I had the opportunity to play the Splitgate 2 alpha ahead of the release, thanks to 1047 Games. Before the session took place, I sat down with the studio’s CEO to talk about the development – and more importantly, the future – of this innovative first-person shooter.
Given my passion for the industry, I was eager to learn whether esports plans sat in the pipeline for Splitgate 2. My discussion with Ian Proulx, also one of the studio’s founders, revealed exciting things about the competitive future of Splitgate 2.
The Future is Competitive
Splitgate 2 is a phenomenal shooter with stacks of potential. When I got hands-on with the title a month before it entered the current alpha playtest, I was instantly hooked. The fast-paced gameplay twinned with genuinely enjoyable weapon mechanics had me by the throat – in a good way. I was enthused by what I experienced.
In a brief conversation with Ian Proulx, I dove into the competitive landscape for Splitgate 2, learning about the potential for this game to slot nicely into the esports landscape.
I would say it’s not a priority for launch, but I definitely see this game being an esport one day.
We like games that are fair, and that falls under the ‘fun category’ for me. We also like the fact that the game has a lot of skill expression, which nautrally lends itself to esports.
Splitgate 2 uses genius ‘portal mechanics’ that allow players to warp around the battlefield like never before. It adds a unique element to the pacing, which is otherwise built around a typical run-and-gun operating model.
Proulx continued:
For us, the top priority is, ