1047 Games has announced that it will stop active development on its two flagship titles, Empulse and Splitgate: Arena Reloaded, and will move both games to a peer‑to‑peer (P2P) hosting model. The decision marks a significant strategic pivot for the studio after a decade spent focusing on live‑service shooters.
In a brief statement posted on X earlier today, the developers explained that the revenue generated by the two games no longer covers the ongoing expenses of maintaining dedicated server infrastructure. While the studio had continued to subsidize those costs in an effort to give the titles a chance to grow their player bases, it ultimately concluded that the model had become "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 announcement read. "Unfortunately, the financial realities force us to change course." Effective September 3, the dedicated servers and official matchmaking services for both Empulse and Splitgate: Arena Reloaded will be shut down. Players will instead rely on a P2P system that uses a server browser, allowing individuals to host their own matches and discover others’ games.
To give the community a proper send‑off, Empulse will receive one final map and a price reduction across all regions as part of what the studio has dubbed the "final update." This move mirrors a similar transition that occurred with the original Splitgate last year. After its dedicated servers were retired, the game switched to P2P hosting and remains fully playable on PC and consoles. The shift demonstrated that a community can continue to enjoy a title even without the backing of centralized servers, provided the player base is willing to host games themselves.
The background to this decision is rooted in a turbulent period for 1047 Games. 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 high‑priced $145 cosmetic bundle. Within weeks, the studio announced layoffs affecting an undisclosed number of staff members.
A month later, the developers pushed the title back into beta and initiated a second round of layoffs, signaling deeper financial and operational challenges. Empulse, marketed as a 6v6 movement shooter and spiritual successor to Titanfall, entered early access in June 2026. Its launch was quickly followed by multiple rounds of staff reductions, further underscoring the strain on the company’s resources. Despite the hype surrounding its fast‑paced gameplay and parkour‑style mechanics, the game struggled to attract a sustainable player base.
Co‑founders Ian Proulx and Nicholas Bagamian used the announcement to outline the studio’s new direction. After ten years of building live‑service shooters, they said the company’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 details about the current staffing situation, although the company has already undergone several layoff rounds, the most recent occurring in July, shortly after Empulse’s early‑access release. It remains uncertain whether the latest announcement will precipitate additional cuts. Industry observers note that the shift away from dedicated servers is a pragmatic response to the economics of modern multiplayer games.
Maintaining server farms is expensive, and without a steady stream of microtransactions, battle passes, or other recurring revenue, even well‑received titles can become financial liabilities. By moving to P2P, 1047 Games reduces overhead while still offering players a way to enjoy the games they love. For the community, the transition means a more hands‑on approach to matchmaking.
Players will need to host their own sessions, manage latency issues, and potentially deal with a smaller pool of available opponents compared to the previous centralized system. However, many fans have expressed optimism that the P2P model will keep the games alive and foster a tighter, more dedicated player base. Looking ahead, 1047 Games has hinted that its next venture could explore genres or business models beyond the live‑service shooter framework. Whether that entails a single‑player narrative experience, a different type of multiplayer format, or even a venture into emerging technologies like cloud gaming remains to be seen.
What is clear is that the studio intends to apply the lessons learned over the past decade to whatever comes next, aiming to create experiences that resonate with players while remaining financially viable. In summary, the cessation of active development on Empulse and Splitgate: Arena Reloaded, coupled with the migration to peer‑to‑peer hosting, signals the end of an era for 1047 Games. The company is acknowledging the harsh financial realities of the live‑service market and is preparing to reinvent itself for the future. Fans can still enjoy the existing content, albeit with a new hosting structure, and will be watching closely to see what direction the studio takes after this pivotal shift.