SplitGate and Empulse halt development as 1047 Games pivots
The world of live-service gaming often presents a dazzling promise, but sometimes the reality of running a massive digital empire hits a hard stop. For the team behind the highly-regarded shooter franchise, 1047 Games, that stop has recently come in the form of ending active development on two of their ambitious projects: SplitGate: Arena Reloaded and Empulse.
This decision, while undeniably frustrating for players who deeply loved the titles, stems from a stark business reality. 1047 Games announced that they had reached a point where neither game was generating sufficient revenue to sustain the ongoing cost of dedicated servers. Although the team had previously covered these costs in the hope of allowing the games to grow, they realized that the financial model was no longer sustainable.
In a statement to the community, the developers acknowledged the difficult nature of the news, noting that they loved the games and understood the disappointment this caused. However, they emphasized that this was a necessary, albeit painful, update for the company’s future.
So, what happens to the games themselves? Despite the end of dedicated servers and official matchmaking, the core experience for players remains alive. Both SplitGate and Empulse will transition to peer-to-peer hosting with a new server browser. This change means dedicated servers and matchmaking will shut down, but players retain the freedom to host matches, find games, and connect with friends indefinitely.
For Empulse specifically, players will still receive one final update, including a new map, before the game permanently drops its price.
Looking ahead, 1047 Games is clearly recalibrating its focus. After a decade dedicated to live-service shooters, the team is pivoting away from the live-service model. They stated that while they will continue to love making games, they are now focused on learning from their extensive experience and applying those lessons to what they build next.
The future for 1047 Games is about shifting priorities. The focus is moving from maintaining demanding, cost-intensive live services to pure creative development. It is a reminder that even the most successful studios face the constant challenge of balancing passion with profitability, ultimately leading to innovative and resilient new directions for the gaming landscape.
Buy on Amazon
Credit
