1047 Games announced that it will stop 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 as of September 3. The decision marks a significant strategic pivot for the studio after a decade of focusing on live‑service shooter franchises. In a brief statement posted on X earlier today, the developers explained that the revenue generated by the two games no longer covers the ongoing expenses of maintaining dedicated server infrastructure. While the company had continued to subsidize those costs in hopes that the player bases would eventually grow to a sustainable level, it now acknowledges that this approach is "no longer viable." "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 regret over the shift.
Effective September 3, the dedicated servers that currently handle matchmaking and game hosting 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 who are doing the same. As part of what the company has termed the "final update" for Empulse, the game will receive one last new map and a price reduction across all regions.
This move mirrors a similar transition that occurred with the original Splitgate title. After its dedicated servers were retired last year, Splitgate migrated to a peer‑to‑peer architecture and remains fully playable on PC and console platforms. Splitgate 2, which launched in June 2025, quickly became a lightning rod for controversy. The release was accompanied by a "Make FPS Great Again" hat that evoked political imagery, as well as a $145 cosmetic bundle that many players found excessive.
Within a month of launch, 1047 Games announced an undisclosed round of layoffs, and a further month later the studio pushed the title back into a beta phase and initiated a second wave of staff reductions. The turbulent rollout highlighted the challenges the studio faced in balancing ambitious content updates with a sustainable business model.
Empulse, billed as a 6‑vs‑6 movement shooter and often described as a spiritual successor to Titanfall, entered early access in June 2026. The title generated a burst of interest but was quickly followed by multiple rounds of layoffs within weeks of its debut, underscoring the financial pressures the company was experiencing across its portfolio.
Co‑founders Ian Proulx and Nicholas Bagamian addressed the broader implications of the announcement, noting that after ten years centered on live‑service shooters, the studio’s focus is undergoing a fundamental change. "What we build next may look very different from what people expect from 1047 Games," they said, "but the reason we are here hasn’t changed: we love making games." The founders reflected on the company’s origins, stating, "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." They emphasized that the lessons learned from a decade of operating live‑service titles will inform future projects, even if those projects diverge from the shooter genre. While the public statement did not provide specific details about the current staffing situation, it is worth noting that 1047 Games has already undergone several layoff cycles, the most recent occurring in July, just weeks after Empulse’s launch. It remains uncertain whether the latest announcement will trigger additional reductions or if the studio will stabilize its workforce as it re‑evaluates its development priorities. The shift to peer‑to‑peer hosting is intended to reduce operational costs while still allowing dedicated fans to enjoy the games.
However, P2P networking can introduce challenges such as increased latency, reliance on host stability, and potential exposure to cheating, issues that the studio will need to monitor closely. By providing a server browser, 1047 Games hopes to give players the tools to find reliable hosts and maintain a viable matchmaking experience despite the loss of centralized servers. In summary, 1047 Games is winding down active development on Empulse and Splitgate: Arena Reloaded, transitioning both titles to a peer‑to‑peer model to cut expenses, and signaling a broader strategic shift away from live‑service shooters after a decade of operation.
The company’s leadership emphasizes a continued passion for game creation and hints at future projects that could depart significantly from its current portfolio, while the community watches closely to see how the changes will affect gameplay, support, and the studio’s long‑term direction.