In 2025, developer 1047 Games appeared at Summer Game Fest to unveil Splitgate 2, but things quickly fell apart when CEO Ian Proulx took the stage in a MAGA-styled "Make FPS Great Again" hat to poke fun at Call of Duty and Halo for trend-chasing, only for his new sequel to include a battle royale mode and $80 microtransactions. The game was soon 'unlaunched' and re-entered beta amid layoffs at the studio, but its re-release didn't fare much better, opening to a concurrent peak of just 2,297 players.
So, now that Insider Gaming has exclusively revealed that 1047 Games is developing a self-proclaimed Titanfall and Call of Duty: Black Ops 3-inspired shooter, dubbed Empulse, it's hardly surprising that nobody is convinced. "Didn't Splitgate 2 already dangle Titanfall-shaped keys in front of us?" asked u/FrogPissDrinker (maybe the weirdest Reddit username I've quoted). "What's with these FPS studios shoving 'It's like Titanfall!' into their marketing lately? First it was Splitgate, then Highguard, and now this."
Judging by the reactions online, it's safe to say that Proulx's stunt at SGF last year has irreparably marred the studio's reputation, and it'll be an uphill battle to win...
