1047 Games announced that it will stop active development on its two flagship titles, Empulse and Splitgate: Arena Reloaded, and will move both projects to a peer‑to‑peer (P2P) hosting model as of September 3. The decision marks a significant pivot for the studio, which has spent the past decade concentrating on live‑service shooter experiences. In a brief statement posted to X earlier today, the company explained that the revenue generated by the two games no longer covers the ongoing expenses associated with maintaining dedicated server infrastructure. While the studio had continued to subsidise those costs in the hope that the player bases would eventually expand to a sustainable level, 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 both Empulse and Splitgate: Arena Reloaded will be decommissioned. Players will instead rely on a P2P system that uses a server browser, allowing individuals to host their own matches and locate others who are looking to play. To give the community a proper send‑off, Empulse will receive one final map addition and a price reduction across all regions, which the studio described as the game's "final update." This is not the first time 1047 Games has transitioned a title to peer‑to‑peer hosting. The original Splitgate made the same shift last year after its dedicated servers were shut down, and the game remains functional on PC and console platforms.
Splitgate 2 launched in June 2025 amid a storm of controversy. The release was accompanied by a politically charged "Make FPS Great Again" hat and a $145 cosmetic bundle that sparked heated debate within the gaming community. Within weeks of the launch, the studio announced an undisclosed round of layoffs, and a month later the game was rolled back to beta status, prompting a second wave of staff reductions. Empulse, billed as a 6‑v‑6 movement‑focused 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, reflecting the company's ongoing financial challenges. Co‑founders Ian Proulx and Nicholas Bagamian said the announcement signals a broader strategic realignment after ten years of building live‑service shooters. "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 the current staffing situation, though the company has already undergone several layoff cycles, the most recent occurring in July, just weeks after Empulse's early‑access launch. It remains unclear whether the latest development will trigger additional reductions. Industry observers note that the shift away from dedicated server models reflects a growing awareness of the high operational costs tied to live‑service games, especially when player counts plateau or decline.
By moving to a P2P architecture, 1047 Games can keep its titles playable without bearing the expense of running centralized servers, though this approach can introduce challenges such as increased latency, reliance on player host quality, and potential security concerns. For the community, the transition means that matchmaking will become more hands‑on.
Players will need to browse available hosts, join sessions directly, and potentially deal with a wider variance in game performance. Some longtime fans have expressed disappointment, fearing that the loss of dedicated servers could diminish the overall experience, while others appreciate the studio's effort to keep the games alive rather than shutting them down entirely. Looking ahead, the co‑founders hinted that 1047 Games may explore new genres or business models that diverge from the live‑service shooter formula.
This could involve single‑player narratives, smaller‑scale multiplayer experiences, or even ventures outside the shooter space altogether. The company’s extensive experience in networked gameplay and its established community could prove valuable in any future direction.
In summary, 1047 Games is winding down active development on Empulse and Splitgate: Arena Reloaded, moving both games to a peer‑to‑peer hosting system as of September 3. The decision follows a period of financial strain, multiple layoffs, and mixed reception to recent releases. While the studio’s future plans remain vague, the founders emphasize a continued passion for game creation and a willingness to apply hard‑won lessons to whatever comes next.