1047 Games has announced that it will stop active development on its two flagship titles, Empulse and Splitgate: Arena Reloaded. The decision marks a significant pivot for the studio, which after a decade of focusing on live‑service shooters, is now moving toward a different development model. Beginning on September 3, both games will abandon their dedicated server infrastructure and will instead rely on peer‑to‑peer (P2P) networking, allowing players to host matches themselves through a built‑in server browser. In a brief statement posted on X earlier today, the company explained that the revenue generated by the two titles fell short of covering the ongoing expenses associated with maintaining dedicated servers.
While the studio had continued to fund those costs in the hope that the games would eventually become self‑sustaining, it ultimately concluded that the model was "no longer sustainable." The announcement was tinged with regret, as the developers expressed genuine affection for the projects, the communities they had cultivated, and the experiences they had shared. "We have loved working on these games, playing them, and building them with this community, and we wish we could continue supporting them," the post read.
"Unfortunately, the financial realities force us to make a change." The transition to P2P will be accompanied by a final content update for Empulse. Players can expect one last new map to be added, and the game’s price will be reduced across all regions as part of what the studio has labeled the "final update." This move is intended to give the community a chance to continue enjoying the title without the need for the studio to fund server costs.
This is not the first time 1047 Games has shifted a title to peer‑to‑peer hosting. The original Splitgate made the same transition last year after its dedicated servers were shut down, and the game remains playable on both PC and console platforms.
That earlier change demonstrated that a P2P model can keep a community alive, albeit with certain trade‑offs in matchmaking speed and stability. Splitgate 2, released in June 2025, was launched amid a storm of controversy. The game’s marketing included a polarizing "Make FPS Great Again" hat and a $145 cosmetic bundle that drew criticism from many quarters. Within a month of launch, the studio announced a wave of layoffs, the size of which was not disclosed.
A further month later, the developers pushed the title back into beta and initiated a second round of staff reductions, signaling ongoing turbulence within the project. Empulse, positioned as a 6‑v‑6 movement shooter and often described as a spiritual successor to Titanfall, entered early access in June 2026.
Its debut was quickly followed by multiple rounds of layoffs, underscoring the financial pressures the studio was facing across its live‑service portfolio. Co‑founders Ian Proulx and Nicholas Bagamian used the announcement to articulate a broader strategic shift. After ten years spent building and supporting live‑service shooters, they indicated that the studio’s future direction would likely diverge from the expectations that have been associated with the 1047 Games brand. "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 statement did not provide specifics about current staffing levels, though it is known that 1047 Games has already undergone several rounds of layoffs, the most recent occurring in July, just weeks after Empulse’s launch. It remains uncertain whether the latest announcement will trigger additional reductions.
In practical terms, the shift to peer‑to‑peer hosting means that, starting September 3, the dedicated matchmaking services for both Empulse and Splitgate: Arena Reloaded will be discontinued. Players will need to rely on the in‑game server browser to find or host matches, a system that places the responsibility for network performance on individual hosts. While this can lead to a more community‑driven experience, it also introduces potential challenges such as increased latency, host advantage, and a higher likelihood of connection issues, especially for players with less robust internet connections. For fans who have invested time and money into these titles, the news is a mixed bag.
On one hand, the final map and price reduction for Empulse provide a tangible benefit and a sense of closure. On the other hand, the loss of dedicated servers may diminish the overall quality of matchmaking and could accelerate the decline of the player base over time. Looking ahead, 1047 Games appears intent on leveraging the lessons learned from a decade of live‑service development to explore new genres or business models. Whether that will involve single‑player experiences, smaller‑scale multiplayer projects, or entirely different platforms remains to be seen.
The studio’s commitment to its core passion—creating games—suggests that, despite the setbacks, new and potentially innovative projects could be on the horizon. In summary, the cessation of active development for Empulse and Splitgate: Arena Reloaded, coupled with the migration to peer‑to‑peer hosting, signals the end of an era for 1047 Games’ live‑service shooter portfolio. The company’s leadership has framed this as a strategic realignment rather than a defeat, emphasizing a continued love for game creation and a willingness to apply hard‑earned insights to future endeavors. The community will now have to adapt to the new hosting model, enjoy the final content updates, and await whatever new direction the studio ultimately chooses to pursue.