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) networking model as of September 3. The decision marks a significant strategic 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 previously subsidised those costs in an effort to give the titles a chance to grow their player bases, it now finds that approach "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, expressing both gratitude and regret.
Effective September 3, the dedicated servers and official matchmaking services for Empulse and Splitgate: Arena Reloaded will be decommissioned. Players will instead rely on a P2P system that uses a server browser, allowing them to host their own matches and discover opponents manually.
As a parting gesture, Empulse will receive one final map addition and a price reduction across all regions, which the studio dubbed the "final update" for the title. 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 on PC and consoles. That experience likely informed the current decision to adopt the same model for both Empulse and the newer Splitgate iteration.
Splitgate 2 launched in June 2025 amid a storm of controversy. The release was accompanied by a polarising "Make FPS Great Again" hat and a costly $145 cosmetic bundle, which sparked backlash from portions of the community.
Within weeks, 1047 Games announced a round of layoffs, the size of which was not disclosed. A month later the studio placed the game back into beta and initiated a second wave of staff reductions, further underscoring the financial strain the project was under. Empulse, marketed as a 6‑v‑6 movement‑focused shooter and often described as a spiritual successor to Titanfall, entered early access in June 2026. The title showed promise with its fast‑paced parkour mechanics and high‑skill gunplay, but it too was quickly followed by multiple rounds of layoffs within a few weeks of launch, indicating that the studio’s revenue expectations were not being met.
Co‑founders Ian Proulx and Nicholas Bagamian used the announcement to signal a broader change in direction for the company. After ten years of building live‑service shooters, they said the studio’s focus is now "changing" and that future projects may look very different from what fans have come to associate with 1047 Games. "We started 1047 Games ten years ago because we love video games," the founders 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 specific details about current staffing levels, although the company has already undergone several layoff rounds, the most recent occurring in July, shortly after Empulse’s early‑access debut. It remains uncertain whether the latest shift away from dedicated servers will trigger additional reductions. Industry observers note that the transition to P2P hosting is a cost‑saving measure that eliminates the need for expensive server farms, but it also places a greater burden on players to manage latency, host stability, and matchmaking fairness.
Some players appreciate the ability to host private matches, while others worry that the loss of centralized matchmaking could fragment the community and make it harder for newcomers to find games. For now, fans of Empulse can look forward to the final map and a lower price tag, while Splitgate: Arena Reloaded will continue to be accessible through its new browser‑based lobby system.
Both games will remain playable, but the experience will inevitably shift as the community adapts to the peer‑to‑peer environment. The broader implication for 1047 Games is a clear acknowledgment that the live‑service shooter model, which once seemed a reliable revenue stream, has become increasingly risky.
By stepping back from that formula, the studio may explore alternative genres, perhaps returning to single‑player narratives, smaller co‑op experiences, or even non‑shooter titles. Only time will reveal the direction the company will take, but the founders’ emphasis on passion for game development suggests that whatever comes next will be crafted with the same enthusiasm that drove their early successes. In summary, 1047 Games is winding down active development on Empulse and Splitgate: Arena Reloaded, moving both to peer‑to‑peer hosting on September 3, offering a final content update for Empulse, and signaling a strategic shift away from the live‑service shooter model that defined the studio for a decade.
The long‑term impact on the player base and the studio’s future portfolio remains to be seen.