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) networking model as of September 3. The decision marks a clear pivot for the studio after a decade spent building and supporting live‑service first‑person shooters. In a brief statement posted on X earlier today, the company explained that the revenue generated by the two games no longer covers the expense of maintaining dedicated server infrastructure. While the studio had continued to subsidise those costs in the hope that the player bases would eventually grow to a sustainable level, it now acknowledges that this approach has become "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 bittersweet tone of the announcement.
Effective September 3, the dedicated servers and the associated matchmaking services for Empulse and Splitgate: Arena Reloaded will be shut down. Players will instead rely on a P2P system that includes a server browser, allowing users to host their own matches and find others who are doing the same. To give the community a proper send‑off, Empulse will receive a final map addition and a price reduction across all regions as part of what the studio calls the "final update" for the title.
This is not the first time 1047 Games has transitioned a title from dedicated servers to a P2P model. The original Splitgate made the same switch last year after its own dedicated servers were retired, and the game continues to be playable on PC and console via peer‑to‑peer matchmaking. 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, most notably a politically charged "Make FPS Great Again" hat and a $145 cosmetic bundle that drew heavy criticism. Within weeks of release, 1047 Games announced a round of layoffs, the size of which was not disclosed. A month later the company placed the title back into a beta state and initiated a second wave of staff reductions. Empulse, billed 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 quickly followed by several rounds of layoffs, reflecting the studio’s struggle to keep the project financially viable. Co‑founders Ian Proulx and Nicholas Bagamian used the recent announcement to signal a broader strategic shift. "After ten years of focusing on live‑service shooters, our focus is changing," they wrote. "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." The founders reflected on the company’s origins, noting that 1047 Games was founded a decade ago out of a passion for video games and that more than 25 million players have experienced their titles over the years.
They emphasized that many of the relationships forged during that time have turned into lifelong friendships, and they intend to carry the lessons learned into future projects, even if those projects diverge from the live‑service shooter formula. While the statement does not directly address the current staffing situation, it follows a pattern of repeated layoffs that have plagued the studio since early 2025. The most recent cuts occurred in July, just weeks after Empulse’s early‑access launch.
It remains uncertain whether the cessation of development on these two games will trigger additional reductions or whether the company will stabilize its workforce as it re‑examines its development roadmap. In practical terms, the shift to peer‑to‑peer hosting means that players will need to be more proactive in creating and joining matches.
The new server browser will list active hosts, and community‑run lobbies will replace the automated matchmaking that dedicated servers once provided. This model can work well for smaller, tightly knit player bases but may introduce challenges such as increased latency for some users and a reliance on host stability. For Empulse, the final update will not only add a new map but also lower the price point globally, an effort to attract new players and give existing fans a reason to return before the dedicated servers disappear.
Splitgate: Arena Reloaded will retain its core gameplay mechanics, but without the backing of official matchmaking, the community will need to coordinate through external platforms, forums, or the in‑game server browser. Overall, the announcement signals the end of an era for 1047 Games. After ten years of investing heavily in live‑service infrastructure, the studio appears ready to explore new genres, business models, or perhaps smaller‑scale experiences that do not depend on costly server farms. The exact nature of the next project remains undisclosed, but the founders’ comments suggest a willingness to experiment and a continued commitment to creating games that resonate with players, even if the format differs from their past offerings.
Fans of Empulse and Splitgate: Arena Reloaded are encouraged to make the most of the remaining weeks of dedicated‑server support, explore the new content being released, and adapt to the upcoming peer‑to‑peer environment. The transition may be challenging, but it also offers an opportunity for the community to shape the future of these titles in a more grassroots, player‑driven manner.