1047 Games has announced that it will stop active development on its two flagship titles, Empulse and Splitgate: Arena Reloaded. The decision comes as the studio pivots away from the live‑service shooter model that has defined its work for the past decade.
Beginning on September 3, both games will abandon their dedicated server infrastructure and move to a peer‑to‑peer (P2P) architecture, allowing players to host matches themselves via a server browser. In a brief statement posted to X earlier today, the company explained that the revenue generated by the two games no longer covers the ongoing expenses of maintaining dedicated servers. While the studio had continued to subsidize those costs in an effort to give each title a chance to grow its player base, it ultimately concluded that the model had become "no longer sustainable." The announcement expressed genuine disappointment, noting, "We have loved working on these games, playing them, and building them with this community, and we wish we could continue supporting them." From the September 3 transition date, matchmaking and dedicated server support will be disabled for both Empulse and Splitgate: Arena Reloaded.
Players will instead rely on a P2P system that uses a server browser to locate and join games hosted by other community members. As a parting gesture, Empulse will receive one final new map and a price reduction across all regions, which the studio billed as the "final update" for the title. This move mirrors a similar shift that 1047 Games made with the original Splitgate last year. After its dedicated servers were shut down, the game migrated to a P2P model and remains fully playable today, even on console platforms.
The pattern suggests that the studio is consolidating resources and focusing on more cost‑effective delivery methods. The background to these changes is rooted in a turbulent period for the company. Splitgate 2 launched in June 2025 amid a wave of controversy, including the release of a "Make FPS Great Again" hat reminiscent of political slogans and a $145 cosmetic bundle that sparked backlash. Within weeks of launch, 1047 Games announced layoffs affecting an undisclosed number of developers.
A month later, the title was rolled back to a beta state, prompting a second round of staff reductions. The upheaval highlighted the difficulty of sustaining a high‑budget live‑service shooter in a competitive market.
Empulse, marketed as a 6‑v‑6 movement shooter and positioned as a spiritual successor to Titanfall, entered early access in June 2026. Its launch was quickly followed by multiple rounds of layoffs, underscoring the financial pressures the studio faced.
Despite the hype surrounding its fast‑paced gameplay and parkour‑style mechanics, the title struggled to attract a sufficient player base to justify the ongoing server costs. Founders Ian Proulx and Nicholas Bagamian addressed the broader strategic shift in their statement. They emphasized that after ten years of building live‑service shooters, the studio’s focus is evolving.
"What we build next may look very different from what people expect from 1047 Games," they wrote, but added that the core motivation—"we love making games"—remains unchanged. The co‑founders reflected on the company’s history, noting that more than 25 million people have played their games and that many community members have become lifelong friends. The announcement did not provide specifics about the current staffing situation, though it is known that the studio has already undergone several layoff phases, the most recent occurring in July, shortly after Empulse’s early‑access debut.
It remains uncertain whether the September transition will trigger additional reductions. Looking ahead, 1047 Games appears to be re‑evaluating its development philosophy. By moving away from the costly dedicated‑server model, the studio can allocate resources toward new projects that may not fit the traditional live‑service shooter mold.
This could open the door to smaller‑scale experiences, single‑player narratives, or experimental multiplayer formats that rely on more modest infrastructure. For the existing player communities, the shift to peer‑to‑peer hosting presents both challenges and opportunities. While some players may miss the stability and low‑latency experience provided by dedicated servers, others might appreciate the increased control over matchmaking and the ability to host private games more easily.
The final map addition and price cut for Empulse aim to give fans a sense of closure and reward their loyalty before the official transition. In summary, 1047 Games is concluding active development on Empulse and Splitgate: Arena Reloaded, moving both titles to a peer‑to‑peer framework as of September 3.
The decision reflects broader financial realities and a strategic pivot away from live‑service shooters after a decade of focus on that genre. While the future direction of the studio remains to be seen, the founders reaffirm their passion for game creation and hint at a potentially diverse portfolio of projects on the horizon.