A new development studio has emerged in Vancouver, operating under the name New Radical Games. The entity describes itself as a fusion of two defunct companies: Radical Entertainment and Hothead Games. This development signals the return of the teams behind classic titles such as The Simpsons: Hit & Run and Prototype.
Leadership and Formation
The revived studio is led by Ian Wilkinson, who serves as CEO and President. Wilkinson was a co-founder of the original Radical Entertainment and later served as president of Hothead Games for 16 years. Joining him is Tim Bennison, taking the role of COO. Bennison previously held the same position at Capcom Vancouver and Hothead Games. While the company appears to have formed in late 2024, coinciding with Hothead's bankruptcy, its website only recently went live.
Studio History
Radical Entertainment was originally founded in 1991 and acquired by Vivendi in 2005, later falling under Activision's ownership in 2008. By 2013, the studio had effectively ceased operations, with its corporate status dissolved and remaining staff reassigned to other Activision projects. Hothead Games, known for Penny Arcade Adventures and DeathSpank, shifted focus to mobile games before declaring bankruptcy in late 2024.
Future Projects and Services
According to the new studio's website, New Radical Games is open for business regarding work-for-hire projects. Their services include full game development for mobile and consoles, co-development partnerships, and the porting or remastering of existing titles.
Fans have already begun speculating about potential remasters of The Simpsons: Hit & Run or Prototype. However, the studio has not confirmed any specific plans to revive these franchises at this time. Historically, a sequel to Hit & Run was scrapped after Vivendi declined an offer to extend the Simpsons license despite the original game's success.
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