1047 Games Pivots Away from Live Service Titles: What’s Next for Empulse and Splitgate: Arena Reloaded?
After a decade-long journey in the competitive shooter space, 1047 Games has announced a significant strategic shift. The studio is officially concluding active development on both Empulse and Splitgate: Arena Reloaded, signaling a departure from the traditional live-service model that has defined their recent history.
The End of Dedicated Server Support
The decision stems from the harsh economic realities of maintaining live-service infrastructure. In a recent statement shared via X (formerly Twitter), the developers explained that the operational costs associated with dedicated servers have outpaced the revenue generated by these specific titles. While the team had previously absorbed these expenses to foster community growth and player retention, they have reached a threshold where continued investment is no longer financially viable.
This trend reflects a broader challenge in the gaming industry, where mid-tier live service games often struggle to maintain the massive, consistent player bases required to offset the high costs of cloud hosting and ongoing backend maintenance. According to recent industry data, the “games-as-a-service” market has become increasingly saturated, leading many independent studios to re-evaluate their long-term support strategies for older titles.
Transitioning to Peer-to-Peer Hosting
To ensure that the games remain playable for the existing community, 1047 Games is transitioning both titles to a peer-to-peer (P2P) hosting model. Starting September 3, the official dedicated servers and centralized matchmaking systems will be decommissioned. In their place, a server browser will be implemented, empowering players to host their own matches and connect with others directly.
This move mirrors the studio’s previous strategy with the original Splitgate, providing a blueprint for how developers can preserve access to their games even after official support concludes. By handing the reins over to the community, the studio hopes to keep the titles alive without the burden of centralized server overhead.
Final Updates and Future Outlook
As part of this transition, Empulse will receive one final content drop, which includes a new map. Additionally, the studio is implementing a permanent price reduction for the title across all global regions as a gesture of appreciation to the player base. While this marks the end of an era for these specific projects, it allows 1047 Games to realign its resources toward future endeavors, moving away from the high-maintenance demands of live-service shooters.
