Less than a month after releasing its mech-driven shooter Empulse, Splitgate developer 1047 Games has reportedly laid off more staff, marking the third round of cuts at the studio in roughly a year.
The studio has not made a formal announcement. The reports come from Game Developer, which spotted several employees posting on LinkedIn that they had been let go. One associate art director, who joined the team last year, wrote that "as of the end of this week, it will be my last day at 1047 Games due to the third wave of studio layoffs." A UI engineer, a concept artist, a community specialist, and the studio's QA director all shared similar messages over the past week.
QA director Igor Krinitskiy summed up the mood: "A bunch of us, 'the crew' aboard the 1047 train, are getting off on this post-Empulse station. It has been an interesting ride, bumpy at times, narrowly avoiding derailment and with everyone working hard to keep that 1047 train going."
The number of people affected in this latest round is unclear. Neither the studio's motivation for the cuts nor the total headcount has been confirmed. PC Gamer says it has reached out to 1047 for comment.
A rough stretch after a fast start
1047 Games broke out several years ago with Splitgate: Arena Warfare, a shooter often described as "Halo with portals." The original surpassed 13 million downloads during its open beta, and that momentum led to a funding round of more than $100 million in 2021 that valued the studio at $1.5 billion. At the time, the company talked openly about becoming "the next Riot Games."
Little has landed since. Splitgate 2 launched in a rough state, prompting a rollback and layoffs within a couple of months. CEO Ian Proulx admitted the studio had launched the sequel "too early," saying in a statement co-written with CTO Nicholas Bagamian that "we had ambitious goals with Splitgate 2, and in our excitement to share it with you, we bit off more than we could chew." The game was later relaunched as Splitgate: Arena Reloaded but has not come close to the player numbers of the original.
According to Game Developer, the studio cut staff twice in 2025: a "small group" in June, followed by a larger round that shut down the original Splitgate. PC Gamer and Rock Paper Shotgun report that the second round accounted for 45 workers.
Empulse's uncertain footing
Empulse, the studio's Titanfall-inspired shooter, drew a positive early impression but has not pulled in big audiences. PC Gamer notes that unlike the free-to-play Splitgate, Empulse costs $20 to enter, likely a factor in its smaller numbers, and points to sub-1,000 concurrent players on Steam even accounting for its early access status.
Proulx said in 2025 that "the goal is to grow over time, not aim for a massive splash on day one." He was speaking about Splitgate 2's relaunch, but as PC Gamer observes, it is a philosophy he will now have to apply to Empulse and the studio as a whole.
For players following Empulse in early access, the cuts raise real questions about how much support and content the game can expect going forward. Anyone tracking Splitgate: Arena Reloaded should watch closely too, since 1047's ability to keep either shooter running depends on a turnaround the studio has yet to show.
