1047 debuts impressive Splitgate 2 map creator The Lab ahead of open beta
With the Splitgate 2 open beta right around the corner on 22nd May, 1047 Games has revealed another key component of the portal-based arena shooter. The Lab is a fully-fledged map creator that will allow for some impressive community-created maps.
Taking a leaf out of the Halo franchise’s Forge map creator, The Lab aims to be both accessible for more casual map creation, and incredibly deep in terms of the terrains and map layouts it can create in the hands of an expert.
You’ll be able to collaborate in real time with up to 16 people modifying maps at once, and these creations can then be quickly shared. 1047 will provide a range of blank templates to start with, scalable geometric shapes and pre-created map items, environmental props and other gameplay objects.
This isn’t the endgame for the tool with 1047 stating that more map creator content is planned for after launch.
In the meantime, Splitgate 2 will be available from the following store pages to dive into the open beta on 22nd May.
This full sequel is a complete overhaul with a new progression system and faction skills that start to push the game toward hero and class-based shooters. This could take it past that happy Halo-with-Portals vibe that the original game had, more towards ultra competitive esports, but will allow for more iterative and expanding gameplay over time.
Splitgate 2 has been on the cards since 2022, when 1047 halted production on content for the original game. While the original release into beta had quickly raced to over 10 million players, satiating some of the appetite for a tight arena shooter and drawing comparisons to the Halo series as it did so, 1047 quickly realised that they needed to revamp many aspects of the game, and not just produce more content for it. With the open beta coming on 22nd May, it seems that they’re getting pretty close to an eventual release, though details of the full launch have not yet been confirmed.
Source: press release
