TimeSplitters Rewind Gets a Release Date — 13 Years in the Making

After 13 Years… It’s Time to Split (Again)

Many moons ago, I wrote about my first first-person shooters — a genre that’s sort of moved away from me over the years. One of the games on that list was TimeSplitters 2, the niche spiritual successor to GoldenEye 007 on the N64. It’s the kind of game that just doesn’t exist anymore.

Now, after more than a decade of fan effort, setbacks, and studio chaos, TimeSplitters Rewind finally has a release date: November 23rd, 2025.

The Studio Saga: A Timeline of Turmoil

• TimeSplitters 4 began development as early as 2007. Rumors of a TimeSplitters 2 HD release swirled — and were later confirmed to be true, though it never launched.
• In 2008, Free Radical Design went into administration, halting all projects. Crytek bought the studio in 2009 and rebranded it as Crytek UK.
• Before the sale, fans could download the game’s soundtrack from the official site. After Crytek took over, it vanished — though the composer later made it available independently.
• Crytek UK was shut down in 2014. Staff were moved to Dambuster Studios to work on Homefront: The Revolution.
• Ownership of the IP bounced around: THQ → Deep Silver → Koch Media → Plaion (formerly Embracer Group). Dambuster Studios still holds the TimeSplitters IP today.

The Fan Reboot: From Petition to Persistence

• It all started with a petition asking Crytek for an HD collection. When that went nowhere, fans took matters into their own hands.
• A TimeSplitters mod for Unreal Tournament 2004 was born — then shut down — then revived in 2013 with Crytek’s blessing and access to original assets.
• A volunteer team formed. Early builds were promising, but CryEngine 3 proved difficult. The lead programmer left in 2014, and the team switched to Unreal Engine 4.
• Progress stalled. Artists’ work was leaked. Project leads came and went. Engine swaps became a running theme.
• In 2015, Epic Games blocked a UT build. The team rebuilt again in UE4. Crytek changed contacts. Direction changed again.
• By 2016, a new lead restored the original vision. Multiplayer worked. Then came another engine switch — back to CryEngine 3. More departures. More delays.

A Light at the End of the Tunnel

• In 2018, THQ Nordic bought the IP and honored Crytek’s deal with the fan team. They could now use any engine they liked.
• Rewind restarted in UE4 — for the final time.
• By 2019, a showcase video appeared. Eight levels were completed. A secret call for help in 2020 brought in 200 applicants, growing the team from 15 to 45.
• COVID hit. Despite setbacks, story mode became playable. Character selection worked. Challenge mode had a few levels. Community testing began in 2021 — but bugs exploded.
• Free Radical reformed to work on TimeSplitters 4, and even Cortez’s voice actor returned. But by 2023, layoffs hit. Rewind went quiet.

The Final Push

• By 2024, only 10 people remained. Public updates stopped so the team could focus. The mapmaker mode was cut due to limited resources.
• In 2025, they set a goal: finish the game for the 25th anniversary of TimeSplitters 1 in October.
• QA testing began. Bugs were fixed. It ran on Steam Deck. The release was delayed slightly for polish.

And Finally — Some Good News

November 23rd, 2025.
After 13 long years… TimeSplitters Rewind is coming out.

Yes — that fan remake that’s been in the works forever is finally happening. We don’t know exactly what’ll be in it yet, or what platforms it’s launching on (most likely PC/Steam), but after all this time, it’s real.

Honestly, after the team went quiet and put out that final call for help, I thought it was dead. Reading the story behind it all, I just want to thank the people who made this possible. I can’t thank them enough.

But nope. It’s time to split.

Personal Reflections

All three games, remade by fans for fans — and that’s something special. You’ve got to respect the people who had the vision and energy to do this. The creativity and talent required to pull this off is staggering.

Part of me wants to avoid touching it, to preserve the memory of the series as I knew it. And yet, I feel a pang of sadness that this isn’t an official release. Reading about all the turmoil — and how Crytek mishandled the team — well, yeah.

Still, I’m happy it’s finally seeing the light of day. The community — what remains of it — will likely be divided, as online subcultures often are. Who knows? Maybe it’ll recapture the magic.

I doubt I’ll be playing it myself, given hardware constraints. But I’ll be watching.