On Steam, the response has been a notable improvement over Splitgate 2’s recent months, peaking at 2,297 concurrent players on release. Sadly, it’s a ways off from the former’s launch, which hit 25,785 players. While the overall rating remains “Mixed,” at least the recent reviews are “Mostly Positive” with 76 percent of 540 users recommending it.

Of course, Splitgate: Arena Reloaded is also available for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS5 and PS4, so perhaps the console numbers will help make up the disparity.

Other notable features in the relaunch include the return of pickups (such as Legendary Weapons and power-ups), Classic Arena with each player having the same starting loadout, an overhauled progression system, five new maps and much more. There’s also a new Power Weapon – the Railgun – and three new Light Machine Guns – the Velocity, Barrage and Strata. Head here for more details.

The biggest hook is that there are no longer factions or abilities. Players can customize their loadouts without restrictions or opt for the same playing field. Team Deathmatch, King of the Hill, Gun Game and Shotty Snipers will be included alongside six revamped arenas and five new additions.

There are also three new primary weapons, one new Power weapon, an overhauled Ranked system, and revamped progression that promises rewards “with every match.” This is on top of the dozens of other new features fans can look forward to.

Design director Josh Watson said in a press release that, “Splitgate has always been a love letter to the arena shooters we grew up playing. We’ve been hard at work rebuilding the game from the ground up, taking the best of Splitgate 1 and Splitgate 2, removing what didn’t work, and refining what did.” Studio CEO Ian Proulx also credited the community for this approach as they “led us back to the arena.”

Whether it will rekindle interest in the series remains to be seen, but it is fascinating to see a developer remove long-in-development features like battle royale and whatnot in a bid to return to basics. To learn more about Reloaded’s development, a “mini-documentary” will be released on December 9th, so stay tuned for details on that.

The end of this beta run for Splitgate 2 also means that the Beta Season and the active Battle Passes in the game will be ending. Players who took part in the beta will also be losing their seasonal rank progress.

Aside from the fact that Splitgate 2 is relaunching in December, 1047 Games hasn’t really revealed any details about what this new release will look like. The studio will have obviously made quite a few changes after taking player feedback into account ever since it first announced the rework for the multiplayer shooter back in July.

When this rework was first announced, the developer had noted it would be taking player feedback into account for the relaunch of Splitgate 2. However, the studio ensured that the title would remain available to players in its current state, with all of the content releases that were planned also getting release, including the at-the-time upcoming Chapter 3 update. However, the studio had noted that the relaunch of Splitgate 2 would be happening some time in 2026.

“This doesn’t feel like a launched game as much as we want to pretend it was, and obviously we said it was,” said 1047 Games CEO Ian Proulx at the time. “It feels like a beta. There’s bugs still. There’s features that are missing that — obviously not every game has to have every feature — but there’s certain things that should be in a finished product. There’s too many bugs, and we’re hitting the reset button.”

The core focus of the reworks for Splitgate 2 would revolve around three things: “basic features” like leaderboards and improved progression, more walls where portals can be opened up in a match, and adjustments to game modes. While the first two might be more obvious, Proulx wasn’t quite sure about what to make of the last point.

“A big focus of ours is getting closer to just that classic arena game mode experience,” he said. “I don’t know exactly what that’s going to look like, but I think we’ve done a lot of round-based modes, and we’ll still have some round-based modes, but players, they want to play the game and shoot stuff and have a good time and maybe play the objective.”

The announcement that Splitgate 2 would be going back in to development to get a relaunch came just a day after the studio had announced a round of lay-offs. While it hadn’t confirmed an exact number of employees that would be affected, the announcement noted that it was “a small group” of “valued” team members.

Splitgate 2 was launched on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S. The upcoming relaunch will be coming to PC, and will likely also target the same console platforms as its initial release. For more details about the game from when it first came out, check out our review.

While it works on the overhaul, the studio has also stated that it will continue to keep Splitgate 2 playable and will also release the already-planned content for it, including the upcoming Chapter 3 update. Along with this, the game will continue to get some bug fixes. Aside from this, however, 1047 Games is considering Splitgate 2 to be “done” for the time being, until 2026, when the title is slated to return with “big, sweeping changes”.

