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) hosting model as part of a broader strategic pivot away from live‑service shooter titles after a decade of focus in that space. In a brief statement posted on X earlier today, the studio explained that neither title is generating sufficient revenue to offset the ongoing expenses associated with maintaining dedicated server infrastructure. While the company had continued to subsidise those costs in hopes of fostering growth and community engagement, 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 developers wrote, underscoring the emotional attachment they feel toward their player bases.
Effective September 3, the dedicated servers and official matchmaking services for both Empulse and Splitgate: Arena Reloaded will be decommissioned. Players will instead rely on a P2P system that utilizes a server browser, allowing individuals to host their own matches and locate opponents directly.
As part of what the studio is calling the final update for Empulse, the game will receive one last new map and a price reduction across all regions. This move mirrors a similar transition that occurred with the original Splitgate last year. After its dedicated servers were shut down, the game shifted to a P2P architecture and remains fully playable today, including on console platforms. The background to these decisions is rooted in a turbulent period for the company.
Splitgate 2 launched in June 2025 amid a wave of controversy, most notably a politically charged "Make FPS Great Again" hat and a high‑priced $145 cosmetic bundle that drew criticism from the community. Within a month of release, 1047 Games announced an undisclosed round of layoffs, and a further round followed a month later when the title was rolled back to beta status, prompting a second wave of staff reductions.
Empulse, marketed as a 6‑v‑6 movement shooter and positioned as a spiritual successor to Titanfall, entered early access in June 2026. The launch was quickly followed by multiple rounds of layoffs, reflecting the company's ongoing financial strain and the difficulty of sustaining two ambitious live‑service projects simultaneously. Co‑founders Ian Proulx and Nicholas Bagamian addressed the shift in a public statement, noting that after ten years of building live‑service shooters, the studio’s focus is now "changing" and that future projects may look very different from what fans have come to expect from 1047 Games. "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 the current staffing situation, although the company has already undergone several rounds of layoffs, the most recent occurring in July, just weeks after Empulse’s early‑access debut.
It remains uncertain whether the latest statement will be accompanied by additional reductions. The transition to peer‑to‑peer hosting will have several practical implications for players. Without dedicated servers, latency and match stability will depend more heavily on the quality of individual host connections.
The new server‑browser system will give players greater control over which matches they join, but it may also introduce longer wait times in regions with fewer active hosts. The final map addition for Empulse is intended as a parting gift to the community, while the price cut aims to make the game more accessible as it moves into a maintenance‑only phase. Industry observers see 1047 Games' decision as a sign of the broader challenges faced by mid‑size studios attempting to sustain live‑service models without the deep pockets of larger publishers. The high cost of server upkeep, combined with the need for constant content updates to retain player interest, creates a fragile financial balance.
By stepping back from that model, 1047 Games may be positioning itself to explore alternative development approaches—perhaps smaller, single‑player experiences or games with more modest online components. For now, fans of Empulse and Splitgate: Arena Reloaded can continue to enjoy the games they love, albeit in a more community‑driven hosting environment.
The studio’s farewell message reflects both a sense of regret and optimism, acknowledging past achievements while looking ahead to an uncertain but potentially innovative future for the company.