In a move that has ignited the interest of the fast-paced FPS community, 1047 Games, the studio behind the portal-infused shooter Splitgate, has officially confirmed early development on a brand-new title. While details remain under wraps, the studio’s CEO, Ian Proulx, has positioned the project as a “movement shooter” designed to capture the essence and appeal of revered titles like Respawn Entertainment’s Titanfall and Treyarch’s Call of Duty: Black Ops 3. The announcement, made alongside a call for early playtesters, signals a strategic pivot for the studio as it builds upon the foundation of its flagship franchise.
The Evolution of 1047 Games and the Splitgate Legacy
1047 Games carved its name into the competitive gaming landscape with the surprise success of Splitgate, a free-to-play arena shooter that combined the core gunplay of classics like Halo with innovative, strategic portal mechanics. The game’s unique premise fostered a dedicated community, leading to significant updates and a full-scale re-launch as Splitgate: Arena Reloaded in late 2023. This refresh aimed to refine the experience and solidify its position in a crowded market. The development of this new, unnamed project suggests that while Splitgate remains a vital part of the studio’s identity, 1047 is eager to explore new mechanical territories within the shooter genre, moving beyond portals to master the art of momentum and fluid combat.
Decoding the “Movement Shooter” Genre
The term “movement shooter” is not merely marketing jargon but a specific subgenre with a passionate, if sometimes underserved, fanbase. It refers to first-person shooters where a player’s mobility is not just a means of traversal but a central, skill-based component of combat. Mastery of advanced movement techniques is often as important as aiming precision. Games like Titanfall and its sequel, Titanfall 2, are considered pinnacles of this design philosophy. They introduced mechanics such as wall-running, double-jumping, and slide-hopping, creating a combat flow that felt exhilaratingly fast and vertical. Similarly, Call of Duty: Black Ops 3, with its thrust jumps, wall-running, and specialist abilities, represented a high point for movement within the annualized franchise, a feature that has since been dialed back in subsequent entries.
Why Titanfall and Black Ops 3 Are the Key Benchmarks
By name-dropping these two titles, Ian Proulx has set clear expectations. Titanfall is synonymous with seamless, parkour-inspired movement integrated with mech combat, offering a sense of power and speed that few games have matched. Black Ops 3, while more grounded, provided a highly polished and accessible version of advanced movement within a traditional Call of Duty framework. The mention suggests 1047’s new shooter will likely prioritize a high skill ceiling for movement, rewarding players who can chain together jumps, slides, and other maneuvers to outmaneuver opponents. It hints at a design that values player expression through mobility, potentially filling a void left as other major franchises have shifted toward more tactical, grounded gameplay.
What We Know About the New Project
Official information is currently sparse, as the project is in its earliest stages. The core confirmation is the game’s focus on movement as a primary gameplay pillar. Beyond the inspirational references, no specific mechanics like wall-running or grappling hooks have been confirmed, but the lineage strongly implies their inclusion. The studio has opened a sign-up page for interested players to register for future playtests, a common strategy for community-driven development and early feedback collection. This approach was instrumental in shaping Splitgate’s success, and 1047 appears to be adopting a similar model, aiming to build hype and iterate on core mechanics with direct input from its target audience.
The Strategic Shift from Splitgate’s Portals
This new direction represents a fascinating shift for 1047. Splitgate’s identity was fundamentally tied to its portal gun—a tool for strategic positioning and unexpected angles. A pure movement shooter, by contrast, often emphasizes physical mastery of the environment and character physics over teleportation. The question becomes whether 1047 will attempt to merge these concepts or start with a clean slate focused purely on kinetic mobility. The studio’s experience in creating a game with unique traversal mechanics could give them a distinct advantage in designing fresh and satisfying movement systems that feel both intuitive and deep.
The Market Opportunity and Community Reaction
The announcement arrives at a time when demand for high-quality movement shooters is palpable. With the Titanfall series in a dormant state and Call of Duty’s recent entries favoring slower gameplay, a significant segment of players feels underserved. Games like Ultrakill and Turbo Overkill have captured attention in the indie space, but a larger-scale, polished competitor from a studio with 1047’s profile could make a major impact. Early reactions from communities dedicated to Titanfall and classic Call of Duty have been cautiously optimistic, viewing 1047’s pedigree and clear design goals as promising signs. The success of this venture will hinge on execution: delivering movement that feels responsive, weighty, and fun, wrapped in compelling game modes and a stable technical foundation.
The Importance of the Playtest Phase
The immediate call for playtesters is a critical step. For a game whose core fantasy is built on feel, early and frequent player feedback is non-negotiable. The “game feel” of sliding around a corner or chaining a wall-run into a mid-air kill is subtle and subjective. 1047 will need to tune physics, speed, and controller response meticulously based on data and impressions from skilled players. This community-inclusive process not only helps refine the product but also fosters early investment and advocacy from the very players who have been craving this type of experience.
Challenges and Expectations for 1047 Games
Developing a new IP in the competitive shooter arena is a formidable challenge. 1047 must differentiate its title not only from its own previous work but also from the legendary games it cites as inspiration. Simply replicating Titanfall’s movement won’t be enough; the studio needs to introduce its own novel twist or combination of mechanics. Furthermore, the technical hurdle of creating netcode that can handle high-speed, complex movement interactions in a multiplayer environment is significant. Players will have zero tolerance for lag or de-synchronization in a game where split-second positioning is key.
Building on a Foundation of Innovation
Despite the challenges, 1047 Games has demonstrated an ability to innovate within established genres. Splitgate proved that a novel mechanic, executed well, could capture attention. The studio’s experience in live service management and community engagement from the Splitgate era will be invaluable assets. The goal will be to channel that innovative spirit into the physicality of movement, creating a game that stands on its own as a worthy successor to the titles that inspired it, rather than a mere homage.
As the development cycle begins, all eyes will be on the playtest phases for glimpses of gameplay and early impressions. For fans who have spent years perfecting slide cancels, wall-runs, and boost jumps, the promise of a new arena built for that specific skillset is a powerful lure. 1047 Games has thrown down the gauntlet, not just by announcing a new shooter, but by explicitly tying its aspirations to some of the most beloved movement systems in FPS history. The journey from this early announcement to a finished product will be a test of the studio’s vision and its ability to deliver the kinetic, high-speed combat that a generation of players still holds as the gold standard.
