THQ Nordic Acquires Timesplitters and Second Sight IPs

Published: August 15, 2018 8:45 AM /

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Ask people what their favorite FPS series is, and there are a few answers you can expect. Of course, you get standbys like Call of Duty and Halo, but many gamers also cite the Timesplitters series as one of their favorites. The series has been in a limbo since 2005, with its future up in the air. However, it seems we have some new developments, and the series may finally be taken off ice.

THQ Nordic has announced that they have purchased the Timesplitters IP from Crytek. Timesplitters was the first game put out by Free Radical Design, a studio formed mostly by ex-Rare employees. The first game came out in 2000 and was a PlayStation 2 launch title and exclusive. It was followed up by 2002's Timesplitters 2 and 2005's Timesplitters: Future Perfect. All three games have received critical praise and good sales.

The series is mostly known for its time travel antics. They followed Sergent Cortez as he travels through time and tries to stop a mysterious alien race known as the Timesplitters from destroying Earth. While the stories were usually fun, the series was better known for its multiplayer modes. Featuring a large variety of unique characters, weird maps, crazy weapons, and a detailed map editor, the games really got popular thanks to hours of multiplayer gaming.

Unfortunately the series hasn't seen a new entry since 2005. Plans for a Timesplitters 4 were scrapped after Free Radical's 2008 PlayStation 3 exclusive FPS Haze was both a critical and commercial failure. The studio, and IP, were purchased by Crytek, who renamed then Crytek UK and had them work on the multiplayer modes for Crysis 2 and Crysis 3, along with the Xbox 360 port of Warface. Crytek then put them to work on Homefront: The Revolution, but financial situations caused Crytek UK to be closed. Deep Silver came in and hired most of the staff, and bought the Homefront IP, and created Dambuster Studios for them to finish the game. THQ Nordic has since purchased Deep Silver, and now has the IP to go with it.

In addition to this, THQ Nordic also acquired Second Sight. This oft-forgotten third-person shooter was also developed by Free Radical and released 2004 in for the PlayStation 2, Microsoft Xbox, and Nintendo GameCube, with a PC port following the next year. The game featured a story about a psychic with no memories and took place during two distinct timelines. While it's not as beloved as the Timesplitters series, it is still generally a well-received game.

How do you feel about this purchase? Surprised? Hopeful for more Timesplitter games? Let us know in the comments below!

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Samuel Guglielmo TechRaptor
| Reviews Editor

I'm Sam. I have been playing video games since my parents brought home a PlayStation whenever that came out. Started writing for TechRaptor for 2016 and,… More about Samuel

More Info About This Game
Learn more about Timesplitters
Game Page Timesplitters
Publisher
Eidos Interactive
Platforms
PlayStation 2
Release Date
October 23, 2000 (Calendar)