1047 Games announced that it will cease active development on both Empulse and Splitgate: Arena Reloaded, moving the two titles to a peer‑to‑peer (P2P) hosting model. The decision marks a clear pivot for the studio after a decade of focusing on live‑service first‑person shooters.
In a brief statement posted to X earlier today, the developers explained that the revenue generated by the two games no longer covers the expense of maintaining dedicated server infrastructure. While the studio had continued to subsidize those costs in the hope that the player bases would grow, it ultimately concluded that the model had become unsustainable. "We have loved working on these games, playing them, and building them with this community, and we wish we could continue supporting them," the post read, underscoring the bittersweet nature of the announcement.
Effective September 3, the dedicated servers and official matchmaking services for Empulse and Splitgate: Arena Reloaded will be shut down. Players will instead rely on a server‑browser system that connects them directly to other users via P2P networking, allowing matches to continue despite the loss of central servers. As a parting gesture, Empulse will receive one last map addition and a universal price reduction across all regions, which the studio described as the final update for the title. The move mirrors a similar transition that occurred with the original Splitgate last year.
After its dedicated servers were retired, Splitgate shifted to a P2P architecture and remains functional on PC and console platforms. That precedent gave the company confidence that a comparable approach could keep both Empulse and the newer Splitgate: Arena Reloaded playable for their remaining communities. Background on the two titles provides context for the shift.
Splitgate 2 launched in June 2025 amid considerable controversy. Marketing materials featured a politically charged "Make FPS Great Again" cap, and a premium cosmetic bundle priced at $145 sparked criticism from both fans and industry observers. Within weeks of release, 1047 Games announced a wave of layoffs, the size of which was not disclosed. A month later, the studio placed the game back into a beta state and initiated a second round of staff reductions, signaling deeper financial and strategic challenges.
Empulse, positioned as a 6‑v‑6 movement shooter and often described as a spiritual successor to Titanfall, entered early access in June 2026. The title promised fast‑paced parkour‑style combat and a robust class system, but its launch was quickly followed by multiple rounds of layoffs, further eroding confidence in the project's long‑term viability. Co‑founders Ian Proulx and Nicholas Bagamian used the announcement to outline a broader strategic reorientation. "We started 1047 Games ten years ago because we love video games," they wrote.
"Since then, more than 25 million people have played our games, and many of the people we've met along the way have become lifelong friends." They emphasized that after a decade centered on live‑service shooters, the studio's focus is changing. While they declined to specify the exact nature of future projects, they hinted that the next generation of games could look very different from what fans have come to expect from the company.
The statement did not provide details about current staffing levels, but it is worth noting that 1047 Games has already undergone several layoff cycles, the most recent occurring in July, shortly after Empulse's early‑access debut. Whether the latest announcement will precipitate additional cuts remains uncertain, but the pattern suggests a continued contraction of the development team. Industry analysts view the shift away from dedicated servers as a pragmatic response to the economics of live‑service games. Maintaining high‑performance, always‑online infrastructure is costly, and without a sufficiently large, paying player base, the expense can quickly outpace revenue.
By moving to P2P hosting, the studio reduces operational overhead while still offering a functional multiplayer experience. However, P2P can introduce challenges such as increased latency, reliance on host players' network quality, and potential exposure to cheating, which may affect the long‑term health of the games' communities. For players, the transition means they will need to adjust to a new matchmaking workflow.
Instead of joining a centrally managed lobby, they will browse available host servers, select a game that matches their preferences, and connect directly. The final map addition for Empulse is intended to give fans a fresh experience before the official support ends, and the price cut aims to make the game more accessible for those who wish to continue playing.
Looking ahead, 1047 Games' leadership expressed optimism that the lessons learned from a decade of live‑service development will inform future endeavors. They reiterated their core mission: a passion for creating games. While the exact direction remains unclear, the company appears ready to explore new genres or business models that may better align with current market conditions and player expectations.
In summary, the cessation of active development on Empulse and Splitgate: Arena Reloaded, coupled with the shift to peer‑to‑peer hosting, signals a significant strategic pivot for 1047 Games. The move reflects financial realities, ongoing staffing challenges, and a desire to refocus the studio's creative energy beyond the live‑service shooter niche.
Existing players can still enjoy both titles via the new P2P system, albeit with some trade‑offs, while the studio prepares to chart a new course for its next generation of games.