critically lambasted, the studio was also hard at work on TimeSplitters 4, the much anticipated installment in the shooter franchise. If any news breaks, we'll be sure to report it.

IGN.

I dont want to celebrate, I want to sell you hate.

According to FR, they haven't shut their doors quite yet.

LINK

Not that I would be too pained. TimeSplitters was awesome, but I'm afraid Free Radical hasn't made an adequate jump to the next generation. If we're lucky, they'll be dissolved, the solid creative talent will be absorbed somewhere else, and TimeSplitters 4 will be pawned off to a competent studio.

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