1047 Games has announced that it will stop active development on its two flagship titles, Empulse and Splitgate: Arena Reloaded, and will move both experiences to a peer‑to‑peer (P2P) networking model as of September 3. This decision marks a significant strategic pivot for the studio after a decade of focusing on live‑service, server‑driven 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 ongoing expenses associated with maintaining dedicated server infrastructure. While the studio had continued to subsidize those costs in the hope that the player bases would eventually grow to a sustainable level, it now acknowledges that this approach is "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 announcement read.
The tone was one of gratitude and regret, underscoring the close relationship the team has cultivated with its fans over the years. Effective September 3, the dedicated servers and the associated 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 individuals to host their own matches and discover others who are doing the same. To give the community a proper send‑off, Empulse will receive a final map update and a universal price reduction across all regions, which the studio has labeled the game's "final update." This is not the first time 1047 Games has migrated a title to a peer‑to‑peer framework.
The original Splitgate made the same transition last year after its dedicated servers were shut down, and the game remains fully playable on both PC and console platforms. The move to P2P was intended to keep the community alive without the financial burden of server maintenance. The background to these changes is rooted in a turbulent period for the company. Splitgate 2 launched in June 2025 amid a wave of controversy, including a politically charged "Make FPS Great Again" hat and a high‑priced $145 cosmetic bundle that sparked backlash among players.
Within weeks of release, 1047 Games announced a round of layoffs, though the exact number of affected staff members was not disclosed. A month later, the studio placed the game back into beta, accompanied by a second wave of cuts. 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 was experiencing. Despite the hype surrounding its fast‑paced parkour mechanics and futuristic setting, the title struggled to attract a large enough player base to justify the cost of dedicated server upkeep.
Co‑founders Ian Proulx and Nicholas Bagamian used the announcement to signal a broader shift in the company's creative direction. "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," they said.
The founders reflected on the studio's origins, noting that it was founded a decade ago out of a shared passion for video games and that more than 25 million people have played their titles over the years. They emphasized that many of the relationships forged during that time have become lifelong friendships. While the statement did not explicitly detail the current staffing situation, it is worth noting that 1047 Games has already undergone several rounds of layoffs, the most recent occurring in July—just weeks after Empulse's early‑access debut. It remains uncertain whether the latest announcement will trigger additional reductions or if the studio will stabilize its workforce as it re‑evaluates its development priorities.
The transition to peer‑to‑peer hosting does have practical implications for players. Without dedicated servers, match latency will depend more heavily on the quality of individual host connections, potentially leading to a less consistent experience compared to the previously managed environment.
However, the server browser will give players the ability to select hosts with lower ping or better performance, mitigating some of the drawbacks. From a business perspective, the move reflects a growing trend among mid‑size studios to reassess the viability of live‑service models, especially when the cost of server maintenance outweighs the revenue generated from in‑game purchases, subscriptions, or cosmetic sales.
By eliminating the fixed cost of server farms, developers can allocate resources toward new projects, content updates, or even experimental game designs that do not rely on a persistent online infrastructure. Looking ahead, the founders hinted that 1047 Games may explore genres or gameplay styles that diverge from the high‑intensity, competitive shooter formula that defined their previous releases. This could involve single‑player narrative experiences, co‑op adventures, or hybrid models that blend offline and online elements in a more cost‑effective manner.
In summary, 1047 Games is winding down active development on Empulse and Splitgate: Arena Reloaded, shifting both games to a peer‑to‑peer architecture as of September 3. The studio acknowledges the financial realities that forced this decision, expresses gratitude toward its community, and signals a strategic pivot away from live‑service shooters after a decade of focus on that market. The upcoming period will likely see the company redefining its creative identity while retaining the core passion for game development that originally inspired its founders.