Splitgate 2, developed by 1047 Games, has recently faced a wave of layoffs, with the studio’s co-founders announcing that they won’t be taking salaries as part of their strategy to salvage the game’s future.
The free-to-play shooter, which was marketed as ‘Halo with portals,’ launched to mixed reactions, and while it gained over 2.5 million players, it struggled to maintain momentum.
The game’s launch was marred by controversy after co-founder Ian Proulx appeared at the Summer Game Fest wearing a hat reading ‘Make FPS Great Again,’ which many saw as a jab at the Call of Duty franchise. Proulx also made headlines for calling out CoD during his speech, which some considered a marketing misstep. The launch itself included a heavily criticized $145 microtransaction bundle, alongside a battle royale mode that didn’t resonate well with players. Steam’s peak concurrent player count reached just over 25,000, a stark contrast to the original Splitgate’s 67,000.
Despite the game being available across multiple platforms, including PC and consoles, Splitgate 2’s reception was far from stellar. Steam reviews remained mixed, with many players voicing frustration over the pricing of in-game content. Proulx expressed surprise over the backlash, acknowledging that the studio had not anticipated such strong criticism. In the wake of these challenges, 1047 Games confirmed layoffs, though the studio described the staff reductions as minimal.
The news comes shortly after a LinkedIn post from the company, confirming that Proulx and fellow co-founder Nicholas Bagamian have chosen to forgo their salaries to ensure the next phase of the project can be completed. With a 24-hour peak of just over 10,000 players on Steam and a mixed reception, it’s clear that Splitgate 2 still has a long way to go. IGN rated the game a 7/10, describing it as a decent but not revolutionary successor to the original Splitgate.