1047 Games has announced that it will cease 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 after a decade of focusing on live‑service first‑person shooters.
In a brief statement posted to X earlier today, the developers explained that the revenue generated by the two games no longer covers the expense of maintaining dedicated server infrastructure. While the company had previously subsidized those costs in an effort to give the titles a chance to grow their player bases, the studio concluded that this approach had become financially untenable. "We have loved working on these games, playing them, and building them with this community, and we wish we could continue supporting them," the announcement read, underscoring the emotional connection the team feels toward its fans despite the hard business realities. Effective September 3, the dedicated servers and official matchmaking services for Empulse and Splitgate: Arena Reloaded will be shut down.
Players will instead rely on a P2P system complemented by a server browser, allowing them to host their own matches and locate opponents directly. As a parting gesture, Empulse will receive one final new map and a price reduction across all regions, which the studio has labeled 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 retired, Splitgate shifted to a P2P architecture and remains fully playable on PC and console platforms. The precedent suggests that 1047 Games hopes to keep the community alive even without the backing of centrally managed servers.
The background to these changes is rooted in a turbulent period for the studio. Splitgate 2 launched in June 2025 amid a wave of controversy, including the release of a politically charged "Make FPS Great Again" hat and a $145 cosmetic bundle that drew criticism from both players and the broader gaming press. Within weeks of launch, the company announced layoffs affecting an undisclosed number of staff members. A month later, the title was rolled back to beta status and a second round of layoffs was implemented, signaling deeper operational challenges.
Empulse, positioned as a 6‑v‑6 movement‑focused shooter and marketed as a spiritual successor to Titanfall, entered early access in June 2026. Its debut was quickly followed by multiple rounds of staff reductions, reflecting the difficulty of sustaining a live‑service model when player engagement and monetization fall short of expectations.
Founders Ian Proulx and Nicholas Bagamian addressed the broader shift in a separate statement, noting that after ten years of building 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, while emphasizing that their core passion for game creation remains unchanged. The co‑founders reflected on the company's origins, noting that more than 25 million players have experienced their games and that many of those interactions have forged lasting friendships.
"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," the statement continued.
"We have learned a lot over the years, and we will carry those lessons into what we build next." The announcement did not provide specific details about the current staffing situation, though it is known that the studio has already undergone several layoff cycles, the most recent occurring in July—just weeks after Empulse's early‑access launch. It remains uncertain whether the shift away from dedicated servers will trigger additional reductions or if the company will stabilize its workforce as it redefines its development roadmap.
Industry observers see this as part of a broader trend where mid‑size studios, after investing heavily in live‑service infrastructure, reassess the sustainability of that model when revenue streams falter. The high cost of running dedicated servers, coupled with the need for continuous content updates to retain player interest, can become a financial burden if a game fails to achieve a critical mass of active users.
For the player community, the transition to P2P hosting presents both opportunities and challenges. On one hand, it allows the games to remain playable without reliance on company‑run servers, preserving the core experience for dedicated fans. On the other hand, P2P networks can suffer from increased latency, host‑advantage issues, and a higher susceptibility to cheating, which may affect overall enjoyment.
To mitigate these concerns, 1047 Games has promised to implement a server browser that will help players find stable hosts and has indicated that they will continue to monitor the health of the community. The final map for Empulse and the price cut are intended as goodwill gestures to encourage continued participation despite the reduced infrastructure. Looking ahead, the studio has hinted that its next project could diverge significantly from the live‑service shooter formula that defined its first decade. While no concrete details have been released, the founders' remarks suggest a willingness to explore new genres, platforms, or business models, potentially leveraging the lessons learned from Empulse and Splitgate's challenges.
In summary, 1047 Games is winding down active development on Empulse and Splitgate: Arena Reloaded, shifting both titles to peer‑to‑peer hosting as of September 3. The move follows a period of financial strain, community controversy, and multiple layoffs. While the studio's future direction remains uncertain, its leadership affirms a continued passion for game creation and a commitment to applying hard‑won experience to whatever comes next.