1047 Games has announced that it will cease active development on its two flagship titles, Empulse and Splitgate: Arena Reloaded. The decision marks a clear pivot for the studio, which after a decade of focusing on live‑service shooters, is now moving toward a different development model. Beginning on September 3, both games will abandon their dedicated server infrastructure and will instead rely on peer‑to‑peer networking, allowing players to host matches themselves via a built‑in server browser. In a brief statement posted to X earlier today, the studio explained that the revenue generated by the two titles no longer justifies the expense of maintaining dedicated servers.
While the company had continued to subsidize those costs in hopes that the games would eventually become self‑sustaining, it concluded that the financial burden had become "no longer sustainable." The developers expressed genuine affection for the projects, noting that they have enjoyed both playing and building the games alongside their communities, and lamented that they cannot continue to provide the level of support they had originally envisioned. Effective September 3, the matchmaking services that rely on centralized servers will be discontinued.
Players will instead be directed to a peer‑to‑peer system where they can browse available hosts and join matches directly. As part of the final update for Empulse, the studio will release one last new map and implement a price reduction across all regions, a gesture meant to thank the remaining player base for their loyalty. This transition mirrors a similar move made with the original Splitgate last year. After its dedicated servers were shut down, the game shifted to a peer‑to‑peer architecture and continues to be playable on multiple platforms, including consoles.
The precedent suggests that 1047 Games aims to keep the core experience alive, even if the underlying technology changes. The background to this decision is rooted in a turbulent period for the studio. Splitgate 2 launched in June 2025 amid considerable controversy. The launch featured a politically charged "Make FPS Great Again" hat and a high‑priced $145 cosmetic bundle, both of which sparked backlash from the community.
Within weeks of release, 1047 Games announced layoffs affecting an undisclosed number of staff members. A subsequent month saw the game rolled back to beta status and a second wave of layoffs initiated, further destabilizing the development team. Empulse, positioned as a 6v6 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 staff reductions, underscoring the financial pressures the studio faced.
Despite the hype surrounding its fast‑paced gameplay and parkour‑style mechanics, the title struggled to attract a sustainable player base. Co‑founders Ian Proulx and Nicholas Bagamian addressed the broader strategic shift in a public statement. They emphasized that after ten years of building live‑service shooters, the company’s focus is evolving.
"What we build next may look very different from what people expect from 1047 Games," they said, while reaffirming that their core passion—creating games—remains unchanged. The founders reflected on the studio’s journey, noting that more than 25 million gamers have experienced their titles and that many of those interactions have forged lasting friendships. While the announcement does not explicitly detail the current staffing situation, it follows a pattern of layoffs that have occurred throughout the year, most recently in July, shortly after Empulse’s launch.
It remains uncertain whether the shift to peer‑to‑peer hosting will be accompanied by further reductions in personnel or if the studio will reallocate resources toward new, undisclosed projects. Looking ahead, the company hints at a possible departure from the live‑service shooter genre altogether. The founders suggest that future projects could explore different gameplay styles, platforms, or business models, leveraging the lessons learned from a decade of operating in a highly competitive market.
This strategic pivot may involve smaller, more focused titles that do not rely on costly server maintenance, or perhaps experiments in single‑player experiences, narrative‑driven games, or even collaborations with other developers. For the existing communities of Empulse and Splitgate: Arena Reloaded, the transition to peer‑to‑peer hosting means that the games will remain playable, albeit with a different matchmaking experience. Players will need to host their own sessions or join those hosted by others, which could introduce variability in connection quality and match stability. However, the final map addition to Empulse and the universal price cut aim to provide a sense of closure and appreciation for the loyal fan base.
In summary, 1047 Games is winding down active development on its two most recent shooters, moving them to a decentralized hosting model, and signaling a broader strategic realignment away from the live‑service shooter paradigm. The studio’s future direction remains to be seen, but its leadership assures the community that the love for game creation endures, even as the company explores new horizons.