1047 Games, the studio behind the Splitgate series, has reportedly laid off staff just weeks after launching its latest shooter, Empulse.
Over the past week, multiple team members posted farewell messages on LinkedIn, confirming they’re now looking for work. The associate art director, who joined last year, described it as “the third wave of studio layoffs.”
“As of the end of this week, it will be my last day at 1047 Games due to the third wave of studio layoffs,” they wrote.
“Throughout the years in this industry, my main goal has always been to work with inspiring artists and art directors, which was a significant reason why I joined. Unfortunately, that didn’t last as long as I hoped, but I’m grateful for the experience and the wonderful people I had the chance to work with.”
The community specialist and director of QA also posted. “A bunch of us, ‘the crew’ aboard the 1047 train, are getting off on this post-Empulse station,” the QA director wrote. “It has been an interesting ride, bumpy at times, narrowly avoiding derailment.”
Why This Matters
This isn’t the first time 1047 has cut staff. Almost exactly a year ago, it laid off employees and shut down the original Splitgate after admitting it launched the sequel “too early.” That was the second round of layoffs in 2025 — a “small group” had been let go the month prior.
The original Splitgate was a genuine hit, surpassing 13 million downloads during open beta. That success helped the studio secure over $100 million in funding in 2021, valuing it at $1.5 billion.
CEO Ian Proulx told Game Developer in 2024 that he wanted Splitgate 2 to be a game people played for a decade. “I think we had 200,000 concurrent players in Splitgate at our peak. Success to me would be more than that — and more than that in years from now,” he said.
Instead, the studio is now dealing with its third wave of layoffs in just over a year, right after shipping a brand-new title.
The Bigger Picture
Layoffs continue to hit studios of all sizes, regardless of recent releases or funding. 1047 had a massive valuation and a proven hit, yet it’s still cutting staff weeks after launching a new project.
Empulse, a Titanfall-inspired shooter, came out less than a month ago. If a studio with that kind of backing can’t hold its team together after shipping, it raises tough questions about how sustainable the current cycle of hype and contraction really is.
Game Developer has reached out to 1047 for more information. For now, the departing crew are scattering to find their next ride.
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