Developer 1047 Games has announced significant changes for the Splitgate franchise, confirming that Splitgate 2 will revert to its beta phase and servers for the original Splitgate will be taken offline.
In a statement, the developer`s co-founders acknowledged feedback from many fans who felt the game was launched too soon into its 1.0 state. They admitted, “We launched too early. 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 studio confessed to rushing certain features and making “boneheaded mistakes,” possibly referring to the overpriced microtransactions.
“So we`re going back to beta. We`ll be heads down until early next year, rebuilding major parts of the game to capture the spirit of what made Splitgate special,” the developer stated.
Splitgate 2`s progression system will be rebuilt “from the ground up,” maps will feature more portals, monetization systems will be simplified, and the game will generally refocus on “classic game modes.”
1047 Games committed to conducting playtests, issuing surveys, and actively listening to fan feedback to enhance Splitgate 2. “Our goal is to combine the DNA of the first game with the best improvements from the second. Rebuilding the core experience isn`t a quick fix; it`s a long-term commitment,” the developer emphasized.
Despite this substantial development effort, the studio is reducing certain roles. “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,” the studio explained.
They expressed heartbreak over this decision, stating, “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.” The studio also hopes to rehire them when feasible.
Furthermore, the servers for the original Splitgate are closing as part of an “effort to retain as many team members as possible.”
“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,” the company explained. They added, “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.”
Splitgate 2 will remain playable throughout this rework, and the planned Chapter 3 update is still coming, along with scheduled fixes and changes.
“We`ve faced a lot of dark days and have made many mistakes, but we`ve learned a lot and are as determined as ever to make Splitgate as great as possible,” the developer concluded. They affirmed that Splitgate has been their life for 10 years and they are not giving up. “We love this game, and we love this community too much to ever quit. So we won`t.”