1047 Games has announced that it will stop active development on both Empulse and Splitgate: Arena Reloaded, moving the two titles to a peer‑to‑peer (P2P) hosting model as of September 3. The decision marks a broader strategic pivot for the studio after a decade of focusing on live‑service shooter experiences.
In a brief statement posted to X earlier today, the developers explained that neither title was generating sufficient revenue to justify the ongoing expense of dedicated server infrastructure. While the company had continued to subsidize those costs in the hopes that the games might eventually become self‑sustaining, it now acknowledges that this approach 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 studio wrote, expressing genuine disappointment at having to scale back support. Effective September 3, the dedicated servers and official matchmaking services for both Empulse and Splitgate: Arena Reloaded will be decommissioned. Players will instead rely on a P2P system that includes a server browser, allowing community members to host their own matches and locate others who are looking to play.
As a parting gesture, Empulse will receive one final new map and a price reduction across all regions, which the studio has labeled the "final update" for the game. This transition mirrors what 1047 Games did with the original Splitgate last year. After its dedicated servers were shut down, the title shifted to P2P hosting and remains fully playable on PC and consoles, albeit without the centralized matchmaking that many players had grown accustomed to. The background to these moves 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 criticism from the community. Within a month of launch, the company announced layoffs affecting an undisclosed number of staff members.
A further month later, the game was rolled back to a beta state, prompting a second round of layoffs. Empulse, marketed as a 6‑v‑6 movement shooter and spiritual successor to Titanfall, entered early access in June 2026. The title’s debut was quickly followed by multiple rounds of staff reductions, reflecting the studio’s ongoing financial pressures. Co‑founders Ian Proulx and Nicholas Bagamian said the company’s direction is evolving after ten years built around live‑service shooters.
"What we build next may look very different from what people expect from 1047 Games," they noted, while emphasizing that the core passion for game development remains unchanged. "We started 1047 Games ten years ago because we love video games. 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 announcement did not provide specifics about the current staffing situation, although the studio has already undergone several layoff waves, 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 personnel cuts. From a broader industry perspective, 1047 Games’ move underscores the challenges that mid‑size developers face when attempting to sustain live‑service models without a massive player base. Dedicated servers are costly to maintain, and when revenue streams fall short, studios must either find alternative funding mechanisms, drastically cut costs, or abandon the live‑service approach altogether.
By transitioning to peer‑to‑peer hosting, the company can keep the games playable without the overhead of server farms, but it also places more responsibility on the community to organize matches and manage latency issues. Fans of Empulse and Splitgate: Arena Reloaded will now need to adapt to the new hosting model. While a server browser can provide a degree of flexibility, it may also lead to longer matchmaking times and a reliance on players with stable internet connections to act as hosts. Some players may experience increased ping or connection instability, especially in regions with fewer active hosts.
The final update for Empulse, which includes a new map and a global price cut, serves as a farewell gift to the community. It offers a chance for remaining players to explore fresh content before the game settles into its new, self‑sustaining mode. The price reduction could also attract new players who were previously deterred by the cost, potentially extending the game’s lifespan despite the lack of official server support.
Looking ahead, 1047 Games has hinted that its next project could diverge significantly from the shooter genre that defined its brand. The founders’ statements suggest a willingness to explore new IPs, mechanics, or even entirely different genres, leveraging the lessons learned from a decade of operating live‑service titles. While the exact nature of the upcoming venture remains under wraps, the studio’s commitment to creating enjoyable experiences appears to remain steadfast.
In summary, 1047 Games is winding down active development on Empulse and Splitgate: Arena Reloaded, shifting both titles to peer‑to‑peer hosting as of September 3. The move reflects financial realities, a strategic retreat from live‑service shooters, and an openness to reinventing the company’s future direction.
Existing players will need to adjust to a community‑driven matchmaking system, while the studio prepares for its next chapter in game development.