Speaking to IGN, CEO Ian Proulx said that the studio had taken quite a bit of feedback from a Reddit thread where it was asking players why they had stopped playing Splitgate 2. In the interview, Proulx also admitted that Splitgate 2 is “not a finished product yet.”

“This doesn’t feel like a launched game as much as we want to pretend it was, and obviously we said it was,” he said. “It feels like a beta. There’s bugs still. There’s features that are missing that — obviously not every game has to have every feature — but there’s certain things that should be in a finished product. There’s too many bugs, and we’re hitting the reset button.”

When it comes to how the studio plans to rework Splitgate 2, Proulx said that it comes down to three main things: “basic features” as described by the community like leaderboards and improved progression, more walls where portals can be opened in the course of a regular match, and adjustment to game modes. Proulx doesn’t quite seem sure about that last component, however.

“A big focus of ours is getting closer to just that classic arena game mode experience,” he said. “I don’t know exactly what that’s going to look like, but I think we’ve done a lot of round-based modes, and we’ll still have some round-based modes, but players, they want to play the game and shoot stuff and have a good time and maybe play the objective.”

While the whole game is getting reworked, Proulx has also confirmed that Splitgate 2 will continue to be a free-to-play game, and that players will not lose out on any of the things they already bought through the in-game store. While he has also said that the studio wants to “simplify” the in-game monetisation, he has also confirmed that refunds will not be given.

As part of its efforts to rework Splitgate 2, 1047 Games has also confirmed that servers for the original Splitgate will be shutting down. However, leading up to the servers shutting down in around a month, the studio has also said that it is “exploring the possibility of supporting offline or peer-to-peer matches”.

For more details about Splitgate 2, check out our review, Also check out our own interview with the developers of the game.

But we couldn’t help but feel that some games this year could have been so much more in terms of the value they brought to their players but ultimately let us down. It’s time to dive into 2025’s most disappointing games – and why they made us feel that way.

Let’s get started. 

Deliver At All Costs

Developed by Far Out Games and published by Konami, Deliver At All Costs had all the makings of a fun experience made engaging via a very unique premise. Winston Green’s determination to be the ultimate courier, letting nothing get between his cargo and his destination ultimately fell flat thanks to an uninspired gameplay loop.

While the isometric graphics and unique mechanics could entertain you for a brief time once you get started, the game quickly gets repetitive, with little to no narrative context other than a few fetch and carry requests.

Limited upgrades to the We Deliver pickup truck and a lack of actual consequences for your destructive actions other than some bland police pursuits make this an unfortunately forgettable experience that is sure to lie forgotten in many of its players’ libraries once the initial thrills wear off. 

Monster Energy Supercross 25 – The Official Video Game

Despite an excellent visual makeover courtesy of Unreal Engine 5, a wide selection of tracks, and the legendary Ricky Carmichael taking up the in-game commentator’s mic, Monster Energy Supercross 25 wasted away its advantages with a learning curve that a significant portion of players would find daunting.

Its tutorials are ineffective at getting you into the ebb and flow of a race, a lapse that is sure to throw you face-first into the dirt in front of a crowded stadium. Milestone S.r.l. probably assumed that anybody picking up the game was already a fan of dirt-bike racing and tailored the experience accordingly.

We’re sure that fans of the sport will swear by this one but for the rest of us, this is a title that is a very ironic uphill climb.

JDM: Japanese Drift Master

This indie title from the stables (or garages?) of Warsaw-based developer Gaming Factory seemed like it would be a great drifting simulator for racing fans who like a bit of style when they turn a corner. While its in-game physics and story-based open world are certainly highlights, the overall experience was ultimately marred by several inconsistencies in the Guntama Prefecture’s streets and winding mountain roads.

Obstacles that a fast-moving car could plow through quite easily in the real world could bring you to a complete stop while irregular lighting ruins the dynamic day and night cycle, sending you tearing right into unsuspecting NPCs who just want to get home and unwind after a long day.

Its delivery missions are nothing to write home about either while errors in the kind of vehicle you will need for its many events are a constant annoyance, requiring you to reload at the last garage you were in and drive a new car all the way back to the starting point.

