TimeSplitters Rewind is out. After 13 years of troubled development, multiple engine switches, leadership turnover, and several moments where the project nearly died, the fan-made remake of the beloved FPS trilogy launched on November 25, 2025. And here’s the kicker: it’s completely free, runs on PC, and already includes the full story campaign from the first game plus 28 multiplayer maps, 91 characters, and 10-player online matches.
Nearly 200 volunteers worked on this project over the last decade, building a greatest hits collection that pulls content from all three TimeSplitters games and recreates it from scratch in a modern engine. Crytek officially blessed the project back in 2013 after acquiring the TimeSplitters IP, even providing original assets to help the team. What nobody expected was how long and painful the journey would be.
A Brief History of TimeSplitters
The original TimeSplitters trilogy launched between 2000 and 2005, developed by Free Radical Design. The studio was founded by former Rare developers who worked on GoldenEye 007 and Perfect Dark for Nintendo 64. Directors David Doak and Steve Ellis led the team along with Karl Hilton, composer Graeme Norgate, and Lee Ray.
TimeSplitters debuted as a PlayStation 2 launch title in October 2000 and became the only European-developed game available at the console’s launch. The game featured time-traveling battles across different eras, from 1935 to 2035, with players fighting against the TimeSplitters, alien creatures disrupting human history using time crystals.
TimeSplitters 2 and TimeSplitters: Future Perfect followed, expanding the formula with better graphics, refined gameplay, and online multiplayer. The series gained a cult following for its arcane sense of humor, massive character roster including monkeys and robots, creative multiplayer modes, and robust map editor that let players build custom levels.
Free Radical was developing TimeSplitters 4 when the studio went bankrupt in 2008. Crytek acquired the company and reformed it as Crytek UK, promising to continue work on TimeSplitters 4. That never happened. Free Radical shut down again in 2023, and with it, hopes for an official TimeSplitters 4 died.
How Rewind Went From Dream to Nightmare to Reality
In 2012, a group of fans petitioned for an HD remaster of the TimeSplitters trilogy. Instead of just upscaling the originals, they got permission from Crytek to build a full remake using CryEngine 3. The project was announced publicly in 2013 with ambitious goals: recreate content from all three games in one package with modern graphics and online multiplayer.
Early builds looked promising. Then in 2014, the lead programmers left en masse. Progress ground to a halt. The game became increasingly unstable. The weapon system broke. Multiplayer stopped functioning entirely. With no programmers left, artists tried to pick up coding duties while the team switched to Unreal Engine 4.
In 2015, the project lead quit. Without direction, artists scrapped the Unreal Engine 4 build and tried rebuilding the game using Unreal Tournament as a base. Epic Games shut that down for violating their development terms. The team rebuilt again in Unreal Engine 4, this time using the Shooter Game Template from the Unreal Marketplace.
By 2016, a new project lead joined and restored some stability. Multiplayer worked again. Progress looked positive. Then the project lead convinced everyone to switch back to CryEngine 3 to maintain the relationship with Crytek. Many team members left after yet another engine reset wiped out months of work.
Between 2017 and 2018, negotiations with Crytek continued while the team developed in Unreal Engine 4. Crytek demanded the team commit exclusively to CryEngine, making the Unreal work incompatible. Programmers who only knew Unreal couldn’t work in CryEngine, so the team shrunk again. More leadership departed. The project nearly died.
Then something changed. A secret build was made outside the core team. It was pitched to interim project lead Jose Pavli. The team adopted it as the final TimeSplitters Rewind build. This would be the last time they switched engines. After years of false starts, Rewind finally had a stable foundation.
What Rewind Actually Is
TimeSplitters Rewind isn’t a traditional remake. It’s not three separate games packaged together like a collection. Instead, it’s described as a greatest hits compilation that mashes up content from all three original games into one cohesive experience.
The early access version launching in November 2025 includes the full story campaign from the first TimeSplitters with three difficulty levels and online co-op support. The mission selection screen shows placeholder slots for TimeSplitters 2 and Future Perfect campaigns, but that content isn’t ready yet.
Multiplayer pulls from all three games with 28 maps including classics like Hangar and the Mexican Mission. All 91 characters from across the trilogy are playable, including the beloved monkeys. There are 41 weapons, 20 arcade game modes, 50 arcade leagues, and 32 challenges. Up to 10 players can compete online in competitive multiplayer.
The developers are upfront about this being early access. Bugs exist. Not all features are implemented yet. The Mapmaker tool that let players create custom levels in the original games is included but currently unavailable. Split-screen multiplayer, a staple of the original trilogy, isn’t functional yet.
