EMPULSE is a new 6v6 movement shooter from 1047 Games that combines wallrunning, grappling hooks, mech combat, and fast-paced traversal across the city of Freehold. Here's what to know about the studio's next shooter following Splitgate 2's troubled launch and Arena Reloaded relaunch.
EMPULSE Revealed as 1047 Games' New Movement Shooter
Features Wallrunning, Mechs, and Multiplayer Combat
EMPULSE was officially announced by 1047 Games on May 21, 2026, after the game's Steam page surfaced online, following earlier reports describing it as a Titanfall-inspired shooter. The announcement also comes after Splitgate 2's difficult launch in June 2025 and later relaunch as Splitgate: Arena Reloaded in December 2025.
In the announcement post, 1047 Games addressed the sudden reveal in a post on X, stating: "We wanted to share EMPULSE on our own terms, but leaks happen. We knew the risk and took it anyway, because getting real feedback early matters more to us than a perfect reveal."
The game quickly drew comparisons to Titanfall, with earlier reports describing EMPULSE as a "spiritual successor". Pre-alpha footage sent to Insider Gaming reportedly showed giant mechs and movement-focused combat similar to Respawn Entertainment's sci-fi FPS series.
Earlier this year, 1047 Games CEO Ian Proulx confirmed that a smaller team within the studio had already started developing a new movement shooter inspired by Titanfall and Call of Duty: Black Ops III. "Obviously Splitgate is the focus," Proulx said at the time, adding that the studio had "always had the dream to be a multi-game studio" and was "not abandoning Splitgate." Proulx also stated that the studio plans to begin sign-ups for future playtests soon, though additional details about the testing period have not yet been announced.
EMPULSE is an upcoming fast-paced 6v6 movement shooter set in the post-utopian city of Freehold, where players use wallruns, grappling hooks, Holojumps, and P.A.I.N.T. bombs to traverse maps and engage in fast-paced firefights. The game also features player-controllable mechs that spawn across the map.
Splitgate 2 Relaunched After Backlash and Beta Return
EMPULSE's announcement follows a turbulent year for 1047 Games. Splitgate 2 launched in June 2025 before later returning to beta following backlash toward its monetization, gameplay changes, and overall direction compared to the original game. As the studio worked to rebuild the shooter, 1047 Games also announced layoffs while admitting Splitgate 2 had "launched too early" and "we bit off more than we could chew."
The restructuring efforts also affected the original Splitgate. To reduce costs and retain as much staff as possible, 1047 Games announced plans to shut down servers for the original game. In a statement at the time, the studio said maintaining the game's servers had cost "hundreds of thousands of dollars" over the past few years, though it added that it was exploring offline or peer-to-peer support options for players.
Splitgate 2 was eventually rebuilt and relaunched as Splitgate: Arena Reloaded in December 2025, shifting the game back toward a more traditional arena-shooter style following criticism toward its gameplay direction.
Despite the relaunch, Steam player counts for Arena Reloaded remained relatively low compared to Splitgate 2's launch period. According to SteamDB, the shooter reached an all-time peak of 25,785 concurrent players in June 2025, while recent player counts have hovered below 500 concurrent users as of writing. In response to concerns surrounding declining player numbers, 1047 Games stated that "Steam charts don't measure fun" and argued the platform's player counts did not reflect the game's broader community.
1047 Games first gained attention through the original Splitgate, which combined Halo-inspired arena combat with Portal-style portals and traversal mechanics. The studio later expanded that formula through Splitgate 2 by introducing factions, abilities, and larger-scale systems before later scaling back several of those changes through Arena Reloaded.
EMPULSE is currently planned for Early Access release in 2026 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Steam. To stay up-to-date on the game, check our article below.
Sources:
1047 Games: Today we parted ways with…
Exclusive: Splitgate Developer 1047 Games Is Working On A Spiritual Successor To Titanfall, Dubbed 'empulse'
The creators of Splitgate are making a movement shooter
An update from the founders
1047 Games Responds to Recent Steam Charts Conversations
Splitgate: Arena Reloaded on SteamDB