We recommend rewatching Tokyo Drift a couple of times while you wait for a sale on this one.

STAR WARS: Episode I: Jedi Power Battles Remastered

We’ll be the first to admit that getting to revisit the origin story of Anakin Skywalker (or Darth Vader as you know him) had us pretty excited for this remake of the 2000 title from LucasArts. Getting all of its original content in one place while Aspyr’s additions like the ability to play as a bunch of enemies you beat down in your first playthrough during New Game+ was quite the attractive package.

However, an excellent visual makeover aside, all of the problems that players had with the original continue to plague the remaster, and are annoying enough to drive you towards the Dark Side of the force. It’s a baffling lack of polish that is sure to ruin what could have been a very entertaining return to Star Wars’ glory days.

Perhaps Qui Gon would be happy to let Darth Maul stab him to death if he were to try this one out.

TRON Catalyst

Bithell Games had the opportunity to bring the magic and complex political discourse of the original TRON films to a new generation of gamers in its take on the sci-fi franchise. However, Exo’s adventures and the subsequent conflict between the Automata and Core ultimately failed to impress thanks to a lackluster story and a distinct lack of utility to its many inventive mechanics.

From the Glitch system that lets you reset your state on a server to an earlier, safer time, or the lore that fails to flesh out the various factions you encounter in any satisfactory way, this is a game that could have, and should have been a whole lot better than it ultimately was – and that’s a real shame considering that it does so many things right.

Tails of Iron 2: Whiskers of Winter

Although Arlo’s quest for revenge and his adventures as the Warden of the West are quite well-written and given a lot of gravitas and weight thanks to Doug Cockle’s narration, this attempt to create a side-scrolling Soulslike was ultimately let down by its tonal inconsistencies.

It was quite jarring to see a boss brutally murder innocent NPCs only for a character to make a very droll quip a few moments later. While the combat on display is certainly top notch, the healing mechanic proved to me more annoying than innovative, especially towards the story’s final sections and boss fights.

Hardcore Soulslike fans might find a lot to like in this game but for the most part, it does feel like it could be more fleshed-out both narratively and from a technical standpoint. Its world-building does deserve credit, though.

La Quimera

What could go wrong with an FPS title that puts you in the heart of a conflict between warring states in a world gone mad? A lot, apparently. Reburn’s take on a co-op experience that lets you team up with your buddies to take on a world of threats with an AI companion in tow failed to impress on any level.

It didn’t help that the game was delayed on the day of its release, a misstep that is sure to be a sore spot for the studio and anyone who was excited for the game alike. But its distinct lack of a clear and engaging narrative coupled with its lackluster combat is sure to make this one a game that the gaming world would be happy to leave behind.

Onimusha 2: Samurai’s Destiny Remaster

We’ve certainly been seeing a lot of Oda Nobunaga and his exploits in recent times. But younger games might have not known that the Japanese warlord was the main antagonist of a very popular action franchise from Capcom back in the day.

The studio’s remaster of 2002’s Onimusha 2 does include everything that made the original title so memorable, but fails to bring anything new to the table other than a new weapon swapping quality-of-life improvement and a couple of difficulty modes to accompany its visual upgrade.

Jubei Yagyu certainly deserved better despite his stoic and occasionally sassy demeanour making him less popular than Dante or Leon.

The Precinct

Fallen Tree’s police-sim brought a very promising start to Mick Cordell Jr’s first day at the Avernus City PD’s headquarters. However, his career soon took a very boring turn, devolving into mindless prowling along the city’s streets with only a hint of the promise he brought to table ever showing up during its runtime.

Terrible driving controls aside, The Precinct was a pretty interesting title that failed to deliver on the action-packed chases and gunfights it seemed to offer, instead focusing on the boring and dreary parts of police work. While it does shine on occasion and its main story could be interesting to some, this is a game we quickly moved on from thanks to its sloppy writing and average gameplay loop.

Splitgate 2

Its controversial marketing aside, Splitgate 2 never really reached the heights that its predecessor did thanks to being held back by a limited selection of playable classes and a gameplay loop that many players found derivative despite its intention to innovate.

