1047 Games has announced that it will cease active development on its two flagship titles, Empulse and Splitgate: Arena Reloaded. The studio explained that, as of September 3, both games will abandon their dedicated‑server infrastructure and move to a peer‑to‑peer (P2P) model, using a server browser to let players find and host matches themselves. This decision marks a significant strategic pivot for the company after a decade of concentrating on live‑service shooter experiences.
In a brief statement posted to X earlier today, the developers disclosed that the revenue generated by the two games no longer justifies the ongoing expenses of maintaining dedicated servers. While the studio had continued to subsidise these costs in the hope that the titles would eventually become self‑sustaining, it now acknowledges that this approach has become "no longer sustainable." The message expressed genuine affection for the communities that formed around the games, noting, "We have loved working on these games, playing them, and building them with this community, and we wish we could continue supporting them." Effective September 3, the dedicated‑server back‑ends and the associated matchmaking services for Empulse and Splitgate: Arena Reloaded will be decommissioned.
Players will still be able to enjoy the games, but they will have to rely on P2P connections, with a built‑in server browser that allows them to locate and join host‑run matches. As a parting gesture, Empulse will receive one final map addition and a universal price reduction across all regions, which the studio described as the "final update" for that title.
This transition mirrors a similar move the company made with the original Splitgate. After its dedicated servers were shut down last year, Splitgate switched to P2P hosting and remains playable on both PC and console platforms. The earlier shift demonstrated that 1047 Games is willing to preserve the core gameplay experience even when the underlying network architecture changes. The background to these announcements is layered with recent turbulence.
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 $145 cosmetic bundle that sparked heated debate within the community. Within a month of launch, the studio carried out an undisclosed round of layoffs, and a further wave of staff reductions followed when the game was reverted to a beta state a month later. Empulse, positioned as a 6‑v‑6 movement‑focused 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 company's struggle to balance development costs with a modest player base. Co‑founders Ian Proulx and Nicholas Bagamian used the announcement to signal a broader change in direction.
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 specifics about current staffing levels, although 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 shift to P2P hosting will be accompanied by additional reductions. Industry observers note that the move away from dedicated servers is a pragmatic response to the economics of modern multiplayer titles.
Maintaining server farms is expensive, and without a steady stream of microtransaction revenue or a large, active player base, the cost can quickly outweigh the benefits. By switching to peer‑to‑peer, 1047 Games can keep the games operational with minimal overhead, albeit at the expense of potentially higher latency and a less consistent matchmaking experience for some players.
For the community, the transition means that those who have invested time—and sometimes money—into Empulse and Splitgate: Arena Reloaded will need to adapt to the new hosting model. The final map for Empulse and the price cut are intended as goodwill gestures, but the long‑term health of the games will now depend on the willingness of players to host their own sessions and to keep the matchmaking ecosystem alive through community effort.
Looking ahead, the co‑founders' remarks hint at a possible diversification of the studio's portfolio. While they have not disclosed concrete plans, the emphasis on "what we build next may look very different" suggests that 1047 Games might explore genres beyond the live‑service shooter niche, perhaps leaning into single‑player experiences, narrative‑driven titles, or other multiplayer formats that require less intensive server infrastructure. In summary, 1047 Games is winding down active development on Empulse and Splitgate: Arena Reloaded, moving both games to a peer‑to‑peer framework as of September 3.
The decision reflects financial realities, a desire to preserve the games for existing fans, and a strategic pivot away from the live‑service shooter model that defined the studio for a decade. The future direction of the company remains uncertain, but the founders reaffirm their passion for game creation and their commitment to applying the lessons learned from the past ten years to whatever comes next.