1047 Games announced that it will stop active development on its two current titles, Empulse and Splitgate: Arena Reloaded, and will move both games to a peer‑to‑peer (P2P) hosting model. The decision is part of a broader strategic pivot away from the live‑service shooter model that the studio has pursued for the past decade. In a brief statement posted to X earlier today, the company explained that neither Empulse nor Splitgate: Arena Reloaded is generating sufficient revenue to offset the ongoing expenses of maintaining dedicated server infrastructure. While the studio had continued to subsidize those costs in an effort to give the games 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 post read, underscoring the bittersweet nature of the announcement.
Effective September 3, the dedicated servers and official matchmaking services for both titles will be shut down. Players will instead rely on a P2P architecture, with a built‑in server browser that allows users to host their own matches and discover others’ sessions. To give the community a final boost, Empulse will receive one last map addition and a universal price reduction across all regions as part of what the studio has termed the "final update" for the game. This move mirrors a similar transition that 1047 Games made with the original Splitgate last year.
After its dedicated servers were decommissioned, the original Splitgate shifted to P2P hosting and remains fully playable on PC and consoles. That experience appears to have informed the current decision. The background to these changes is marked by a series of turbulent events. Splitgate 2 launched in June 2025 amid significant controversy, including the release of a politically charged "Make FPS Great Again" hat and a $145 cosmetic bundle that sparked backlash within the community.
Within a month of launch, the studio announced an undisclosed round of layoffs, and a further wave of staff reductions followed a month later when the game was pushed back into beta testing. Empulse, positioned as a 6‑v‑6 movement shooter and often described as a spiritual successor to Titanfall, entered early access in June 2026. Its debut was quickly followed by multiple rounds of layoffs, reflecting the financial pressures the studio faced.
Co‑founders Ian Proulx and Nicholas Bagamian addressed the shift in a public statement, noting that after ten years of focusing on live‑service shooters, the company’s direction is "changing". They emphasized that whatever the studio creates next may differ dramatically from what fans have come to expect from 1047 Games, but reiterated that the core motivation—love for game development—remains unchanged. "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 wrote. "We have learned a lot over the years, and we will carry those lessons into what we build next." The announcement did not provide specific details about the current staffing situation, though it is known that the studio has already undergone several rounds of layoffs, the most recent occurring in July, shortly after Empulse's launch.
It remains uncertain whether the latest shift away from live‑service shooters will trigger additional reductions. For players, the transition to peer‑to‑peer hosting means that the community will need to take a more active role in finding and hosting matches. The server browser will replace the automated matchmaking system, and while this can lead to longer wait times or less balanced games, it also offers greater control over match settings and the potential for a more tightly knit player community. The final map for Empulse is expected to provide a fresh tactical environment that may extend the game's lifespan, even as the official support infrastructure winds down.
Industry observers see 1047 Games' move as indicative of a larger trend where mid‑size studios reassess the viability of the live‑service model, especially when server costs outpace revenue. The high operational expenses of dedicated servers, combined with the need for constant content updates to retain player interest, have proven challenging for many developers. By shifting to P2P, studios can significantly reduce overhead, though they also relinquish some control over the player experience.
Looking ahead, the co‑founders hinted that future projects could explore genres or business models beyond the competitive shooter space. While no concrete details have been revealed, the statement suggests an openness to experimentation, possibly leveraging the lessons learned from Empulse and Splitgate to inform new design philosophies.
In summary, 1047 Games is winding down active development on Empulse and Splitgate: Arena Reloaded, moving both titles to peer‑to‑peer hosting on September 3, and offering a final content update for Empulse. The decision reflects financial realities and a strategic pivot away from live‑service shooters after a decade of focus. Players can still enjoy the games through community‑hosted matches, while the studio prepares for an uncertain but potentially innovative next chapter.