Although credit must be given to its wide selection of weapons, maps, and modes, they were ultimately let down by its gameplay, which was hamstrung by the presence of only three playable classes with fixed functionalities. That’s especially saddening when one considers how many people worked on it as opposed to the original game.

Atomfall: Wicked Isle DLC

Although Wicked Isle did bring meaningful additions to Atomfall’s main story, they weren’t enough to make up for its lack of new enemy types and glaring omissions that made its runtime more tedious than it should have been.

That’s especially egregious considering how the main game always found a way to keep us on our toes, and the DLC’s new weapons, skills, and characters could not justify its lack of enough content to justify its price tag. Wicked Isle is another presence on this list that could have been so much more but ultimately failed to live up to the expectations it generated.

Still Wakes the Deep: Siren’s Rest

While getting to dive back into the main game’s story and learning more about the tragic events that brought about the Beira D’s destruction was certainly exciting, Mhairi’s search for its data logger was a disappointment thanks to its shorter runtime and technical issues that actively made it far less appealing than the main game.

Although it did bring a fairly interesting narrative to the table, it was not enough to deserve the same praise that the main game earned, mostly in part due to The Chinese Room’s attempts to address the linear nature of the main game only to get caught up in pathing and other technical issues that were obstacles to obtaining the full experience on offer in the DLC.

That’s a paradox many studios would rather avoid. 

Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves

After 26 years of silence, Fatal Fury fans were all “REV”ved up to receive a new title in the popular  SNK franchise. Bringing innovative new mechanics and excellent visuals to the table, it’s quite surprising that KOF Studios failed to do more with a franchise that had many gamers very excited about returning to the 2D fighting experience it offered.

That was unfortunately the extent of its traction, as an uninspired RPG mode and a distinct lack of heavy hitters on its playable roster brought disappointment to its fans despite the presence of excellent fighting systems that would challenge newcomers and veterans alike.

FBC Firebreak

A co-op multiplayer shooter set in the world of Control had us immediately invested in what we assumed would be another banger from Remedy Entertainment. However, FBC Firebreak failed to live up to that hype with a gameplay loop that quickly became repetitive while its inspirations were largely relegated to the background with a few notable exceptions.

A limited selection of weapons and little to no variety in locations and enemy types marred a gameplay loop that was frantic and action-packed until it revealed a slew of unlockables that required way too much grinding for the average player.

All is not lost, however, as Remedy could bring changes that puts this exciting yet flawed shooter back on track.

MindsEye

Oh, MindsEye. We really wish Build a Rocket Boy could have made this game live up to the high expectations that we and the rest of the gaming world had for it. We once expected it to be the perfect title to ease our sorrow at the delay of GTA 6. On paper, MindsEye has everything a modern hit should bring to the table. An interesting narrative backed up by a gorgeous open-world that blurs the line between man, machine, and AI.

But Redrock’s empty streets and non-responsive NPCs worked in tandem with its uninspired mission design, lackluster story and buggy execution to rob us of what could have been one of this year’s finest titles. We wish we could say this was a bittersweet experience but we have to lean more towards the former than the latter.

Were there any games that you believe failed to live up to your expectations? We’d love to hear about them in the comments!

The game is out now. What are your thoughts on player impressions so far?

It’s been quite positive from the people who have played it! We are seeing a lot of players enjoying how much variety there is with arena, Splitgate: Battle Royale and The Lab, and of course we are seeing a lot of love for the gunplay and movement, which are our bread and butter.

Are there any specific areas where you are listening to player feedback and are looking to improve?

Honestly everything. Community feedback is what drives us and helps us make the game better! And we read everything. I guess if there’s one area I am looking specifically for feedback on though, it’s the battle royale, just because that’s newer so we haven’t had as much time to iterate on it and learn from our players over the years.

"Community feedback is what drives us and helps us make the game better!"

While Splitgate 2 obviously has some big features differentiating it from its predecessor, what are some of the smaller things that do so that might not be too obvious?

One thing I think players might not notice unless they go back to Splitgate 1 and compare is we now have client side portals! This means when you spawn your portal in Splitgate 2, it spawns instantly instead of being dependent on your ping. It honestly makes a huge difference and makes portalling feel so much better!

