Splitgate and Empulse move to peer-to-peer on September 3
Credit: Crédit : 1047 Games

Splitgate and Empulse move to peer-to-peer on September 3

Fabian Fabian Lainé
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In brief

Splitgate: Arena Reloaded and Empulse are ending active development and switching to peer-to-peer on September 3. Dedicated servers will shut down, but the games will remain playable through a browser for player-hosted matches, due to insufficient revenue to cover infrastructure costs.

1047 Games is halting active development of SPLITGATE: Arena Reloaded and EMPULSE. Neither game is shutting down: on Thursday, September 3, they will switch to peer-to-peer, via a browser for player-hosted matches.

Reason: neither game brings in enough revenue to cover the cost of dedicated servers. On September 3, dedicated servers and matchmaking will stop; hosting a match, finding one, and playing with friends will still be possible. EMPULSE will still receive one more new map and a price drop in all regions: this will be its final version. The announcement gives no time or timezone, and says nothing about a refund for in-game purchases.

A bipedal mech charges at the player between burning containers, under fire from a green-camo assault rifle
EMPULSE will get one last map and a price drop before the switch. Credit: 1047 Games

1047 Games is replaying its own script. The original Splitgate lost its dedicated servers on August 29, 2025, and has been running on peer-to-peer ever since, consoles included. The studio had at the time given away all cosmetics, closed the shop, and disabled anti-cheat. Nothing of the sort has been announced this time.

The bigger news lies elsewhere. Ian Proulx and Nicholas Bagamian write that after ten years spent on live-service shooters, the studio's direction is changing, and that what comes next might not look like what people expect from them. No project has been revealed, no layoffs have been announced; more than 25 million players are claimed.

Arena Reloaded closes a cycle that opened in May 2025: launched as Splitgate 2, sent back into beta, relaunched on December 17, 2025 under its current name, with its portals, The Lab, and its 24-player battle royale. Peer-to-peer saves access, not the player base: after September 3, there will only be a match if someone hosts one.

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Frequently asked questions

Are the games really shutting down on September 3?
No, they won't shut down. Only the dedicated servers and official matchmaking will stop. Players will still be able to create and join matches through a community-hosted browser.
Why is 1047 Games abandoning these games?
Neither Splitgate: Arena Reloaded nor Empulse generate enough revenue to justify the cost of dedicated servers. The studio is shifting strategic direction after a decade spent on continuous live service.
Will there be refunds for in-game purchases?
The official announcement doesn't mention any refunds. Unlike the first Splitgate, no compensation or free cosmetics have been announced.
Will Empulse receive any more updates?
Yes, one final new map and a price drop in all regions will be part of its definitive version before the switch to peer-to-peer.
Can you still play after September 3?
Yes, but only if someone hosts a match. With automatic matchmaking gone, there's no guaranteed access to populated matches. Everything depends on community involvement.

Key takeaways

  • Both games aren't shutting down, but are moving to peer-to-peer with matchmaking based on player servers.
  • 1047 Games is shifting strategic direction after ten years of continuous live service on shooter games.
  • Empulse receives one final new map and a price drop before the transition.
  • Unlike the first Splitgate, no free cosmetics or store closure are planned this time.
  • Keeping the games alive will depend entirely on community engagement to host matches.

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