David Bridges
Splitgate 2, the highly anticipated sequel to the wildly popular 2021 Quake–Portal fusion game, is making a return to its beta phase. Just a month after its initial launch, developer 1047 Games has decided to retract the game, citing that the release felt hastily executed and lacked the polish that players expect. The studio has announced that it will not reintroduce this ambitious project until 2026, allowing ample time for significant improvements.
The founders of 1047 Games expressed their commitment to enhancing the game experience in a recent update shared with the Splitgate community on Reddit. They mentioned, “We’ll be fully dedicated until early next year, reconstructing key aspects of the game to authentically recapture the magic that made Splitgate so beloved.” This will involve a complete overhaul of the game’s progression system, the integration of additional portals across maps, a streamlined approach to monetization, and a renewed focus on the classic game modes that players have been eager to see. More details about these changes will be revealed soon.
In addition to revamping Splitgate 2, 1047 Games is also implementing workforce reductions. This decision follows an earlier layoff of several team members shortly after the initial launch of Splitgate 2. The company has stated that it will be shutting down the servers for the original Splitgate to cut down on operational costs and to ensure that a larger portion of its workforce can remain employed during this challenging transition.
Public sentiment toward 1047 Games has soured, particularly after co-founder Ian Proulx made a controversial appearance at the Summer Games Fest sporting a hat that read “Make FPS Great Again.” This provocative choice incited frustration among many dedicated players of the original Splitgate. Following the backlash, he took to the studio’s X account on the release date of Splitgate 2 to clarify his stance, asserting that he was “not here to apologize” and that the hat should not be interpreted as a political statement. Eventually, Proulx settled on describing the incident as a mere joke, which failed to alleviate the tensions among the community.
Daniel Mercer
