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 beginning September 3. The decision marks a significant strategic pivot for the studio after a decade of concentrating on live‑service first‑person shooters. In a brief statement posted to X earlier today, the developers explained that the revenue generated by the two games no longer covers the expense of maintaining dedicated server infrastructure. While the company had continued to subsidise 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, underscoring the bittersweet nature of the move.
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 complemented by a server browser, allowing them to host their own matches and locate others willing to join. As a parting gesture, Empulse will receive a final new map and a universal price reduction across all regions, which the studio described as the game's "final update." This is not the first time 1047 Games has transitioned a title to P2P hosting. The original Splitgate made the same shift last year after its dedicated servers were retired, and the game remains fully playable on PC and consoles under the new architecture.
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 $145 cosmetic bundle that sparked community backlash. Within weeks of the launch, the company announced layoffs affecting an undisclosed number of staff members.
A further round of reductions followed a month later when the title was pushed back into beta and a second wave of layoffs was implemented. 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 workforce reductions, reflecting the studio's struggle to sustain development costs in a competitive market. Co‑founders Ian Proulx and Nicholas Bagamian used the announcement to signal a broader reorientation for 1047 Games.
"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," they said. The founders highlighted that more than 25 million players have experienced their games and that many relationships forged during that time have become lifelong friendships. While the press release did not detail the current staffing situation, it is clear that the studio has already endured several layoff cycles, the most recent occurring in July, shortly after Empulse's launch.
Whether the latest announcement will precipitate additional cuts remains uncertain. The shift away from dedicated servers is part of a larger industry trend where smaller studios reassess the viability of live‑service models that demand continuous server upkeep, regular content updates, and robust matchmaking ecosystems. Maintaining such infrastructure can be financially draining, especially when player retention falls short of projections. By moving to P2P hosting, 1047 Games reduces operational expenses and places more control in the hands of the community, albeit at the cost of potentially higher latency and a reliance on player‑hosted sessions.
For the existing player bases, the transition will bring both challenges and opportunities. On the one hand, the loss of official matchmaking may make it harder for newcomers to find matches quickly, and the quality of connections could vary widely depending on host performance. On the other hand, the server browser will enable enthusiasts to curate their own game environments, set custom rules, and perhaps foster niche communities that thrive on player‑driven moderation. The final content update for Empulse, featuring a new map and price discount, serves as a goodwill gesture to reward loyal fans before the servers are retired.
It also provides a clear endpoint for the game's development lifecycle, allowing the community to enjoy a polished experience without the expectation of further official updates. Looking ahead, 1047 Games has hinted that its next project may diverge significantly from the live‑service shooter formula that defined its first decade.
While specifics remain under wraps, the founders' emphasis on passion for game creation suggests that future endeavors could explore new genres, platforms, or business models that better align with sustainable development practices. In summary, 1047 Games is winding down active work on Empulse and Splitgate: Arena Reloaded, transitioning both titles to peer‑to‑peer hosting as of September 3. The move reflects financial realities surrounding dedicated server costs, follows a pattern of recent layoffs, and signals a strategic shift away from live‑service shooters toward potentially different types of projects. Existing players will need to adapt to a new matchmaking paradigm, but they will still have access to the games, now supported by community‑run servers and a final content update for Empulse.