Developer 1047 Games has confirmed an unspecified number of layoffs at Splitgate 2, with the studio's co-founders forgoing their salaries as part of a turnaround effort.
The free-to-play "Halo with portals" shooter launched under controversy after co-founder and director Ian Proulx appeared at Summer Game Fest wearing a cap that read "Make FPS Great Again." During his presentation, Proulx called out Call of Duty in what many perceived as a marketing misstep.
Splitgate 2 debuted with a battle royale mode and a heavily criticized $145 microtransaction bundle. The game reached a peak of 25,785 concurrent players on Steam, significantly lower than the original Splitgate's peak of 67,724. Steam user reviews currently stand at "Mixed."
While Steam statistics don't present the complete picture, as Splitgate 2 launched across consoles and PC, 1047 Games reports over 2.5 million players. However, the game's performance has clearly fallen short of studio expectations. In a post-launch interview with IGN, Proulx expressed surprise at the reaction, stating, "We didn't anticipate this level of controversy and never intended to create it."
The recent layoffs, described by the company as affecting "a small group" of employees in a LinkedIn post, coincide with co-founders Ian Proulx and Nicholas Bagamian deciding to work without salaries as the studio focuses on game improvements.
Here's the complete statement:
Today we parted ways with a small group of valued 1047 Games team members. We're refining the Splitgate 2 gameplay experience based on community feedback and reallocating resources to create the best possible game for our players. While we're saddened to see our colleagues leave, we're actively assisting them in finding new opportunities. Additionally, co-founders Ian Proulx and Nicholas Bagamian have chosen to forgo salaries as we concentrate on delivering the project's next phase. We extend our gratitude to everyone who contributed to our journey - your efforts made our current position possible.
To all Splitgate 2 players, we continue working diligently to bring you more content we believe you'll enjoy. We remain committed to developing this game for the long term.
Although 1047 didn't specify the exact number or identities of affected staff, several key team members have announced their departures on social media. Meanwhile, Splitgate 2 recorded a 24-hour peak of 10,059 concurrent Steam players, with 4,437 players active on Valve's platform at the time of writing.
Splitgate 2 received a 7/10 rating in IGN's review, which stated: "Splitgate 2 builds effectively upon its predecessor but fails to significantly surpass it."
