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 significant strategic pivot for the studio after a decade of focusing on live‑service first‑person shooters. In a brief statement posted on X earlier today, the company explained that the revenue generated by the two games no longer covers the expenses associated with maintaining dedicated server infrastructure.
While the studio had continued to fund those servers in the hope that the titles would eventually become self‑sustaining, it 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 post read, underscoring the bittersweet nature of the announcement. 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 others who are doing the same. As a parting gesture, Empulse will receive a final new map and a price reduction across all regions, which the studio labeled the "final update" for the title.
This transition mirrors the path taken with the original Splitgate, which also moved to P2P hosting after its dedicated servers were retired last year. That version remains fully playable, even on consoles, thanks to the community‑driven hosting solution. Splitgate 2, released in June 2025, quickly became a lightning rod for controversy.
The launch included a politically charged "Make FPS Great Again" hat and a high‑priced $145 cosmetic bundle that sparked heated debate among players and industry observers. Within a month of the release, 1047 Games announced a round of layoffs, the size of which was not disclosed. A further month later, the studio rolled the game back into a beta state and initiated a second wave of staff reductions. Empulse, positioned as a 6v6 movement shooter and often described as a spiritual successor to Titanfall, entered early access in June 2026.
The title's debut was followed by several rounds of layoffs over the ensuing weeks, reflecting the broader financial pressures the studio was experiencing. Co‑founders Ian Proulx and Nicholas Bagamian used the announcement to signal a change in direction for the company. After ten years of building live‑service shooters, they said the studio’s focus is "changing" and that future projects may look very different from anything fans have come to associate with 1047 Games. "We started 1047 Games ten years ago because we love video games," the founders wrote.
"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 current staffing levels, although the company has already undergone multiple layoffs, the most recent occurring in July, just weeks after Empulse launched. It remains uncertain whether the latest announcement will precipitate additional reductions. The shift to P2P hosting is a pragmatic response to the unsustainable cost of dedicated servers, but it also raises questions about the long‑term viability of the games' communities.
Peer‑to‑peer networks rely heavily on player‑hosted sessions, which can lead to variability in performance, increased latency, and potential security concerns. Nevertheless, many titles have survived and even thrived after similar transitions, thanks to dedicated fan bases that take on the role of unofficial server operators. For Empulse, the final map and price cut may serve as a modest incentive to keep the community engaged during the transition period. The developers have expressed hope that the game will continue to enjoy a healthy player count, even without the backing of official matchmaking services.
Splitgate: Arena Reloaded, on the other hand, already benefits from an established P2P framework, which should smooth the shift for its existing players. Industry analysts view 1047 Games' move as part of a broader trend where mid‑size studios reassess the live‑service model, especially when revenue streams fail to offset the high operational costs of server maintenance. The live‑service approach, while lucrative for blockbuster franchises, can be risky for smaller developers lacking the scale to absorb fluctuating player numbers.
Looking ahead, the co‑founders hinted that the studio might explore new genres or business models that diverge from the live‑service shooter formula. Their emphasis on a love for game development suggests a willingness to experiment, potentially venturing into single‑player experiences, narrative‑driven titles, or even different multiplayer formats that do not rely on persistent online infrastructures.
In summary, 1047 Games is winding down active development on Empulse and Splitgate: Arena Reloaded, moving both games to a peer‑to‑peer architecture as of September 3. The decision reflects financial realities tied to server costs and signals a strategic shift away from live‑service shooters after a decade of focus. While the future staffing situation remains unclear, the founders reaffirmed their passion for creating games and hinted that upcoming projects may break from the studio's established identity, offering fans a fresh direction to watch for.