Splitgate 2 Pushed Back into Beta After Layoffs Hit 1047 Games Again

We recently reported about a round of layoffs at 1047 Games, the studio behind the free-to-play shooter, Splitgate 2. Now, 1047 Games is once again facing more layoffs, and the studio has once again not mentioned the exact number of employees that will be let go. However, the layoffs seem to be affecting the studio’s development capabilities, since it has officially announced on Steam that Splitgate 2 will be returning to beta, with a number of updates planned for the re-release of the portal-based shooter. According to the announcement, “That means reworking progression from the ground up, adding more portals to our maps, simplifying monetization, refocusing on classic game modes you’ve been asking for, and more, which we’ll share soon.” Splitgate 2 will remain in a playable state in the meantime, and the studio will still release Chapter 3 as planned, but there will likely be a number of playtests and changes to the game during the rework period.

In addition to Splitgate 2 being retracted, the original Splitgate will also suffer, with servers apparently being taken offline next month due to cost-cutting measures. In a statement to Polygon, 1047 Games CEO, Ian Proulx said that the studio is dedicating 95% of its development capabilities on the relaunch, and that it is planning to relaunch the game as early as possible in 2026. Curiously, and especially so in light of the recent Stop Killing Games movement’s success, Proulx said that the development team is looking into implementing an end-of-life plan for Splitgate in the form of per-to-peer matches.

Rebuilding the core experience isn’t a quick fix; it’s a long-term commitment. To give ourselves the time to build the Splitgate you deserve, we’ve made the incredibly difficult decision to reduce certain roles and shift our resources to focus on this rework. This is heartbreaking. These are our teammates and our friends, and they helped build what we have today. They’re receiving severance and job placement support, and we’re committed to doing everything we can to help them through this transition. We hope to bring them back when we can.

In an effort to retain as many team members as possible, we’re also going to be shutting down OG Splitgate servers in a month. While we’d love to keep servers online indefinitely, it’s cost us hundreds of thousands of dollars over the past couple of years, and we have to prioritize our team. Like us, we know this game means a lot to so many of you, so we are exploring the possibility of supporting offline or peer-to-peer matches. And when we return, we plan to have a dedicated experience in Splitgate 2 that delivers on the promise of the original.