Portal shooter Splitgate 2 will be making its return from beta later this month, and to mark this return developer 1047 Games has rebranded it with a new name.
The free-to-play Splitgate: Arena Reloaded will arrive across PC (via Steam, Epic Games Store and Windows), Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PlayStation 5 and PS4 on 17th December.
“After months of community feedback, testing and rebuilding the entire experience, this is Splitgate refocused on what made it special in the first place: classic arena combat without factions, abilities, or extra noise,” the developer shared on Splitgate: Arena Reloaded’s announcement, along with a new trailer you can see below.
1047 Games said Splitgate has “always been about the arena first”, though the developer admitted it had somewhat missed the mark when it released Splitgate 2 earlier this year. As such, it has now taken elements from both the original Splitgate and its short-lived sequel, removed the bits that “didn’t fit” and “refined” the ones that did.
“In the process, we not only rebuilt the game, we reconnected with the magic of the genre that built this studio in the first place. A Return to the Arena,” the studio wrote, saying arena shooters are part of its DNA.
“Splitgate has always been a love letter to the classic shooters that sparked a lifelong passion for games for so many of us. They were fast, expressive, and skillful, and they brought people together around shared experiences.
“With Splitgate : Arena Reloaded, our goal is to bring that feeling forward for a new generation while keeping it fresh for the players who have been with us from the start.”
You can check out the various changes coming to Splitgate: Arena Reloaded below:
- Removed Splitgate 2’s factions, abilities, and select equipment so the focus is back on classic arena combat without the extra noise.
- Rebuilt progression from the ground up so your time in game feels rewarding, with weapon and character cosmetics you can earn simply by playing.
- We’ve added a true Classic Arena mode with even starts and new map pickups, recapturing the feel of the original.
- Fine tuned combat to better match expectations for a modern arena shooter, with more meaningful gunfights and fewer “what just happened” moments.
- Completely overhauled the ranked system so your rank reflects your actual skill for players who love to climb and compete.
- Added key systems you have been asking for: Mode Select, Player Stats, Ranked Leaderboards, and Account Levels.
- Introduced five brand new maps and six fully reworked arenas, bringing the total map pool to 20.
- Added three new LMG primary weapons and the iconic Power Weapon, the Railgun.
Closing, 1047 Games acknowledged that relaunches such as this one can be “met with scepticism”, and it appreciates that. However, the studio is proud of what it has built with Splitgate: Arena Reloaded, and will be sharing more in the coming weeks.
“From everyone at 1047 Games, thank you for your feedback, your patience, and your passion over the last few months,” it closed. “We hope to see you back in the arena on December 17.”
Splitgate 2 was initially released earlier this year, but soon after the studio and its founder Ian Proulx admitted they had taken the game out of beta too soon. “We had ambitious goals with Splitgate 2, and in our excitement to share it with you, we bit off more than we could chew,” a statement in July read. As such, the shooter returned to beta, and layoffs were made at 1047 Games.
Will this second go at things be the time Splitgate 2 makes FPS great again? We will see.