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 clear pivot for the studio after a decade of focusing on live‑service shooters. In a brief statement posted to X earlier today, the developers explained that the revenue generated by the two titles no longer covers the expenses associated with maintaining dedicated server infrastructure. While the company had continued to subsidize those costs in hopes that the games would eventually achieve a sustainable player base, it now acknowledges that this approach is "no longer viable." "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, underscoring the bittersweet nature of the announcement.
Effective September 3, the dedicated servers and the associated matchmaking services for Empulse and Splitgate: Arena Reloaded will be shut down. Players will instead rely on a P2P system that includes a server browser, allowing users to host their own matches and locate others who are doing the same. To give the community a proper send‑off, Empulse will receive one last map addition and a price reduction across all regions as part of what the studio has labeled the "final update" for the game.
This move mirrors the studio’s earlier handling of the original Splitgate. After its dedicated servers were taken offline last year, Splitgate transitioned to a P2P architecture and remains fully playable today, even on console platforms. That experience likely informed the current decision to adopt a similar model for both titles. The backdrop to this shift is a turbulent year for 1047 Games.
Splitgate 2 launched in June 2025 amid a swirl of controversy, including a politically charged "Make FPS Great Again" hat and a $145 cosmetic bundle that sparked community backlash. Within weeks of release, the company announced an undisclosed wave of layoffs, and a month later the title was rolled back to beta status, accompanied by a second round of staff reductions. 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 launch was quickly followed by multiple rounds of layoffs, reflecting the broader financial strain the studio has been experiencing. Co‑founders Ian Proulx and Nicholas Bagamian addressed the strategic shift in their statement, noting that after ten years centered on live‑service shooters, the studio’s focus is evolving.
"What we build next may look very different from what people expect from 1047 Games," they said, "but the reason we are here hasn't changed: we love making games." The founders reflected on the company’s origins, recalling that they started 1047 Games a decade ago out of a shared passion for video games. Over that period, more than 25 million players have engaged with their titles, and many community members have become long‑term friends. The leadership emphasized that the lessons learned from those years will inform future projects, even if the new direction diverges from the live‑service shooter formula. While the announcement does not provide specific details about the current staffing situation, it follows a pattern of repeated layoffs that have already affected the studio several times, most recently in July, shortly after Empulse’s early‑access debut.
It remains uncertain whether the latest statement will precipitate additional workforce reductions. The transition to peer‑to‑peer hosting is expected to have several practical implications for players. Without dedicated servers, latency and matchmaking quality will depend more heavily on the host's connection and the geographic distribution of participants. The inclusion of a server browser aims to mitigate these challenges by giving players greater control over which matches they join.
However, the shift may also introduce concerns about security, cheat prevention, and overall stability—issues that dedicated server environments traditionally manage more effectively. For the broader industry, 1047 Games’ decision highlights the growing difficulty of sustaining live‑service models, especially for mid‑size studios that lack the deep pockets of larger publishers.
As server costs rise and player expectations evolve, developers are forced to reassess the long‑term viability of maintaining persistent online infrastructures for games that do not achieve a critical mass of active users. Looking ahead, the studio has hinted that its next venture could explore new genres or gameplay philosophies, potentially moving away from the fast‑paced, competitive shooter space that defined its brand for a decade. Fans of Empulse and Splitgate will be watching closely to see whether 1047 Games can leverage its experience and community goodwill into a fresh, innovative offering that resonates with both existing supporters and new audiences. In summary, 1047 Games is winding down active development on Empulse and Splitgate: Arena Reloaded, shifting both titles to a peer‑to‑peer framework as of September 3.
The move is driven by financial realities surrounding dedicated server upkeep, follows a series of controversial releases and layoffs, and signals a strategic pivot away from live‑service shooters toward an as‑yet‑undefined future direction.