1047 Games has announced that it will stop further development on its two flagship titles, Empulse and Splitgate: Arena Reloaded. The studio explained that, as of September 3, both games will no longer rely on dedicated servers; instead, they will move to a peer‑to‑peer (P2P) architecture with a built‑in server browser, allowing players to host and locate matches themselves.
This decision marks a clear pivot for the company after a decade of focusing on live‑service first‑person shooters. In a brief statement posted on X earlier today, 1047 Games said the revenue generated by the two titles fell short of the ongoing expenses required to maintain dedicated server infrastructure.
While the studio had previously subsidized those costs in an effort to give the games a chance to grow their player bases, it now finds that model "no longer sustainable." The developers expressed genuine affection for the projects, noting that they have enjoyed building, playing, and supporting the games alongside their communities, and lamented that they cannot continue to fund them in their current form. Effective September 3, the dedicated matchmaking services for Empulse and Splitgate: Arena Reloaded will be shut down. Players will be redirected to a P2P system where they can manually host sessions or join games through a server browser, ensuring that the titles remain playable even without the studio‑run backend.
As part of what the company calls the "final update" for Empulse, the game will receive one last new map and a universal price reduction across all regions, giving existing fans a modest bonus before the transition. This move mirrors the approach taken with the original Splitgate, which also switched to peer‑to‑peer hosting after its dedicated servers were retired last year.
That version of Splitgate continues to be accessible on PC and consoles, proving that a P2P model can keep a live‑service‑style game alive after official support ends. The background to these changes is worth noting. Splitgate 2 launched in June 2025 amid a wave of controversy, including a polarising "Make FPS Great Again" hat and a $145 cosmetic bundle that drew criticism from many players. Within weeks of release, 1047 Games announced layoffs affecting an undisclosed number of staff members.
A month later, the studio pushed the title back into a beta state and initiated a second round of cuts, signaling that the project was struggling both financially and operationally. Empulse, billed as a 6‑v‑6 movement shooter and a spiritual successor to Titanfall, entered early access in June 2026.
Its launch was followed by several rounds of layoffs within a short period, reflecting similar financial pressures. Despite the hype surrounding its high‑velocity gameplay and parkour‑style mechanics, the game failed to attract a sustainable player base fast enough to justify the cost of dedicated servers. Co‑founders Ian Proulx and Nicholas Bagamian used the announcement to outline a broader strategic shift. After ten years of building live‑service shooters, they said the studio’s focus is "changing" and that future projects may look very different from what fans have come to expect from 1047 Games.
They emphasized that the core motivation—"we love making games"—remains unchanged, and that the lessons learned over the past decade will inform whatever comes next. "We started 1047 Games ten years ago because we love video games," the founders 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 press release did not provide specifics about the current staffing situation, though 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 September transition will trigger additional reductions or if the studio will stabilize with a leaner team focused on new, undisclosed ventures. In summary, 1047 Games is winding down active development on Empulse and Splitgate: Arena Reloaded, shifting both titles to a peer‑to‑peer hosting model to keep them playable without the expense of dedicated servers.
The move reflects a larger strategic realignment away from live‑service shooters after a decade of investment, with the founders hinting at a future direction that could diverge significantly from their previous portfolio. Existing players will still be able to enjoy the games, albeit with a different matchmaking experience, while the studio looks ahead to its next chapter in game development.