1047 Games announced that it will cease active development on its two flagship titles, Empulse and Splitgate: Arena Reloaded, and will move both games to a peer‑to‑peer (P2P) hosting model. The decision marks a strategic pivot for the studio after a decade of concentrating on live‑service shooters.
In a brief statement posted to 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 an effort to give the titles a chance to grow their player bases, it ultimately 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 tone of the news. 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 uses a server browser, allowing individuals to host their own matches and discover others' sessions.
To give the community a proper send‑off, Empulse will receive one final map addition and a universal price reduction across all regions as part of what the studio has termed the game's "final update." This move mirrors the path taken with the original Splitgate, which also transitioned to P2P hosting after its dedicated servers were decommissioned last year. That version remains fully playable today, including on console platforms, demonstrating that a P2P model can keep a game alive even after official server support ends.
Splitgate 2, released in June 2025, quickly became a lightning rod for controversy. The launch was accompanied by a "Make FPS Great Again" hat—a clear nod to political branding—and a $145 cosmetic bundle that many players felt was overly aggressive. Within a month of release, 1047 Games announced an undisclosed round of layoffs, and a further wave of staff reductions followed a month later when the title was rolled back to beta status.
The turbulence surrounding Splitgate 2 highlighted the challenges of sustaining a live‑service shooter in a crowded market. Empulse, positioned as a 6‑v‑6 movement‑focused shooter and often described as a spiritual successor to Titanfall, entered early access in June 2026. Its launch was also followed by several rounds of layoffs, reflecting the studio's ongoing struggle to balance development costs with the revenue reality of its games.
Co‑founders Ian Proulx and Nicholas Bagamian used the announcement to signal a broader shift in the company's creative direction. "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 specifics about the current staffing situation, although the company has already undergone multiple layoff cycles, the most recent occurring in July, just weeks after Empulse's early‑access debut. It remains uncertain whether the latest announcement will trigger additional reductions.
Industry observers see this pivot as part of a larger trend where developers reassess the viability of the live‑service model, especially for mid‑tier shooters that require substantial server upkeep. By moving to a P2P architecture, 1047 Games reduces ongoing operational costs and places the responsibility for matchmaking on the community, a model that can extend a game's lifespan without the overhead of centralized servers. For players, the transition means that the experience will become more reliant on individual host quality and network conditions.
While some may appreciate the increased flexibility of hosting private matches, others might miss the polished matchmaking and anti‑cheat protections that dedicated servers typically provide. The final map update for Empulse and the price cut are intended to encourage the community to stay engaged during the transition period. Looking ahead, the founders hinted that future projects could diverge significantly from the studio's historical focus. Whether 1047 Games will explore single‑player narratives, different genres, or innovative multiplayer frameworks remains to be seen.
What is clear is that the company intends to leverage the lessons learned from a decade of live‑service development to inform its next chapter. In summary, 1047 Games is winding down active development on Empulse and Splitgate: Arena Reloaded, shifting both titles to peer‑to‑peer hosting as of September 3.
The move follows a period of financial strain, multiple layoffs, and mixed reception to recent releases. While the studio's future direction is still under wraps, the leadership emphasizes a continued passion for game creation and a willingness to adapt based on past experiences.