A New TimeSplitters Game Might Finally Happen After IP Acquisition By THQ

The classic first-person shooter series TimeSplitters is under new ownership. THQ Nordic has announced its subsidiary, Koch Media, has acquired the IP, along with the rights to the cult favorite sci-fi shooter Second Sight.

Despite its long inactivity, the TimeSplitters series was a fixture of the PS2/Xbox/GameCube era. It was developed by Free Radical, a studio founded by many Rare veterans who worked on GoldenEye 007 and Perfect Dark. The series' final installment to date, TimeSplitters: Future Perfect, released in 2005, after which point Free Radical was acquired by Crytek and became Crytek UK. Deep Silver, another subsidiary of THQ Nordic, acquired the developer in 2014 and it became Deep Silver Dambuster Studios.

"We are hugely excited to have acquired TimeSplitters," said Koch Media CEO Klemens Kundratitz. "The original games gave fans a massive content offer and provided a pure and genuinely fun arcade shooter experience. We have many fans of the TimeSplitters series among our own staff who are passionate about creating a product that will thrill today's gaming audience."

THQ Nordic hasn't formally announced a new installment in the series, although the acquisition and Kundratitz's statement certainly signals some plans to revitalize the dormant FPS. A fourth TimeSplitters game was announced back in 2007, although it was never officially revealed, and Crytek confirmed back in 2012 that the game was not in development. Despite that, the developers behind the series say it is still commonly requested by fans, and the developers themselves still have "a lot of love" for it.

Koch's acquisitions also point to some plans to resurrect Second Sight. Likewise developed by Free Radical, the game was released in 2004 and mixed stealth and psychic abilities with first-person shooting. Koch says "[f]orthcoming Second Site products will also be published by Deep Silver" and teases that more details on the future of both IPs will be announced "in due course."