1047 Games cofounder Ian Proulx’s recent Summer Game Fest presentation caused quite a stir in the gaming community, when he did not mince his words when critiquing shooters today. In promoting Splitgate 2, Proulx aired his grievances about how the genre’s been going during a GDC talk. According to him, many games just get released annually and it’s annoying fans. Moreover, he would like to see brands experiment in the field more.
Proulx mentioned that he played with the classic arena shooters like Halo with host Geoff Keighley. We’re disappointed in our current offerings. He said he is tired of yearly Call of Duty games and wants to see a Titanfall 3. At the showcase, the developer’s unfiltered comments were refreshing compared to the others.
Portal-Based Shooter Introduces Battle Royale Element
Splitgate 2 retains the original’s main idea as a free-to-play arena shooter where players can use portals to alter physics and reality mechanics. The sequel adds a battle royale element that takes the classic arena shooter format and gives you the option to portal between worlds; developers say it’s a fresh twist on the popular format.
Last month, beta testing took place for the game after which the launch occurred for console and PC platforms. The timing coincidence with the launch of the new battle royale mode, which launched immediately with the main game.
Industry Response and Social Media Clarification
Proulx’s showing drew a lot of attention in gaming circles, both positive and negative. The dev later took to social media to clear the air with all the attention his comments were getting. According to him, his comments were on the multiplayer FPS genre.
Proulx highly clarified that his meaning is very straightforward so it should only be taken at face value. He stated that the multiplayer shooter space has gotten stale. Moreover, he said that his team is addressing this with Arena, Battle Royale, Onslaught, Map Creator options and more.
Community Debates Monetization and Innovation Claims
Responses were mixed from the community, with some players praising 1047 Games for bringing life back to an old shooter genre while others questioned the strategy as well. The addition of battle royale is well-known and players questioned the innovation claim. Next, the trailer uses mainstream music with popular choices.
Some critics had pointed out a contradiction where Proulx criticises other games for their monetization involving microtransactions but himself offers Splitgate 2 with bundles priced at $70. The studio discussed that although their most expensive items are complex animations and drawings, that there are cheaper alternatives and that no purchases are required to be competitive.
From Early Success to Sequel Development
The original Splitgate had an interesting run, with its early access launch taking place back in 2019 and gained popularity. Though it attracted initial player engagement, players quickly lost interest in 2021. As a result, the development team abandoned support for the first game by 2022 to focus on a new project.
The studio revealed last year that this mysterious new project was actually Splitgate 2, representing their attempt to build upon the original while doing better based on their learning from their first game’s release. The sequel wants to build on the original game’s use of portals while introducing new game modes and improving the mechanics of the game.
At the Summer Game Fest, the developer’s very strong statement characterizes the ongoing debate in the gaming industry over opportunism and innovation, especially in multiplayer games. We will see if Splitgate 2 can revive the FPS genre now that it has been launched for players to explore.