Splitgate 2s Rise and Fall: A Look at the Success, Controversies, and Future Plans of 1047 Games

In a recent move that has sent shockwaves through the gaming industry, 1047 Games, the developer behind the recently launched Splitgate 2, has announced layoffs affecting an undisclosed number of its employees. The announcement comes just a couple of weeks after the official launch of Splitgate 2 on June 6 across PC, PlayStation, and Xbox.

The past few weeks have been quite eventful for the Splitgate 2 studio. From launching the free-to-play FPS in open beta on May 22 to rolling out the game officially earlier in June, the developers have had their hands full lately. Upon its arrival, the game saw reasonably good numbers as its playerbase grew by three times when compared to its beta access days. While Splitgate 2 achieved remarkable success on consoles, the PC side of things also flourished and resulted in the shooter title crossing 25,000 peak concurrent players on Steam.

Despite such a promising launch, the developer has gone on to conduct job cuts and has joined a growing list of developers who have done the same recently. In a LinkedIn post, 1047 Games revealed that it had let go of "a small group" of staff members as it planned to commit resources to making "the best game for our players." The studio stated that it was still "perfecting" the Splitgate 2 experience, taking notes from the community feedback.

Notably, the American studio also shared that Ian Proulx and Nicholas Bagamian, the co-founders, had decided to give up their respective salaries as Splitgate 2 moves into the next phase. Talking about the laid-off employees, 1047 Games confirmed that it was also working to help them find new opportunities. In a reassuring tone, the developer further highlighted its commitment towards Spiltgate 2, saying that it was building the live-service game "for the long haul."

The disappointing news about the layoffs at 1047 Games comes at a time when the company has already been embroiled in a few controversies recently. Firstly, Ian Proulx, the studio's CEO, came under fire for sporting a certain hat during the Splitgate 2 presentation at Summer Game Fest, for which he eventually issued a public apology. Other than that, the game was also panned by players for the prices of some in-game items, which were then promptly resolved by the developer.

Undoubtedly, the latest round of layoffs is a cause of concern for the industry as well as the gaming community. However, the recent track-record of 1047 Games should instill some confidence among its fans. Quick decisions in line with user feedback, such as the one that addressed microtransaction concerns among Splitgate 2 players, exhibit the studio's player-focused approach. Moving forward, fans of the online multiplayer title hope that the team at 1047 Games continues in the same vein in this regard.