Why It Took So Long
The TimeSplitters Rewind website includes a timeline of the project’s development, and it reads like a cautionary tale about the challenges of long-term volunteer game development. Here are the main factors that stretched development across 13 years:
- Multiple engine switches between CryEngine 3, Unreal Engine 4, Unreal Tournament, and back to CryEngine before finally settling on a final engine
- Loss of key programmers and artists at critical moments, forcing remaining volunteers to take on unfamiliar roles
- Leadership turnover with multiple project leads coming and going, each with different visions for the project
- Leaked builds and work-in-progress assets that damaged morale and created public skepticism
- Changing relationships with Crytek as the company went through its own financial troubles and management changes
- Cancellation of planned PlayStation 4 version after development resources couldn’t support console optimization
- The inherent difficulty of coordinating nearly 200 volunteers across different time zones with varying availability
The website’s homepage message captures the exhaustion and relief: “Sorry it took so long. We’ve only been making the largest free content video game ever.” That claim might be hyperbole, but the scope is undeniably ambitious for a volunteer project.
Early Reactions Are Positive
Despite the bugs and missing features, early players are praising TimeSplitters Rewind for capturing the spirit of the original trilogy. Kotaku called it a substantial release with impressive content. PC Gamer highlighted the 10-player online multiplayer and promised future updates. Steam Deck enthusiasts are reporting the game runs well on Valve’s handheld.
The biggest complaint is the lack of split-screen multiplayer, which was a defining feature of the console originals. Playing TimeSplitters on a couch with friends defined the series for many players, and its absence hurts the nostalgia factor. The development team has acknowledged this feedback and says split-screen support is a priority for future updates.
Performance has been surprisingly solid considering the early access status. Players report smooth frame rates and stable online connections in multiplayer matches. The recreated assets look faithful to the originals while benefiting from modern rendering techniques. Loading times are fast, and server stability has held up despite launch day traffic.
What Comes Next
The development team promises future updates will add the TimeSplitters 2 and Future Perfect story campaigns, additional multiplayer maps, more characters, new game modes, and community-requested features. The Mapmaker tool will be enabled eventually, letting players create and share custom levels like the original games.
Whether the team can deliver on these promises after 13 years of troubled development remains to be seen. The difference now is that the game is out and playable. The hardest part is done. Adding content to a stable foundation is easier than building that foundation in the first place.
For fans who’ve waited over a decade for new TimeSplitters content, Rewind represents hope that this beloved franchise isn’t completely dead. Even if an official TimeSplitters 4 never happens, the community has taken matters into their own hands and delivered something substantial.
FAQs
Is TimeSplitters Rewind really free?
Yes, TimeSplitters Rewind is completely free to download and play. You can get it from the official TimeSplitters Rewind website. No microtransactions or paid content exists in the game.
What platforms is TimeSplitters Rewind available on?
TimeSplitters Rewind is currently only available on PC. The planned PlayStation 4 version was cancelled years ago during development troubles. The game runs well on Steam Deck according to early reports.
Does TimeSplitters Rewind have all three game campaigns?
The early access version includes the full story campaign from the first TimeSplitters game with online co-op support. The TimeSplitters 2 and Future Perfect campaigns are planned for future updates but aren’t available yet.
Can you play TimeSplitters Rewind in split-screen?
No, split-screen multiplayer is not currently available. This is the most common complaint from players since split-screen was a defining feature of the original trilogy. The developers say it’s a priority for future updates.
How many people worked on TimeSplitters Rewind?
Nearly 200 volunteers contributed to TimeSplitters Rewind over the 13-year development period. Many team members left and were replaced multiple times as the project went through troubled periods.
Is TimeSplitters Rewind officially endorsed?
Yes, Crytek officially approved the project in 2013 after acquiring the TimeSplitters IP. The company even provided original assets from the TimeSplitters games to help the fan development team.
Does TimeSplitters Rewind have online multiplayer?
Yes, TimeSplitters Rewind supports up to 10-player online multiplayer with 28 maps, 20 arcade game modes, and all 91 characters from the original trilogy. Online co-op is also available for the story campaign.
Will there ever be an official TimeSplitters 4?
Unlikely. Free Radical Design was working on TimeSplitters 4 before going bankrupt in 2008. The studio was reformed as Crytek UK and later as Free Radical again under Deep Silver, but shut down permanently in 2023 without completing TimeSplitters 4.
Conclusion
TimeSplitters Rewind is a miracle. Not because it’s perfect or bug-free, but because it exists at all after 13 years of catastrophic development problems. Multiple engine switches, leadership turnover, programmer exodus, and near-cancellations would have killed most projects. But nearly 200 dedicated volunteers refused to let TimeSplitters fade into history. The result is rough around the edges and missing features like split-screen that defined the originals, but it’s substantial, playable, and completely free. For fans who grew up playing TimeSplitters on PlayStation 2 and GameCube, this represents a chance to revisit those memories with modern graphics and online multiplayer. For younger players who never experienced the series, Rewind offers an entry point to understand why this franchise earned such a devoted cult following. The developers call it the largest free content video game ever made. Whether that’s technically true doesn’t matter as much as the spirit behind it. This is what happens when passionate fans take ownership of a franchise abandoned by the industry. It takes 13 years of pain and perseverance, but sometimes impossible projects actually do get finished. Welcome back to the TimeSplitters. It’s been a long time coming.