Splitgate
Officially Splitgate: Arena Warfare (2019) / Splitgate 2 (2025)
1047 Games arena FPS with portals (Halo × Portal fusion) — Splitgate (2019) F2P beta; Splitgate 2 launched May 22, 2025 PS5/Xbox/PC. Signature portal-shooting movement + arena combat. 15M+ players S1 peak; TGA 2025 nominee.
What is Splitgate?
Splitgate is a portal-shooting arena FPS franchise developed + published by 1047 Games (Redwood City, California, founded by Ian Proulx + Nicholas Bagamian). Original Splitgate (July 2019, initially named 'Splitgate: Arena Warfare') was F2P beta on Steam. Signature concept: Halo-like arena combat + portal-gun (Portal-style) allowing 2 simultaneously-placed portals per player for flanking + escape + repositioning. Massive viral moment July 2021 — went from ~500 concurrent players to 100k+ concurrent on Steam within 2 weeks — server infrastructure temporarily overwhelmed. Original beta was ended January 2024 by 1047 to redirect all resources to Splitgate 2 development. Splitgate 2 launched May 22, 2025 for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC (Steam + Epic) — F2P with revamped engine (Unreal Engine 5), 3 Factions (Aeros, Meridian, Sabrask) with unique abilities, cross-play, ranked + casual modes, Battle Pass. Received mixed launch reception — praise for portal + shooting gameplay + F2P access, criticism for launch stability + Faction meta imbalances. TGA 2025 Best Multiplayer nominee. Ongoing seasonal content.
Quick facts
Category
Video Games
Type
Team sport
Players
4–8
Duration
~10 min
Where played
indoor
Country of origin
🇺🇸 United States
Estimated origin
Splitgate (2019) beta; viral Jul 2021; original ended Jan 2024; Splitgate 2 launched May 22, 2025
Olympic
No
Popularity
regional
How it works
Objective
Win match by objective completion (Domination, Team Deathmatch, King of the Hill, Ranked) or elimination.
Match structure
4v4 primary competitive; various casual FFA modes.
Rules
Basic rules
Portal gun (2 simultaneous portals)
Place 2 portals on any 'portalable' surface; travel between + shoot through portals.
Standard arena FPS movement
Sprint, jump, crouch — Halo-inspired arena movement with fast projectiles + hitscan mix.
Faction abilities (SG2)
SG2 adds 3 Factions with unique passive/active/ultimate abilities (Aeros speed, Meridian shielding, Sabrask tech).
Advanced rules
Portal-plane tactical use
Portal placement for flank routes + escape + repositioning + surprise angles.
Faction synergies (SG2)
Team composition matters — Aeros + Meridian + Sabrask synergies vs single-Faction spam.
Weapon loadout customisation
SG2 has expanded loadout customisation + attachments.
Scoring
Mode-specific: elimination count, objective control time, kills, etc.
| Action | Points |
|---|---|
| Kill / assist | Match variable |
| Objective secured | Mode variable |
Win condition · Team-mode-specific — points, elimination, objective control.
Equipment
PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC (Steam + Epic)
Cross-play across all platforms.
Standard controller or M+KB
PC has M+KB advantage; cross-play input-matched.
Positions & roles
Player (SG1) / Faction (SG2)
×4Solo player in 4v4 team; Faction pick in SG2.
Officiating
Automated moderation.
- Anti-cheat + report system
Penalties & fouls
Penalties
Self-death via portal falls
Falling through portal into void = death; punish for bad portal placement.
Team-kill / griefing
Report + ban tiers per 1047 policy.
Strategies
Portal-plane escape routes
Always maintain escape portal for retreat under fire; portal-cycle to disorient opponents.
Aggressive portal flanking
Place portals for surprise flank angles behind enemy team; punish over-extension.
Faction team composition (SG2)
Balance Aeros/Meridian/Sabrask picks for team synergy — avoid single-Faction stacking.
Terminology
- Portal (2 simultaneous)
- Portal-gun-placed teleport wormholes
- Portalable surface
- Wall/floor eligible for portal placement (some surfaces reject portals)
- Faction (SG2)
- Aeros / Meridian / Sabrask ability character group
- 1047 Games
- Studio developer + publisher
Major competitions
In-game Ranked seasons
ongoing seasonal · global · since 2019
Community-organised tournaments
ongoing · worldwide (community) · since 2020
Where it is played
Governing bodies
1047 Games
Founded 2016 · Redwood City, California
Famous names & records
Famous athletes
- Top-Ranked players + content creators from SG1 + SG2
Records
15M+ players SG1 launch peak
1047 Games — Splitgate 1 registered 15M+ players in beta lifespan; peak 100k+ concurrent Steam Jul 2021 (2021)
Splitgate 2 launched May 22, 2025
1047 Games — Splitgate 2 (Unreal Engine 5) launched May 22, 2025 as F2P sequel (2025)
TGA 2025 Best Multiplayer nominee
1047 Games — Splitgate 2 nominated Best Multiplayer at The Game Awards 2025 (2025)
Learn this sport
beginner
- 1
SG2 Casual playlists + Faction unlock
Learn portal + FPS basics; try all 3 Factions.
intermediate
- 1
Ranked climb to Diamond
Ranked queue climb; team synergy focus.
advanced
- 1
Community tournaments + high-Ranked
Compete in community Ranked tournaments.
Frequently asked
What happened to original Splitgate (2019)?+
1047 Games ended original Splitgate service January 2024 to redirect all development resources to Splitgate 2. Original beta had run ~5 years.
How is Splitgate 2 different from original?+
SG2 rebuilds on Unreal Engine 5, adds 3 Factions with unique abilities (SG1 had no Factions — pure arena FPS with portals), improved graphics + physics, F2P with Battle Pass + Faction unlocks. Portal mechanic core is same but with expanded modes + progression.
Sources & provenance
- Wikipedia — Splitgate— Wikipedia