1047 Games has announced that it will cease active development on its two flagship titles, Empulse and Splitgate: Arena Reloaded. The decision marks a strategic pivot for the studio, which after a decade of focusing on live‑service shooters, is moving toward a different development model.
Beginning on September 3, both games will abandon their dedicated server infrastructure and adopt a peer‑to‑peer (P2P) networking system, allowing players to host matches themselves via a built‑in server browser. In a brief statement posted to X earlier today, the company explained that the revenue generated by the two titles no longer covers the ongoing expenses associated with maintaining dedicated servers.
While the studio had continued to subsidize those costs in an effort to give the games a chance to grow their player bases, it ultimately 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 announcement read.
The transition to P2P hosting will be accompanied by a final content update for Empulse. This patch will introduce a brand‑new map and implement a price reduction across all regions, which the studio described as the game’s "final update." After the September 3 cut‑off, dedicated servers and the associated matchmaking services for both Empulse and Splitgate: Arena Reloaded will be decommissioned. Players will instead rely on the new server‑browser system to locate and join matches hosted by fellow community members.
This is not the first time 1047 Games has moved a title to peer‑to‑peer architecture. The original Splitgate made the same shift last year after its dedicated servers were shut down, and the game remains fully playable on PC and console platforms. The recent decision, however, underscores a broader trend within the studio: a retreat from the high‑maintenance live‑service shooter model that has defined its output for the past ten years.
Splitgate 2, released in June 2025, quickly became a flashpoint for controversy. The launch featured a politically charged "Make FPS Great Again" hat and a $145 cosmetic bundle that drew criticism from portions of the gaming community. Within a month of release, 1047 Games announced a wave of layoffs, the exact number of affected staff remaining undisclosed.
A further round of cuts followed a month later when the studio pushed the title back into beta and announced another reduction in personnel. Empulse, positioned as a 6‑versus‑6 movement‑focused shooter and often described as a spiritual successor to Titanfall, entered early access in June 2026.
Its debut was followed by several rounds of layoffs within weeks, reflecting the studio’s ongoing financial pressures. Both titles, despite their initial hype and dedicated followings, struggled to achieve the sustainable player counts needed to justify the cost of dedicated server farms. Co‑founders Ian Proulx and Nicholas Bagamian addressed the shift in a candid statement, noting that after ten years of building live‑service shooters, the company’s focus is evolving. "We started 1047 Games ten years ago because we love video games," they said.
"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 future staffing levels, though the studio has already undergone multiple layoff rounds, the most recent occurring in July, shortly after Empulse’s launch. It remains uncertain whether the latest development will trigger additional reductions. Industry observers see the move as part of a larger pattern where mid‑size developers reassess the viability of live‑service models, especially when server costs outweigh player revenue.
By shifting to peer‑to‑peer hosting, 1047 Games aims to reduce operational expenses while still offering a playable experience for its community. The final map for Empulse and the price cut are intended to give players a sense of closure and value as the titles enter their new, self‑hosted phase. Looking ahead, the studio’s leadership hints at a potential diversification of its portfolio.
While they have not disclosed concrete plans, the emphasis on “changing focus” suggests that future projects may explore genres beyond fast‑paced shooters, perhaps leveraging the lessons learned from a decade of community‑driven development. Fans of Empulse and Splitgate will now have to rely on community‑hosted matches, but the core gameplay experience remains intact, preserving the competitive spirit that initially attracted millions of players.
In summary, 1047 Games is winding down active development on Empulse and Splitgate: Arena Reloaded, transitioning both games to peer‑to‑peer networking as of September 3. The studio cites unsustainable server costs as the primary driver and offers a final content update for Empulse, including a new map and a universal price reduction.
The move reflects a broader strategic shift away from live‑service shooters, with the founders expressing optimism about exploring new directions while maintaining their passion for game creation.