10 Reasons Behind Why Your Favourite Video Game Franchises Died

4. TimeSplitters 4 Developers Couldn't Catch A Break

Timesplitters FP 2
Free Radical Design

TimeSplitters 4 was actually announced way back in 2007, but quickly went dark after developers at Free Radical ran into financial trouble a year later. With the team being purchased by Crytek, ultimately becoming known as Crytek UK, the fourth game in the series was put on hold indefinitely.

But that didn't stop former developers from teasing the title's potential return. In interviews over the next few years Crytek UK would go back and forth on the issue of a new TimeSplitters game, while rumours began to swirl about a new release entering development in 2011.

However, while they escaped bankruptcy when they were bought out in 2008, Crytek UK's new parent company ran into their own financial troubles a couple years later, with the studio suffering massive layoffs in the process.

The remainder of the team were transferred to Dambuster Studios to work with Deep Silver on the latest Homefront sequel, extinguishing the final glimmer of hope for a future entry in this beloved series.

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Josh has over 11 years of experience as a published writer, having worked nine of those years as a full-time content producer at WhatCulture. In that period he has created hundreds of articles, videos and podcast episodes for multiple WhatCulture channels, specialising in gaming, horror and film & TV. He now primarily works as a senior content producer and presenter on WhatCulture Gaming where he co-hosts the WhatCulture Gaming Podcast, a top 3 UK most listened to gaming podcast that he co-created in 2018. Over the years he has reviewed several high-profile gaming releases, covered industry events with on-site reporting, opined on breaking news, and even kicked off his interviewing career by chatting to childhood hero, Tommy Wiseau.