Things have gone a bit pear-shaped lately for the Nottingham-based developer of 
Timesplitters and 
Haze, Free Radical Design - but according to game scriptwriter and one-time 
bit-tech.net columnist Rob Yescombe, the company may finally be out of the woods after being bought by Crytek.
Speaking to 
1-UP.com the 
Haze writer confirmed that Crytek had bought the company for an undisclosed amount. 
The news couldn't have come too soon either, with the UK developer having to shut up shop in December and staff turning up to work to find the offices locked one morning. 
What made the news all the more shocking was that not only did the closure of Free Radical Design see a confirmation of the rumours that the company was working on 
Star Wars Battlefront III, but that a fourth 
Timeplitters game was also in the works.
While Yescombe hasn't given on any details on what this buy might mean for the company and whether we'll see Free Radical's irreverent humour start to work itself into the 
Crysis games or not, we're sure that an announcement is forthcoming. One thing we do know for sure though is that Lucasarts has reclaimed the 
Star Wars Battlefront III license and that Free Radical is now longer working  on the title. 
Whether 
Timesplitters 4 or 
Haze 2 are on the cards though still remain to be seen - would you buy either? Let us know your thoughts in 
the forums.
    
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