1047 Games has announced that it will cease 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 a built‑in server browser. In a brief statement posted to X earlier today, the studio explained that the revenue generated by the two titles no longer covers the ongoing expenses associated with maintaining dedicated servers. While 1047 Games had continued to subsidize those costs in an effort to give the games a chance to grow their player bases, the company 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. The upcoming transition will see the shutdown of all dedicated server matchmaking for Empulse and Splitgate: Arena Reloaded on September 3. From that date forward, the titles will rely on P2P hosting, with a server browser that enables players to locate and join matches hosted by other community members.
As a parting gesture, Empulse will receive a final new map and a universal price reduction across all regions, which the studio has labeled the "final update" for the game. This move mirrors a similar shift that 1047 Games made with the original Splitgate last year.
After its dedicated servers were taken offline, Splitgate transitioned to a P2P architecture and remains fully playable on PC and console platforms. The decision to adopt P2P hosting reflects a growing trend among smaller studios to reduce operational costs while still offering a functional multiplayer experience. Splitgate 2, released in June 2025, quickly became a lightning rod for controversy.
The launch featured a "Make FPS Great Again" hat reminiscent of political slogans and a $145 cosmetic bundle that sparked backlash from the community. Within weeks of the release, the studio announced a round of layoffs, the size of which was not disclosed.
A month later, the game was pushed back into a beta state, accompanied by a second wave of staff reductions. These turbulent events underscored the challenges of sustaining a live‑service shooter in a competitive market.
Empulse, marketed as a 6‑v‑6 movement shooter and often described as a spiritual successor to Titanfall, entered early access in June 2026. Its launch was followed by multiple rounds of layoffs within a short span, indicating that the studio was grappling with staffing and financial pressures even before the recent announcement. Co‑founders Ian Proulx and Nicholas Bagamian addressed the shift in direction, noting that after ten years of concentrating on live‑service shooters, the studio’s focus is evolving.
"What we build next may look very different from what people expect from 1047 Games," they said, emphasizing that the core motivation—creating games they love—remains unchanged. They highlighted that over 25 million players have experienced their titles and that many relationships forged during that time have turned into lifelong friendships. The statement did not provide specifics about current staffing levels, though it is known that 1047 Games has already undergone several layoff rounds, the most recent occurring in July, shortly after Empulse’s launch.
It remains uncertain whether the latest announcement will trigger additional reductions. Industry observers see this development as part of a larger pattern where mid‑size developers reassess the viability of the live‑service model, especially when server costs outpace revenue. By moving to peer‑to‑peer hosting, studios can dramatically cut operational expenditures, though they also risk reduced matchmaking quality and increased susceptibility to cheating. For players, the transition means they will need to rely on community‑hosted servers, which may affect latency and overall game stability.
Looking ahead, 1047 Games has hinted at a new direction that could diverge significantly from its shooter‑centric past. While details remain scarce, the founders’ remarks suggest an openness to exploring different genres or gameplay experiences, leveraging the lessons learned from a decade of live‑service development. Fans of Empulse and Splitgate will now have the opportunity to continue playing their favorite games in a more decentralized environment, while the studio prepares to chart a fresh creative course. In summary, 1047 Games is ending active development on Empulse and Splitgate: Arena Reloaded, shifting both titles to peer‑to‑peer hosting on September 3.
The move follows financial pressures, multiple layoffs, and a broader strategic decision to move away from live‑service shooters after ten years. The studio promises a final update for Empulse, including a new map and price cut, and leaves the door open for future projects that may differ markedly from its current portfolio.