What are the plans for Splitgate 2 in terms of post-launch content?

It really depends on community feedback. We are structured in a way where we can address community feedback and requests quickly while also having a lot of content planned ahead like maps, modes, and weapons. Also, a few more big surprises too of course 🙂

Some players think that the pacing in battle royale is a tad chaotic. Are you addressing that?

Our intention has always been to be fast. We want it to be more of an arena shooter BR hybrid. But we have also seen some frustration about seeing enemies through walls every time you kill an enemy, so we are considering removing that feature in favor of only showing enemies on radar when you kill someone. We think that will tone down the chaos while preserving the speed.

"Our intention has always been to be fast. We want it to be more of an arena shooter BR hybrid."

Will the battle royale mode get more maps down the line?

Of course! The nice thing about having multiple worlds connected through massive portals is that it allows us to swap out worlds as we go.

Are there any plans to introduce new classes down the road?

Probably not, but it depends on what the community wants. We have built the game with 3 classes in mind, but I do have some cool ideas for more factions. But I think the game is probably better having just three.

Will we see The Lab getting expanded with more options?

Of course! We have built our team to support every part of the game. So this means we have devs who are dedicated to The Lab, in addition to devs focused on Arena and the Battle Royale. The Lab is hugely important to us and we plan to keep adding to it and iterating on it, just as we will with everything in the game. This includes new features, as well as just more content.

How much does having larger maps than Splitgate affect the balance in terms of weapon choice and the efficacy of portals in Splitgate 2?

Not much. We have built the maps to work with our gunplay and our sandbox, not the other way around. It’s definitely a tricky but fun design challenge making large maps work with portals and hitscan weapons though! It’s a big reason our battle royale map is actually 5 medium sized maps connected through portals, instead of just 1 large island.

"We have built the maps to work with our gunplay and our sandbox, not the other way around."

What resolution and fps does the game run on PS5 Pro, PS5, Xbox Series S and X?

They each can run up to 4k or up to 120fps. Xbox Series S is 1080p scaled up to 1440p.

When it comes to the console versions, will there be enhancements exclusive to the PS5 Pro?

It’s something I would like to take more advantage of in the future. For now the big advantage is just having higher quality graphics, resolution, and framerate.

“We’re still perfecting the Splitgate 2 gameplay experience in response to community feedback, and we are redirecting resources to build the best game for our players. We are sad to see our teammates go, and we are actively working to help them secure new opportunities.”

Studio co-founders Ian Proulx and Nicholas Bagamian will also not be taking salaries as “we lock in to deliver the next phase of the project.” Splitgate 2 launched on June 6th at the Summer Game Fest showcase alongside Splitgate: Battle Royale, the “major” surprise that the studio extensively hyped up.

However, problems for the free-to-play competitive shooter began before that. When its open beta went live, fans criticized the changes to portal use, the addition of Factions and abilities, and the absurd monetization (which included $80 bundles). The latter has been curtailed somewhat, but its rating on Steam is “Mixed”, with only 61 percent of the currently 16,410 user reviews recommending it.

Regardless of recent layoffs, 1047 Games is “continuing to work hard to deliver more things we know you’ll love. We are committed to building this game for the long haul.” Thus far, it’s confirmed the addition of new weapons, modes, maps, events and skins in the future.

Splitgate 2 is available for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, and PC. You can read our thoughts on the game (we gave it a seven out of ten) here.

First, it’s worth going over how Splitgate 2 has evolved (or devolved depending on preferences) its PvP portal formula. The simple arcade-style arena matches of the original have been overhauled with character classes. Teamwork and strategy take precedence here over quick reflexes. There’s still some compact arena matches outside the new battle royale mode, but you can tell the emphasis on wide expansive maps was prioritized.

In particular, the strategic use of portals has been relegated to the backburner from the first game, at least a bit. Because maps tend toward the larger more open style, there’s less intricate hallways and walls to stick portals to and more running around in the open. Splitgate 2 introduces a new slide to its movement helping accommodate the emphasis on large maps. To the game’s credit, running and sliding feels super smooth and crisp. The movement in general is about as tight and responsive as the first game. Guns feel just as satisfying to shoot while looking and sounding better than they did before thanks to the upgrade in engine tech. And I didn’t notice too many frame drops or glitches during my matches, which is rather impressive considering it just launched. The netcode is pretty solid so far too; I haven’t been getting randomly booted from matches or disconnected outside of the times my internet went to crap.

