Remember Haze? You'll be forgiven if you can't recall the critically-panned PS3-exclusive shooter from 2008. It was the last game to come from Free Radical Design, before being transformed into Crytek UK.

Haze's failure ultimately hurt the prospects of a long-requested fan project: TimeSplitters 4. Free Radical had successfully launched three games in the series, but publishers couldn't help but be concerned after the game's disastrous release.

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After declaring bankruptcy last week, Haze and TimeSplitters series developer Free Radical Design has now laid off "around 140" of its 185 employees. The studio's staff had been paid through the end of December, which is when the cuts will take effect.

"We're still trading on with the remaining 40 or so employees, have advertised the business for sale and have received some strong interest," ReSolve representative Cameron Gunn told 1UP. ReSolve had been tasked with assessing Free Radical's "financial position" and helping the developer weather its troubled times. Read more »

Update: Free Radical has not closed, but has instead gone into administration, which will allow the company to continue operating despite an inability to pay its debts.

"It's business as usual, although we have asked that almost all of the employees apart from a skeleton crew remain at home," Cameron Gunn, an employee of administration firm Resolve Partners, told local newspaper This Is Nottinham. Read more »

New to the PlayStation Store this week is a playable demo of Free Radical's shooter Haze (PS3), plus an expansion to Q-Games PixelJunk Monsters as well as Rock Band and Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock downloadable content.

Available free of charge, the Haze demo is said to provide a sample of both the game's single-player campaign as well as its four-person, drop-in drop-out online co-op. Haze is scheduled to hit store shelves on May 20. Read more »

Like yellow? If so, you'll love these four new screenshots of Haze (PS3).

The Free Radical-developed shooter and its KoRn-produced title track should hit North American retailers on May 20. A downloadable demo, featuring four-person online co-op, will be available from the North American PlayStation Store tomorrow.

With the May 20 release of Haze (PS3) approaching, publisher Ubisoft sent over a video of once-famous metal band KoRn performing its game-inspired track "Haze."

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Publisher Ubisoft today confirmed that Free Radical's substance-abusing first-person shooter Haze (PS3) will be at North American retailers on May 20, with a downloadable demo due in early May. In celebration, a single new screenshot was released.

Soon to be available from the online PlayStation Store, the demo is said to provide a sample of both the game's single-player campaign as well as its four-person, drop-in drop-out online co-op. Read more »

Free Radical Design's shooter Haze will be hitting stores on May 23 in Europe, Eurogamer reports.

Telling the tale of a drug-enhanced commando facing a moral quandry, the first current-gen effort from TimeSplitters developer Free Radical was originally announced for PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. The title is now being touted as a PS3 exclusive after development on the PC and Xbox 360 versions was halted last year. Read more »

Ubisoft just sent over new batch of screenshots for Free Radical's upcoming shooter Haze (PS3).

Telling the tale of a drug-enhanced commando facing a moral quandry, the first current-gen effort from TimeSplitters developer Free Radical was originally announced for PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, but was later revealed to be PlayStation 3 exclusive. Read more »

Following a series of delays, publisher Ubisoft has announced that Free Radical Design's shooter Haze will be making its way to stores in May as a PlayStation 3 exclusive.

Telling the tale of a drug-enhanced commando facing a moral quandry, the first current-gen effort from TimeSplitters developer Free Radical was originally announced for PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. The title is now being touted as a PS3 exclusive after development on the PC and Xbox 360 versions was halted last year. Read more »

Publisher Ubisoft has once again pushed back the release date of Free Radical's drug-enhanced shooter Haze. The company now expects the title to arrive at some point during its 2008 fiscal year, which runs from April 1, 2008 to March 31, 2009.

News of the delay was packaged within a financial report issued today. The company had previously slated the game for release last year, but it was pushed back and expected to hit by this March. Read more »

Much like Rudolph leading Santa's sleigh in the murky winter night, Haze, one of this year's few third party PlayStation 3-only titles, will light the way for Sony's console on December 14, reports Three Speech. Telling the tale of a drug-enhanced commando facing a moral quandry, the first current-gen effort from TimeSplitters developer Free Radical was originally announced for PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. The other two versions disappeared from Ubisoft documents in May, and at the time, an Ubisoft rep declined to label the game an exclusive, chuckling, "We just felt that PS3 needed some love." Later on, Free Radical co-founder and GoldenEye 007 (N64) veteran David Doak claimed that development of the first person shooter was proceeding on all platforms, but that the game would debut on PlayStation 3 first. To learn more about Haze, scope out Carlos Bergfeld's hands-on analysis.

Recent comments from publisher Ubisoft continue to paint a murky fate for the Xbox 360 and PC editions of developer Free Radical's next first person shooter, Haze. GameSpot claims that the game is now a PlayStation 3 exclusive and development on the other versions has halted. "The official statement on PC and Xbox 360 is that these platforms are not confirmed," Ubisoft told the site, noting that it is open to "new partnerships." With the game originally announced for PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, mentions of the PC and Xbox 360 editions disappeared from the official fact sheet and site in late May. At the time, an Ubisoft representative avoided using "exclusive" when discussing the fall 2007 release of the PlayStation 3 version. "We just felt that PS3 needed some love," the rep chuckled. The next day, Free Radical co-founder and GoldenEye 007 (N64) veteran David Doak noted that development was proceeding on all platforms, but that the game would debut on PlayStation 3 first. Shacknews has contacted Ubisoft for clarification. For more on the game, check out our E3 impressions or the trailer below:

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There's a new Haze preview on IGN, offering impressions of driving around in co-op mode.

Over at bit-tech.net you can find a Haze preview, offering hands-on impressions of the new Free Radical shooter.