Splitgate is a free-to-play title that provides gamers with a different twist on the arena shooter. In recent months the game has risen in popularity, gathering an impressive fanbase. While much of the focus might be centered on the upcoming releases of triple-A shooters such as Halo Infinite and Call of Duty: Vanguard, the developers at 1047 Games are looking to keep Splitgate relevant with new updates.
One of the differentiating features behind Splitgate’s multiplayer experience is the portal mechanic. Similar to the way portals are handled in Valve’s famous Portal series, players can create a portal connecting two different spots on the battlefield. In the context of an arena shooter, this gameplay mechanic opens up a range of new tactics for players to utilize. A few ways the portals can be used include unexpected flanks, better sightlines, and a quick means of escape in tight situations. While this mechanic helps set the game apart from many other titles on the market, another feature had been strangely missing. However, a new update looks to change that.
In a recent update to Splitgate, the developers added the ability to mantle ledges. This feature, found in a number of other FPS games such as Halo Infinite, allows players to more easily take high ground during a skirmish. The implementation of this mechanic in Splitgate is interesting. According to 1047 Games, the mantle is done through the use of the jetpack boost, meaning that there is no animation that would prevent the player from firing their weapon when using the mechanic. Furthermore, the update included an option to disable the ability.
In addition to the mantle mechanic, Splitgate added a number of other changes with the new update. Rumble modes and casual modes are now part of a single Quick Play multiplayer playlist, and players can now queue in multiple ranked playlists. Furthermore, the developers added new limited-time playlists that will only be playable on weekends. The odds of encountering bots in Quick Play have been reduced as well.
Many other improvements were implemented in the new update including optimization to the Karman Station map that improves performance and returns it to the normal map rotation. The developers also made improvements to the Contamination game mode. In addition to fixes for other various bugs and crashes, the developers noted that the game now supports Nvidia Reflex which reduces system latency.
It’s exciting to see additional updates added to Splitgate. With new modes planned to come in the future such as a map editor similar to Halo's Forge mode, the arena shooter has come a long way since its inception back in 2019. It will be interesting to see where the developers decide to take the game next.
Splitgate is out now for PC, PS4, and Xbox One, with PS5 and Xbox Series X versions in development.
Source: Splitgate
