1047 Games announced that it will stop 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 clear pivot for the studio after a decade of concentrating on live‑service shooter experiences. In a brief statement posted to X earlier today, the developers explained that neither title is generating sufficient revenue to offset the ongoing expenses associated with dedicated server infrastructure.
While the company had continued to subsidize those costs in hopes that the games would eventually become self‑sustaining, it now acknowledges that this approach is "no longer viable." "We have loved working on these games, playing them, and building them with this community, and we wish we could continue supporting them," the studio wrote, underscoring the disappointment felt by the team. Effective September 3, the dedicated servers and official matchmaking services for both 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 locate others who are doing the same. As a parting gesture, Empulse will receive one final new map and a universal price reduction across all regions, which the company has billed as the game's "final update." This is not the first time 1047 Games has transitioned a title to peer‑to‑peer. The original Splitgate made the same switch last year after its dedicated servers were shut down, and the game remains playable on PC and consoles via the new model. Splitgate 2, released in June 2025, quickly became embroiled in controversy.
The launch featured a politically charged "Make FPS Great Again" hat and a $145 cosmetic bundle that drew criticism from many corners of the gaming community. Within a month of release, the studio announced a wave of layoffs, the size of which was not disclosed.
A further month later, the developers pushed the title back into a beta phase and initiated a second round of staff reductions. Empulse, marketed as a 6‑v‑6 movement shooter and often described as a spiritual successor to Titanfall, entered early access in June 2026. The game’s debut was followed by several rounds of layoffs within weeks, indicating that the studio was already feeling financial pressure even before the recent announcement.
Co‑founders Ian Proulx and Nicholas Bagamian said the company’s strategic direction is now "changing" after ten years of building live‑service shooters. They hinted that future projects may look dramatically different from anything the studio has produced before, though the underlying passion for game creation remains unchanged. "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 announcement did not provide details about current staffing levels.
However, 1047 Games has already undergone multiple rounds of layoffs, the most recent occurring in July, just weeks after Empulse launched. It remains uncertain whether the shift away from live‑service shooters will trigger additional reductions. From a broader industry perspective, the move reflects a growing awareness among developers that the costs of maintaining dedicated servers can outweigh the revenue generated by niche multiplayer titles, especially when player bases plateau or decline. Peer‑to‑peer hosting eliminates the need for costly server farms, but it also places more responsibility on players to manage latency, matchmaking quality, and security concerns.
Many smaller studios have adopted this model as a cost‑saving measure, though it can lead to a less consistent experience for the community. For fans of Empulse and Splitgate: Arena Reloaded, the transition means that the games will remain accessible, but the experience will inevitably shift.
Players will need to rely on community‑run servers, which can vary in performance and availability. The final map for Empulse and the price cut are intended to give the community a proper send‑off, but the long‑term health of the titles will depend on how active the player base remains in a P2P environment. Looking ahead, 1047 Games' leadership suggests that the studio is open to exploring new genres or business models that do not hinge on the live‑service paradigm. Whether that means venturing into single‑player narratives, co‑op experiences, or perhaps a different kind of multiplayer framework, remains to be seen.
The company’s track record of innovation—evident in the fast‑paced movement mechanics of Empulse and the portal‑based combat of Splitgate—suggests that future projects could still push technical boundaries, albeit in a different context. In summary, 1047 Games is winding down active development on Empulse and Splitgate: Arena Reloaded, moving both games to peer‑to‑peer hosting as of September 3.
The decision follows a period of financial strain, multiple layoffs, and community backlash over controversial monetisation choices. While the studio promises to carry forward the lessons learned into whatever comes next, the immediate future for the two games will be defined by community‑driven hosting and a reduced feature roadmap.