1047 Games has announced that it will stop active development on its two flagship titles, Empulse and Splitgate: Arena Reloaded. The decision comes as part of a broader strategic pivot away from the live‑service shooter model that the studio has pursued for the past decade. Effective September 3, both games will abandon their dedicated server infrastructure and move to a peer‑to‑peer (P2P) networking model, allowing players to host matches themselves via an in‑game server browser.
In a brief statement posted on X earlier today, the studio explained that the revenue generated by the two games no longer covers the ongoing expenses associated with maintaining dedicated servers. While the company had continued to subsidize these costs in an effort to give the titles a chance to grow their player bases, it ultimately concluded that the model had become financially untenable. "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.
The transition to P2P hosting will be accompanied by a final content update for Empulse. This update includes the release of one last new map and a price reduction across all regions, which the studio is marketing as the game's ultimate patch.
By removing the need for centralized matchmaking servers, the developers hope to keep the communities alive, even if the experience may be less seamless than before. This is not the first time 1047 Games has shifted a title to peer‑to‑peer networking.
The original Splitgate made the same move last year after its dedicated servers were shut down, and the game remains fully playable on both PC and console platforms. The decision to adopt P2P was seen as a pragmatic solution to keep the game accessible without incurring prohibitive server costs. Splitgate 2, released in June 2025, quickly became a lightning rod for controversy. The launch featured a polarising "Make FPS Great Again" hat and a $145 cosmetic bundle that sparked heated debate within the gaming community.
Within a month of release, the studio announced a round of layoffs, the size of which was not disclosed. A subsequent month saw the game pushed back into a beta state, accompanied by a second wave of staff reductions. These events highlighted the volatility that can accompany ambitious live‑service projects, especially when revenue expectations are not met.
Empulse, positioned as a 6‑versus‑6 movement shooter and often described as a spiritual successor to Titanfall, entered early access in June 2026. Its launch was followed by several rounds of layoffs within weeks, reflecting the same financial pressures that have plagued Splitgate 2. Despite the setbacks, Empulse managed to attract a dedicated niche audience that praised its fluid locomotion and high‑octane combat, but the player base was insufficient to sustain the costly server infrastructure.
Co‑founders Ian Proulx and Nicholas Bagamian used the announcement to signal a shift in the company's creative direction. "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 future staffing levels, though the studio has already undergone multiple rounds of layoffs, the most recent occurring in July, shortly after Empulse's early‑access debut. It remains uncertain whether the latest announcement will trigger additional reductions or if the company will stabilize its workforce as it explores new genres or business models. Industry analysts view the move as indicative of a larger trend where mid‑size developers reassess the sustainability of live‑service models, especially when operating costs outpace revenue.
Peer‑to‑peer hosting, while less reliable than dedicated servers, offers a low‑cost alternative that can keep a game alive for its most passionate players. However, it also introduces challenges such as increased latency, potential for cheating, and a reliance on player‑hosted sessions, which can affect overall game quality. For the communities of Empulse and Splitgate: Arena Reloaded, the transition means that matchmaking will no longer be handled by centralized servers.
Players will need to manually locate and join matches through the new server browser, a process that may feel more cumbersome but still enables continued play. The final Empulse map and price cut aim to give fans a parting gift and encourage lingering engagement before the official server shutdown.
Looking ahead, 1047 Games has hinted that its next project could diverge sharply from the shooter‑centric portfolio that defined its first decade. While details remain under wraps, the founders' emphasis on passion for game creation suggests a willingness to experiment with new genres, platforms, or perhaps even a return to smaller, single‑player experiences that demand fewer ongoing operational costs. In summary, the cessation of active development for Empulse and Splitgate: Arena Reloaded marks the end of an era for 1047 Games' live‑service shooter ambitions. By moving to peer‑to‑peer hosting and delivering a final content update, the studio aims to preserve the core experience for remaining players while reallocating resources toward an as‑yet‑undefined future direction.
The gaming community will be watching closely to see how the company's next chapter unfolds and whether the lessons learned from these two titles will inform a more sustainable development strategy.