1047 Games initiates a new wave of layoffs following release

The repeated pattern of launching a product on the market only to quickly dismiss those who worked on it once again exposes the amateurism and lack of planning that plague the industry. 1047 Games, the studio behind EMPULSE and the Splitgate franchise, has confirmed another round of layoffs within its team. This marks the third series of layoffs faced by the studio, according to reports published by former employees on LinkedIn. However, the company has chosen to remain silent, and has not yet disclosed the total number of individuals affected by this decision.

Known figures within the internal structure were let go during the process.

The former associate art director Jonathan Kuo used his professional network to say goodbye, highlighting the learning experience alongside inspiring artists and directors at the company. The community specialist Jesse Griefenberg and the quality control director Igor Krinitskiy were also among the confirmed departures.

This drastic measure was made public only weeks after the debut of EMPULSE, the new 6v6 competitive shooter released for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.

Releasing titles prematurely and then trying to fix the damage while laying off the responsible workforce is a regrettable corporate stance. Last year, during the restructuring of Splitgate 2, the management already downsized the team. On that occasion, the CEO Ian Proulx openly admitted that the production reached the stores before the ideal time and that they would use feedback from the public to adjust the course.

The company still maintains support for Splitgate: Arena Reloaded, which is the re-release of the sequel. Despite struggling with low concurrent player numbers on Steam, the studio claims that Valve’s store data does not reflect the community's total engagement on other platforms and asserts that it remains committed to the brand's future. Up to this point, no official statement has explained how this loss of workforce will impact the maintenance of active projects.