1047 Games announced that it will cease active development on its two flagship titles, Empulse and Splitgate: Arena Reloaded, and will move both projects to a peer‑to‑peer (P2P) hosting model. The decision marks a significant strategic pivot for the studio, which has spent the past decade concentrating on live‑service shooter experiences.
In a brief statement posted to X earlier today, the developers explained that the revenue generated by the two games no longer covers the expenses associated with maintaining dedicated server infrastructure. While the studio had previously subsidised those costs in the hope that the communities would grow enough to become self‑sustaining, it now acknowledges that continuing to fund the servers "is 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 emotional connection the team feels toward its players despite the harsh financial realities.
Effective September 3, the dedicated servers and official matchmaking services for Empulse and Splitgate: Arena Reloaded will be decommissioned. Players will instead rely on a P2P architecture complemented by a server browser, allowing individuals to host matches themselves and locate other participants. To give the community a proper send‑off, Empulse will receive one final map addition and a universal price reduction across all regions as part of what the studio calls the "final update" for the title.
This move mirrors a similar transition that occurred with the original Splitgate last year. After its dedicated servers were shut down, the game shifted to P2P hosting and remains fully playable on PC and consoles, albeit without the centralized matchmaking that once defined the experience.
The background to this shift is rooted in a turbulent period for the company. Splitgate 2 launched in June 2025 amid a storm of controversy, including the release of a politically charged "Make FPS Great Again" hat and a $145 cosmetic bundle that drew criticism from both players and the broader gaming press. Within weeks of the launch, 1047 Games announced a round of layoffs whose size was not disclosed.
A month later, the title was pushed back into a beta state, prompting a second wave of staff reductions. Empulse, positioned as a 6‑vs‑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 layoffs, reflecting the company's ongoing struggle to balance development costs with a relatively modest player base.
Co‑founders Ian Proulx and Nicholas Bagamian used the announcement to signal a broader change in direction. "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 pair highlighted that more than 25 million players have experienced their games over the past decade, and many of those interactions have turned into lasting friendships.
While the statement did not provide explicit details about the current staffing situation, it is worth noting that the studio has already undergone several rounds of layoffs, the most recent occurring in July, shortly after Empulse’s launch. Whether the latest announcement will trigger additional cuts remains uncertain.
The transition to peer‑to‑peer hosting carries both technical and community implications. On the technical side, removing dedicated servers eliminates a significant recurring cost, but it also places the burden of network performance and latency on individual hosts. Players with slower internet connections may experience higher ping or unstable sessions, potentially affecting the overall enjoyment of the games.
To mitigate these concerns, the studio plans to implement a server browser that will help users find hosts with suitable performance metrics. From a community perspective, the shift could foster a more grassroots, player‑driven environment. Without a central matchmaking service, clans and friend groups can organize matches more directly, and niche sub‑communities may thrive. However, the loss of official matchmaking also means that new players might find it harder to discover games, which could slow community growth further.
The broader industry context shows that many developers are re‑evaluating the live‑service model, especially for mid‑tier shooters that struggle to maintain a critical mass of concurrent players. The high cost of server maintenance, coupled with the need for constant content updates to keep players engaged, creates a fragile financial equilibrium. 1047 Games’ decision reflects this reality and may serve as a cautionary tale for other studios considering similar business models. Looking ahead, the founders hinted that future projects could diverge sharply from the studio’s historical focus.
While no concrete details were offered, they emphasized a commitment to leveraging the lessons learned over the past ten years. Whether this will involve a return to single‑player experiences, a pivot toward different genres, or an exploration of emerging technologies such as cloud gaming remains to be seen.
In summary, 1047 Games is winding down active development on Empulse and Splitgate: Arena Reloaded, moving both titles to a peer‑to‑peer framework as of September 3. The change is driven by unsustainable server costs, a series of layoffs, and a strategic desire to move away from live‑service shooters after a decade of focus.
While the transition presents challenges for existing players, it also opens the door for a more community‑centric mode of play and signals the studio’s intention to explore new creative directions in the future.