1047 Games unveils EMPULSE 6v6 shooter

1047 Games unveiled EMPULSE on May 20, adding a second multiplayer shooter to the lineup of the studio best known for Splitgate. The new game is a 6v6 first-person shooter built around wallrunning, grappling and mech control, according to the game’s Steam page and announcement coverage. 1047 Games is targeting PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S and PC via Steam. A specific release date was not announced, but Steam lists the game as “coming soon,” and Gematsu reported it is due in Early Access in 2026. ### What exactly is EMPULSE? EMPULSE is described by 1047 Games on Steam as an “upcoming fast-paced 6v6 movement shooter” set in Freehold, a “post-utopian” city built around vertical combat. The pitch centers on chaining movement options together rather than holding fixed lanes: players can wallrun forward and backward, swing with a grapple hook, launch from Holojumps and use P.A.I.N.T. bombs to alter surfaces for speed or jump boosts. (store.steampowered.com) Freehold is presented as a map space designed around routes and elevation. Steam says each district gives players “the surfaces, the verticality, and the routes” to link movement and combat. ### How do the mechs fit into a 6v6 shooter? Steam says player-controllable mechs spawn on the map and can swing a fight with heavy weapons, unique abilities and a large health pool. (store.steampowered.com) The page frames them as contested objectives rather than standard loadout items. Ian Proulx, 1047 Games’ chief executive, told Polygon that the mech design is closer to fighting over a power weapon than giving every player a summonable machine. (store.steampowered.com) He compared the setup to contesting a rocket launcher in Halo, while saying movement remains the main attraction. ### How close is this to Titanfall and Splitgate? Polygon reported that EMPULSE draws explicit inspiration from Titanfall 2, Black Ops 3 and other movement-heavy shooters, while keeping the hip-fire feel associated with Splitgate. (store.steampowered.com) Proulx told Polygon the team also looked outside shooters, citing SSX Tricky as a reference for the “flow state” feeling the studio wanted from wallrunning, grappling, sliding and jump chaining. (polygon.com) P.A.I.N.T. bombs add another reference point. Polygon said the mechanic riffs on Portal 2’s paint system, letting players modify surfaces to gain speed or jump boosts and combine those effects with the rest of the traversal kit. ### Why is 1047 Games launching another shooter now? Polygon reported that EMPULSE has become 1047 Games’ “main priority” even as the studio continues to support Splitgate: Arena Reloaded. (polygon.com) The outlet said development began about a year ago, during a period when 1047 Games was dealing with backlash around Splitgate 2, layoffs and a later relaunch under the Arena Reloaded name. May 20 was also the date the wider reveal surfaced publicly. Social posts and game-site reports appeared that day, and the Steam page went live with screenshots and the core gameplay description. ### When can players try it? Steam currently lists EMPULSE as “coming soon,” with wishlist sign-ups open now. (polygon.com) Gematsu reported that 1047 Games plans to launch the game in Early Access in 2026 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S and PC via Steam. Neither the Steam page nor the announcement coverage cited here gives a specific month or price. (store.steampowered.com) (gematsu.com)