Table of Contents
When a studio has to explain why you shouldn’t trust the numbers, the numbers usually aren’t good.
Splitgate: Arena Reloaded launched in mid-December 2025 with hopes of reviving a franchise that once attracted over 10 million players and $100 million in funding. Instead, the “reloaded” version peaked at just under 2,300 concurrent players on Steam and hasn’t broken 1,000 since Christmas. As of this writing, fewer than 800 people are playing on Valve’s platform.
Developer 1047 Games responded to concerns about these figures with a statement arguing that Steam Charts “don’t measure fun” and don’t represent the complete picture of their game’s health. It’s a fair technical point wrapped in what sounds an awful lot like cope.
The statement and what it really means
The full response from 1047 Games reads like a company trying to change the conversation rather than address the underlying problem.
“Steam Charts don’t measure fun,” the statement begins. “They show one number, on one platform, at one given moment. They don’t show the full picture or what it feels like to actually play, and they definitely don’t capture the community that’s actively helping shape what Arena Reloaded is becoming.”
Every word of this is technically accurate. Steam numbers represent only Steam players. PlayStation, Xbox, and Epic Games Store populations remain hidden behind closed data. The experience of actually playing a game matters more than any chart. Community engagement shapes development direction.
But technical accuracy doesn’t make the statement reassuring. When concurrent player counts drop 65% from an already modest launch peak within two weeks, “the vibes are good actually” doesn’t inspire confidence.
Splitgate franchise player count history:
| Version | Peak Concurrent Players | Timeline |
|---|---|---|
| Original Splitgate | 67,724 | August 2021 |
| Splitgate 2 | 25,785 | June 2025 (Battle Royale launch) |
| Arena Reloaded | ~2,300 | December 2025 launch |
| Arena Reloaded | ~952 | Recent 24-hour peak |
The trajectory tells a story that no statement can reframe. Each iteration of Splitgate has attracted fewer players than the last, with Arena Reloaded representing the lowest point yet.
The turbulent road to arena reloaded
Understanding how we got here requires acknowledging just how dramatically Splitgate’s fortunes have swung over the past few years.
The original Splitgate debuted on PC in 2019 as a clever mashup of Halo-style arena shooting and Portal-inspired mechanics. It made a positive impression but didn’t catch fire until 2021, when an “un-release” into open beta ahead of console launch somehow triggered massive interest. Suddenly 10 million players wanted in, servers crashed under demand, and investors threw $100 million at the studio.
That lightning-in-a-bottle moment defined everything that followed. 1047 Games spent years chasing the high of that 2021 explosion, eventually announcing Splitgate 2 as “a revolutionary step forward for competitive shooters.”
Then things went sideways.
CEO Ian Proulx appeared at Summer Game Fest 2025 wearing a “Make FPS Great Again” cap, a choice that sparked controversy and overshadowed the studio’s battle royale announcement. An $80 store bundle drew complaints about aggressive monetization. Splitgate 2 launched to underwhelming numbers and quickly reverted to beta status. Layoffs followed. The founders stopped drawing salaries.
The December 2025 relaunch under the Arena Reloaded name was supposed to represent a fresh start. Instead, it arrived with a whimper that makes those earlier struggles look like minor setbacks by comparison.
Why the “other platforms” argument only goes so far
The developer’s point about Steam representing only one platform has merit. Console player counts remain private. Epic Games Store numbers stay hidden. Cross-platform games often see significant populations distributed across multiple storefronts.
However, several factors limit how much weight this argument can carry for Splitgate specifically.
Steam dominates PC gaming so thoroughly that its numbers function as reliable proxies for PC player interest overall. While Epic occasionally captures exclusive audiences through giveaways or store incentives, a game struggling on Steam is almost certainly struggling on Epic too.
Splitgate’s heritage as a PC-first shooter makes Steam performance particularly relevant. The game’s portal mechanics, precise aiming requirements, and arena shooter DNA feel designed for mouse-and-keyboard players. If any platform should show strong numbers, it’s Steam.
Console populations for niche shooters typically don’t dwarf PC populations to degrees that would transform this picture. Even generous assumptions about PlayStation and Xbox players wouldn’t change the fundamental reality that Arena Reloaded launched with fewer concurrent players than many indie games achieve.
The community response and upcoming content
Despite the numerical struggles, 1047 Games remains committed to developing Arena Reloaded further. The studio emphasized that it rebuilt Splitgate “from the ground up” because it believes in the game, the team, and the community.
Upcoming content includes Arena Royale, a battle royale mode that represents the studio’s latest attempt to capture broader audience interest. Battle royale modes have saved struggling shooters before. Fortnite’s pivot from its original tower defense concept created the most successful free-to-play game in history. Apex Legends proved battle royale could support tactical team-based gameplay.
Whether Arena Royale can similarly revitalize Splitgate remains uncertain. The previous battle royale launch in Splitgate 2 did spike player interest to that 25,785 peak, but retention clearly didn’t follow.
The studio is actively encouraging players to try the current version. “The gameplay’s the best it’s ever been, and we’d love for you to jump in and form your own opinion,” the statement concluded.
The brutal reality of the shooter market
Splitgate’s struggles reflect broader challenges facing any shooter trying to establish itself in an incredibly competitive market.
Players invest heavily in their chosen competitive games. They learn maps, develop muscle memory, build social connections with regular teammates, and accumulate cosmetic collections they don’t want to abandon. Switching to a new shooter means starting that investment from scratch.
Research consistently shows that while players sample new releases, they typically return to established favorites. Fortnite, Valorant, Apex Legends, Call of Duty, and Counter-Strike 2 command attention that leaves little room for newcomers. Even well-funded, well-marketed shooters from major publishers struggle to maintain populations.
A game needs either overwhelming quality differentiation, massive marketing spend, or some combination of luck and timing to break through. Splitgate’s portal mechanics provide genuine innovation, but that hasn’t proven sufficient to build sustainable populations.
What comes next
The path forward for Arena Reloaded appears narrow but not necessarily impossible.
Small but dedicated communities have sustained niche shooters for years. Games like Titanfall 2 and Hunt: Showdown maintained loyal followings despite never achieving mainstream breakout success. If 1047 Games can right-size its operations to match its actual player base, Arena Reloaded might survive as a beloved but modest title rather than the cultural phenomenon its 2021 moment suggested was possible.
The Arena Royale mode represents the studio’s next major opportunity to capture attention. Battle royale launches generate coverage and curiosity. If the mode delivers something genuinely fresh while maintaining Splitgate’s portal-based identity, it could attract players who bounced off previous versions.
But the window is closing. Each failed relaunch depletes community goodwill and media patience. Studios get limited chances to convince players that this time is different. Arena Reloaded already burned through significant credibility with its modest December showing.
The statement that Steam Charts don’t measure fun is philosophically true. The people playing Splitgate: Arena Reloaded right now might be having an absolute blast. The gameplay might genuinely be the best it’s ever been.
But Steam Charts do measure something important: how many people find a game worth their time in an era of infinite entertainment options. Fewer than a thousand concurrent players suggests that whatever fun exists in Arena Reloaded, not many people are discovering it.
Do you think a strong battle royale mode can save a struggling shooter in 2026, or has the market become too saturated for comeback stories?