"Running and sliding feels super smooth and crisp."

Still, even if the game technically controls better than the first, I prefer the aesthetics of Splitgate 1 over the sequel. Along with the the less intricate level design, the arena maps in Splitgate 2 just feel like cut portions of the game’s large maps. There’s a good mix of indoor and outdoor areas, but they feel more sterile this time around, almost like they were cut from an ultra-colorful 3D printer, which is a bit of a shift from the cool Halo-inspired locations of the first game. The total lack of music during matches also contributes to that feeling of sterility. I didn’t feel bothered by a lack of match music in Halo, but again, those games have striking environmental design that makes up for it. Splitgate 2 could use some contextual musical stingers within key events – anything to add some ambience and excitement to the matches.

Helping to make up for the underwhelming maps is a remastered version of the fan favorite Stadium from the original game and the return of The Lab, which has been the flexible map creator since the first Splitgate. So even if you’re not having fun with the ‘official’ maps, there’s probably something zany and fun to find within the user-generated maps. I haven’t delved too deep into The Lab myself, but it’s very apparent that it’s not a drastic overhaul from the first game’s map creator. There’s a few new biomes and a snap-to-surface feature, but not many major additions yet. Still, the updated Unreal Engine 5 graphics enable users to create some beautiful maps, and the tools from the original are all here to allow for some crazy and fun creations.

One of the most notable things about The Lab is the ability to create custom modes and deeply customized match types. Players have made everything from collectathons to portal races and the possibilities will only increase as Splitgate 2 gets updated over the years. That brings me to the modes within Splitgate 2, well, aside from user-generated ones anyway. Arena Quickplay is your standard map sized team mode, while Onslaught introduces larger maps accommodating 24 players. Takedown is one of the more interesting modes returning from the first game. It’s a twist on traditional deathmatch that speeds up or slows down team respawns depending on the frequency of team kills and deaths. Speaking of Deathmatch, variations of that classic mode return. It’s worth noting that many of the game’s modes are locked until you reach 50k experience, which takes about an hour or so of online matches depending on skill level.

That brings me to the progression and customization. Splitgate 2 introduces Factions, which are basically classes that have distinct abilities and roles, a first for the series. There are three Factions. Aeros is a quick-footed portal expert who functions as a jack of all trades. Meridian is the support class who can see through walls using their active ability. And Sabrask fulfills the tanky offensive class that gets up close and personal with a Smart Wall ability to temporarily sheild attacks. You level up each of these Factions independently and unlock various weapons and skins for them through experience gain. Every class has a loadout consisting of a heavy weapon with two attachment slots (which range from scopes to accuracy boosts), a light weapon with one attachment, an equipment slot (think grenades and mines), and two perks. New loadout options get unlocked as you gain experience with the class.

In gameplay terms, the three classes are balanced rather well, accommodating team-based play wonderfully with their distinct active and passive abilities and stats. While I am partial to the Sabrask tank class, I didn’t feel that any of them were particularly overpowered or underwhelming.

"Splitgate 2 introduces Factions, which are basically classes that have distinct abilities and roles, a first for the series."

Splitgate 2 has the typical battle pass template we’ve seen dozens of times from other live service games. Purchasing a season (or chapter as it’s called here) of the battle pass grants access to a suite of Faction skins, weapon skins, taunts, banners, and you guessed it, actual weapons and equipment. Season 1 features a legendary grade burst rifle for your Aeros character, and all for the low price of just 500 Splitcoins! That’s $4.99 to you and me. While the usable weapons don’t clog the battle pass compared to similar games, there are a couple featured in each season. You can unlock these weapons, minus the unique skins, through normal progression, but can fast-track them through battle pass.

