Splitgate Devs: “Steam Charts Don’t Measure Fun”
▼ Summary
– Splitgate: Arena Reloaded, a re-launch of Splitgate 2, launched in December 2025 with lower Steam player counts compared to its predecessors.
– Developer 1047 Games argues that Steam charts don’t measure the game’s fun, community, or full performance across all platforms.
– The game’s peak concurrent players on Steam were significantly lower than the record highs achieved by Splitgate 2 and the original Splitgate.
– The developer is promoting the game by stating the gameplay is the best ever and announcing a future battle royale mode called Arena Royale.
– The Splitgate franchise has faced recent challenges including controversy, microtransaction complaints, layoffs, and an unusual beta reversion period.
The team behind Splitgate has responded to discussions about the player count for its recent re-release, Splitgate: Arena Reloaded, emphasizing that Steam charts are not the ultimate measure of a game’s success or enjoyment. Developer 1047 Games pointed out that concurrent player numbers on a single platform provide a limited snapshot that fails to reflect the complete experience, the quality of gameplay, or the dedicated community actively participating in the game’s ongoing evolution.
The studio relaunched the title under its new name on December 17th, which saw an initial surge to roughly 2,300 simultaneous players on Steam. Recent figures show a peak of around 952 players within a 24-hour period. These numbers stand in contrast to the heights reached by its predecessors; Splitgate 2 attracted over 25,000 concurrent players following its battle royale update in June, while the original game set a record with nearly 68,000 peak players back in 2021.
1047 Games is actively inviting players to experience the refined mechanics for themselves, stating the core gameplay has never been better. They argue that forming a personal opinion by jumping into a match is more valuable than relying on publicly available statistics. The future roadmap includes the planned introduction of Arena Royale, a new battle royale mode designed to expand the game’s offerings.
It’s important to note that player data for console platforms like PlayStation and Xbox is not publicly accessible, leaving the full performance picture unclear. The gaming market is notoriously competitive, with players often sampling new releases but frequently returning to their established favorites, making any new entry a challenge.
The past year has presented significant hurdles for the Splitgate franchise. The studio faced public relations challenges, including controversy over a politically-tinged hat worn by a lead at a major industry event. Player feedback also cited concerns over microtransaction pricing. These issues were followed by internal restructuring, including staff layoffs and the founders forgoing their salaries. The development path for Splitgate 2 was unconventional, reverting to a beta phase in July before the official Arena Reloaded relaunch in December.
(Source: Gamespot)
