Splitgate launches season 1 of its open beta: Everything you need to know


The story of Splitgate looks like the beginning of a “success story” dreamed of by many independent developers. The dazzling popularity of competitive FPS has given the 1047 games studio the opportunity to revise its ambitions upwards. With an open beta (in season 0) downloaded more than 17 million times, we understand that the developers wanted to see things big.

They thus carried out a fundraising of 100 million dollars during the fall and they gradually begin their mutation as a AAA studio. A step that will be marked by the launch of season 1 on February 27. During a session dedicated to the press, we were able to find out more about what awaits you.

A meteoric rise

In order to clearly show that Splitgate is here to stay, and to make a name for itself in the very competitive environment of free to play, the interview began with a brief chronology of the events that we have just mentioned. Obviously, these massive downloads were very well received, but it required a lot of work over time for the servers to take the hit. Now that the problem is solved, the project is clear: to make Splitgate a free to play AAA game that plays in the big leagues.

However, we are told that this will take time because the studio is still recruiting massively to ensure regular monitoring of the game without however reaching the monstrous numbers of a Fortnite or a Call of Duty: Warzone which represent hundreds of people. The gain in labor is not negligible since 1047 Games has grown from a very small team to around 50 employees today, and the number is expected to grow even further in the future.

Concretely, this transition from Splitgate to AAA gaming status first comes through a drastic graphical improvement and more accomplished work at the artistic direction level. We have seen it in pictures, the transformation is undeniable. The other major point discussed is the provision of content over time so that players do not drop out. As we know, this is one of the recurring problems of certain “games service” (or Game as service) which struggle to keep a player base due to a lack of regularity.

The last thing the developers mentioned was that the evolution of Splitgate will be done with the community. If this maxim can ring hollow sometimes, we can say that it rather succeeded for them when the project was still very small. Thus, the studio intends to add new things by first laying down some basics and then adjusting and modifying them based on feedback from the community. It will therefore be very interesting to see if the process will be sustainable when Splitgate will have fully become a AAA.

An FPS between Halo and Portal

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If you do not know the principle of Splitgateit can be summed up simply between a mixture of Halo and Portal. The goal is indeed to compete with futuristic firearms in arenas where you move with great mobility while having the ability to activate portals. Combined with the classic mechanics of shooting games, these portals thus offer a rather original strategic dimension. It is also appreciated by the “oldest” with its sensations close to cult FPS such as Unreal Tournament Where Quake.

During the launch of this season 1 for the beta, the software will benefit from major new features and adjustments. For the latter, we can mention a redesign of the Foregone Destruction map or even some modifications to balance the matches. For example, we were presented with the placement of sniper rifles which cannot be picked up in the towers in order to force the player to take a risk to shoot from cover.

We were also told two new competitive modes :

  • capture the flag : We had few details on this mode but it should look like other FPS of the same genre.
  • Evolution : This one is a little more original since it allows two teams to compete in an arena where the weapons change each round. It is necessary to win a certain number of them knowing that the losing team will have to have better weapons to go up the slope.

Build your own arenas alone or with others

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The big new feature presented by the studio is the map maker that we have seen in action. Two level designers from the studio created a new map in just a few hours (via a time-lapse video). The funny thing is that we can build several, indeed it will be possible to include 8 simultaneous creators. You will be able to experiment with it during the launch, however the tool did not seem too complicated to us to take in hand if ever architecture is your hobby. As with everything else, community feedback will shape this creator to implement new possibilities.

For the rest, Splitgate takes up the usual elements of free to play with a Battle Pass over 100 levels and two segments (one free and one paid), or even ranked matches with a rank system giving you access to skins at the end of the season (based on your performance) somewhat like a Rocket League.



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