1047 Games announced that it will cease active development on both Empulse and Splitgate: Arena Reloaded, moving the two titles to a peer‑to‑peer (P2P) architecture as of September 3. The decision marks a clear 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 the revenue generated by the two games no longer covers the ongoing expenses of maintaining dedicated server infrastructure. While the company had continued to subsidise those costs in an effort to give each title a chance to find a larger audience, it ultimately concluded that this model had 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 announcement read, underscoring the studio’s affection for its player base despite the financial realities.
Effective September 3, the dedicated servers and official matchmaking services for Empulse and Splitgate: Arena Reloaded will be shut down. Players will instead rely on a P2P system that utilizes a server browser, allowing anyone to host a match and others to join. To give Empulse a proper send‑off, the team will also release one final map and apply a price reduction across all regions as part of what they have dubbed the game's "final update." This is not the first time 1047 Games has transitioned a title to P2P. The original Splitgate made the same shift last year after its dedicated servers were retired, and the game remains fully playable on PC and consoles under the new model.
Splitgate 2, which launched in June 2025, quickly became a lightning rod for controversy. The game featured a politically charged "Make FPS Great Again" hat and a high‑priced $145 cosmetic bundle that sparked backlash across the community.
Within a month of release, the studio announced a wave of layoffs, and a further reduction in staff followed a month later when the title was pushed back into beta testing. Empulse, billed as a 6‑vs‑6 movement‑focused shooter and often described as a spiritual successor to Titanfall, entered early access in June 2026. The title’s launch was accompanied by several rounds of layoffs over the subsequent weeks, reflecting the broader financial strain the studio was experiencing.
Co‑founders Ian Proulx and Nicholas Bagamian used the announcement to signal a strategic shift. "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 wrote.
The pair emphasized that the studio’s core mission—creating experiences that players enjoy—remains unchanged, even as the business model evolves. The statement did not provide specific details about current staffing levels.
However, 1047 Games has already undergone multiple rounds of layoffs, the most recent occurring in July, just weeks after Empulse’s early‑access debut. It remains uncertain whether the latest announcement will precipitate additional reductions. The move to P2P hosting is significant for players who have grown accustomed to the reliability of dedicated servers.
Peer‑to‑peer connections can introduce higher latency, increased reliance on host performance, and potential security concerns. To mitigate these issues, the studio plans to implement a server browser that will let players select hosts with favorable ping and stability metrics, thereby preserving a reasonable multiplayer experience despite the loss of official matchmaking. From a broader industry perspective, 1047 Games' decision reflects a growing awareness that live‑service shooters demand substantial, ongoing investment in server maintenance, content pipelines, and community management.
When revenue streams falter, the cost structure can quickly become untenable, especially for mid‑size studios without the deep pockets of larger publishers. Looking ahead, the founders hinted that future projects may diverge from the fast‑paced, competitive shooter formula that defined their brand for a decade. While no concrete details were shared, the language used suggests an openness to exploring new genres, perhaps focusing on single‑player narratives, co‑op experiences, or even non‑shooter titles that leverage the studio’s expertise in high‑quality game design.
For the community, the transition means that both Empulse and Splitgate: Arena Reloaded will continue to be playable, albeit in a more grassroots, player‑hosted environment. Existing players can look forward to the final Empulse map and the reduced price point, while fans of Splitgate will retain access to the original title they helped keep alive after its server shutdown.
In summary, 1047 Games is winding down active development on its two most recent live‑service shooters, moving them to peer‑to‑peer hosting, and signaling a strategic pivot away from the costly live‑service shooter model. The studio’s leadership remains optimistic about the lessons learned over the past ten years and is poised to channel that experience into new, potentially very different, gaming ventures.