1047 Games announced that it will cease active development on its two flagship titles, Empulse and Splitgate: Arena Reloaded, and will move both experiences to a peer‑to‑peer (P2P) networking model as of September 3. The decision marks a significant strategic pivot for the studio, which has spent the past decade concentrating on live‑service shooter games.
In a brief statement posted to X earlier today, the developers explained that the revenue generated by the two games no longer covers the ongoing expenses associated with maintaining dedicated server infrastructure. While the studio had continued to fund those servers in the hope that the player bases would eventually grow to a sustainable level, it now acknowledges that this approach is "no longer sustainable." "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 emotional connection the team feels toward its audience despite the harsh financial realities. 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 P2P system that incorporates a server browser, allowing individuals to host their own matches and discover others’ sessions.
To give the community a proper send‑off, Empulse will receive one final map addition and a universal price reduction across all regions, which the studio has labeled the "final update" for the title. This transition mirrors a similar move the company made with the original Splitgate last year. After its dedicated servers were retired, Splitgate migrated to a P2P framework and remains fully playable today on both PC and console platforms. The background to these changes is rooted in a turbulent period for the studio.
Splitgate 2 launched in June 2025 amid a wave of controversy, including the release of a politically charged "Make FPS Great Again" hat and a pricey $145 cosmetic bundle that sparked community backlash. Within a month of launch, 1047 Games announced an undisclosed round of layoffs, and a further wave of staff reductions followed when the game was pulled back to beta a month later.
Empulse, marketed as a 6‑v‑6 movement shooter and positioned as a spiritual successor to Titanfall, entered early access in June 2026. The title’s debut was quickly followed by multiple rounds of layoffs, reflecting the studio’s ongoing struggle to balance development costs with insufficient player revenue.
Co‑founders Ian Proulx and Nicholas Bagamian used the announcement to articulate a broader shift in the company’s vision. After ten years of building live‑service shooters, they said the studio’s focus is "changing" and that future projects may look very different from what fans have come to expect from 1047 Games.
"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. After ten years of focusing on live‑service shooters, our focus is changing. What we build next may look very different from what people expect from 1047 Games, but what has not changed is why we are here: we love making games.
We have learned a lot over the years, and we will carry those lessons into what we build next." The statement did not provide specific details about the current staffing situation, though the company has already endured several layoffs, the most recent occurring in July, just weeks after Empulse’s launch. It remains uncertain whether the latest announcement will trigger additional reductions. From a broader industry perspective, 1047 Games' move away from dedicated server models reflects a growing recognition that the live‑service shooter market is increasingly saturated and financially demanding.
Maintaining high‑quality, always‑online infrastructure requires a steady stream of income, typically derived from microtransactions, battle passes, or cosmetic sales. When player engagement wanes, the cost‑to‑revenue ratio can quickly become untenable, prompting studios to either pivot to less server‑intensive genres or adopt P2P solutions that shift hosting responsibilities to the community. For the existing player bases of Empulse and Splitgate: Arena Reloaded, the transition to peer‑to‑peer will bring both opportunities and challenges. On the positive side, players will retain the ability to continue matchmaking without a central server, preserving the core gameplay loops that attracted them initially.
The server browser will also grant greater control over match settings and potentially reduce latency for those who can host locally. However, P2P networking can introduce issues such as host advantage, increased susceptibility to cheating, and a reliance on players with stable internet connections to keep the community alive.
The final content update for Empulse—a new map and a price cut—serves as a parting gift, aiming to reinvigorate interest and reward loyal fans before the official server shutdown. While the map adds fresh terrain for tactical play, the price reduction makes the game more accessible to newcomers who might be curious about the title now that it no longer requires a subscription or ongoing server fees. Looking ahead, the co‑founders hinted that 1047 Games may explore new genres or development models that diverge from the live‑service formula. This could involve single‑player experiences, narrative‑driven titles, or smaller‑scale multiplayer games that rely on offline or hybrid networking solutions.
Such a shift would align with a broader industry trend where developers seek sustainable business models that do not depend exclusively on perpetual online services. In summary, 1047 Games is winding down active development for Empulse and Splitgate: Arena Reloaded, moving both games to peer‑to‑peer hosting on September 3, and providing a final Empulse update that includes a new map and a universal price discount. The decision underscores the financial pressures of maintaining dedicated servers for live‑service shooters and signals a strategic reorientation for the studio after a decade of focusing on that niche. The upcoming changes will reshape how players engage with the two titles, and the company’s future direction remains to be seen as it explores new creative avenues beyond the live‑service shooter landscape.