But let’s talk about the big addition to this game: battle royale. Matches begin by randomly queuing players into 15 four-player teams. That’s right, there’s no team options whatsoever, and even better, the player who decides where to drop the party is chosen by what amounts to a coin toss. I’ve had instances where the leader chose to drop out of bounds, leading to a full squad death. It’s also common to be grouped with new players who ignore the shrinking circle. I can’t blame them though, considering how quick the zones collapse.

Matches typically take around 10 minutes, which is rather short for a battle royale. It just doesn’t lend enough time to get familiar with a hideout and set up strategic perimeters. It’s a shame zones boot you out so soon because the loot distribution is well balanced, with boxes full of weapons and equipment in the heart of bases encouraging perimeter defense around such areas. With matches progressing at such a rapid pace, strategy greatly suffers and things get sloppy quick. You just don’t have enough time to strategize around a base before the zone collapses.

Moving from one zone to another is also something of a pain due to the meta greatly favoring snipers. Since zones are so spread out, snipers have a great long-range advantage. There’s only so much a close-range build can do when they’re forced out of their base and into the open-air environment by the encroaching ring. Abilities help this disadvantage a bit, but not enough. For example, the tanky Sabrask has a deployable shield ability which can stop sniper shots for a limited time. But that actively works against the collapsing circle since you need to be constantly on the move. The way BR mode is paced at the moment heavily favors long-range play, which just isn’t balanced well in terms of the meta.

"The large environments limit how you use portals since there’s less interior space and more open air locations."

Another disappointment players are likely to have is how the portal system is tweaked in battle royale. Unlike in other modes, you can’t just freely spam portals. Portal use has a limited charge, which can be upgraded as you acquire loot around the map. The large environments limit how you use portals since there’s less interior space and more open air locations, which I noted earlier as not liking as much. Portals are Splitgate’s unique defined feature, so limiting and nerfing their usage dilutes the game’s gimmick.  But there are some positives with the new mode. I like how quick respawning is. Teammates are compelled to stick close to each other due to the opportunity to revive fallen comrades, which helps keeps squads more helpful and attentive than they otherwise would be.

I can see Splitgate 2 improving on its launch pain points later down the line. Like the first game, its intriguing portal system adds a ton of strategy and a high skill ceiling, even if portals are slightly less pivotal this time around. The new class system injects fresh team-based synergy to the forefront, and the skills are pretty useful, though there’s so few of them at the moment. My least favorite mode is battle royale, which is a disappointment considering it’s the new big thing about the game. Hopefully, the pacing can be improved with updates down the line because all the ingredients are there to make this a dynamic and fun game. Splitgate 2 comes recommended if you’re into PvP arena shooters or enjoyed the first game, but it doesn’t stand above its competitors in notable ways.

This game was reviewed on the PlayStation 5.

The premise sees 15 teams of four players dropping onto the map and fighting for supremacy. You’ll start with a pistol and can obtain new weapons and armor from chests, airdrops or upon slaying enemy players. Alternatively, there are Credits to purchase Power Weapons and upgrades (including buffs to armor and your Portal Gun). The twist is that the map, Split Worlds, is comprised of five biomes accessed by World Portals, including a volcano, desert, and, of all things, floating asteroids.

Random events can also occur, including one that disables all portals. You can revive fallen allies, but if the team is wiped, it’s game over. Time will tell how Splitgate: Battle Royale resonates with players, especially in a market dominated by Fortnite, Apex Legends, and more. Stay tuned for more updates, and check out the roadmap for Splitgate 2 here.

But that’s not all. A “major surprise” was promised for this Summer and will be revealed at the Summer Game Fest showcase. Nothing is known about it, but 1047 Games told Game Informer that this is the “biggest part” of the free-to-play shooter. Perhaps it has something to do with the uncharacteristic launch trailer.

We’ll have to wait and find out. Splitgate 2’s beta offers nine maps, three modes, a battle pass for earning cosmetics, a new Power Weapon, and The Lab, which players can use to create custom maps. Based on its roadmap, Version 1.0 marks the arrival of new modes, in-game events, another new Power Weapon, and map creator competitions this Summer.

It also marks the beginning of monthly map releases, including reskins and changes (which have yet to be outlined). The future promises even more skins, weapons, maps, modes, and events, so stay tuned.