When it comes to video game elevator pitches, Splitgate’s “Halo plus Portal” premise is definitely among the most intriguing, and the game itself proves how its Valve-esque portal mechanic can shake up the arena shooter experience in ways few games have. Alas, despite its popularity, multiple factors have forced developer 1047 Games to cut its plans for the free-to-play shooter short and end development of future Splitgate content in order to focus on developing a new entry in the series.
The cancellation news doesn’t end there, unfortunately. In a lengthy FAQ, 1047 touched base with fans regarding the shift in focus. Among the answered questions was confirmation that a planned Epic Games Store launch for Splitgate has been scrapped. There are similarly no plans to release the game on any more platforms, meaning it will remain exclusive to PC, PlayStation, and Xbox.
1047 assured that Splitgate will still be available to download and play online, and will continue to receive small updates and bug fixes “for the foreseeable future.” The game is also slated to finally come out of beta on September 15, which will see the introduction of an Infinite Battle Pass for players to grind through alongside the current Beta Season 2 Battle Pass.
Turning to the question of why it's moving on from the game, 1047 stated that it was a difficult decision, especially since the developers believe that they “have something special” with its debut title. Unfortunately, the reality is that the studio is not able to develop future projects while trying to create new content for Splitgate and maintain a stable playerbase. As such, the best thing it can do for the community, it says, is to give them a game that will draw in an even larger audience than Splitgate, which it hopes to achieve with its successor.
The move does make sense, frustrating though it is. Splitgate’s popularity may have helped 1047 grow its ranks, but the fact remains that it’s still a relatively small studio and live-service games tend to demand a lot of time and resources. When even a big studio like 343 Industries is struggling to release new content for Halo Infinite on a regular schedule, 1047 can be forgiven for not being in a position to support Splitgate long-term, especially if it has the potential to develop something better.
Not much is yet known about the new project 1047 is working on, other than it’s another multiplayer shooter set in the Splitgate universe, utilizing portals as a central game mechanic, and being built in Unreal Engine 5. 1047 also promised that this new title will bring “revolutionary, not evolutionary” changes to the series formula, but it sounds like it will be some time before it can talk about them. For now, fans will have to be patient and wait to see what the future holds.
Splitgate is available for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
Source: Splitgate
