1047 Games 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, which has spent the last decade concentrating on live‑service shooter experiences. In a brief statement posted to X earlier today, the company explained that the revenue generated by the two games no longer covers the ongoing expenses of maintaining dedicated server infrastructure. While the studio had continued to subsidize those costs in hopes that the titles would eventually become self‑sustaining, it concluded that the 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 bittersweet nature of the move.
Effective September 3, the dedicated servers for Empulse and Splitgate: Arena Reloaded will be decommissioned. Matchmaking will shift to a P2P system that relies on a server browser, allowing players to host their own matches and locate others without the need for centrally managed servers. As a parting gesture, Empulse will receive one last new map and a price reduction across all regions, which the studio labeled the "final update" for the title. This transition mirrors the path taken with the original Splitgate, which also migrated to P2P hosting last year after its dedicated servers were shut down.
That version of Splitgate remains fully playable today on PC and console, demonstrating that a community‑driven hosting model can keep a game alive even after official support wanes. Splitgate 2, launched in June 2025, quickly became a flashpoint of controversy. The game’s marketing included a politically charged "Make FPS Great Again" hat and a high‑priced $145 cosmetic bundle, drawing criticism from both players and industry observers. Within a month of release, 1047 Games announced an undisclosed round of layoffs, and a further wave of staff reductions followed when the title was pushed back into beta a month later.
Empulse, positioned as a 6‑v‑6 movement shooter and often described as a spiritual successor to Titanfall, entered early access in June 2026. The launch was followed by several rounds of layoffs within weeks, reflecting the studio’s struggle to balance development costs with a relatively small player base. Co‑founders Ian Proulx and Nicholas Bagamian used the announcement to signal a broader strategic shift. After ten years of building live‑service shooters, they said the company’s focus is "changing" and that future projects may look very different from anything 1047 Games has previously released.
"We started 1047 Games ten years ago because we love video games," they wrote. "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 statement did not provide specific details about current staffing levels, although the company has already undergone multiple layoff rounds, the most recent occurring in July, shortly after Empulse’s early‑access debut. It remains uncertain whether the latest announcement will precipitate additional reductions.
Industry analysts view the move as part of a larger trend where mid‑size studios reassess the viability of the live‑service model, especially when server costs outpace revenue. By shifting to P2P hosting, 1047 Games reduces ongoing operational expenses while still offering a way for dedicated fans to keep the games playable.
However, the change also places more responsibility on players to manage latency, matchmaking quality, and security, issues that dedicated servers typically handle. For the community, the transition means that players will need to adapt to a new way of finding matches. The server browser will list available host sessions, and players can join games directly rather than relying on an automated matchmaking queue. Some longtime fans have expressed concern that this could lead to longer wait times or uneven match quality, especially for those with limited broadband capabilities.
Despite these challenges, the final content update for Empulse—featuring a new map and a worldwide price cut—offers a small consolation for players who have supported the game since its early‑access launch. The price reduction aims to attract new players and give the existing community a reason to return before the dedicated servers are fully retired. Looking ahead, 1047 Games has hinted that its next venture could diverge significantly from the shooter genre. While no concrete details have been released, the founders emphasized that the studio’s core passion—creating enjoyable gaming experiences—remains unchanged.
Fans and observers will be watching closely to see whether the company will explore new IPs, return to smaller‑scale projects, or perhaps experiment with emerging technologies such as cloud gaming or cross‑platform play. In summary, 1047 Games is winding down active development on Empulse and Splitgate: Arena Reloaded, moving both to a peer‑to‑peer framework to cut costs and keep the games accessible. The shift reflects a broader strategic realignment away from the high‑maintenance live‑service shooter model that defined the studio’s output for a decade. As the company looks toward a new direction, the gaming community will be left to decide whether the legacy titles can thrive under a community‑hosted model and what the next chapter for 1047 Games will ultimately entail.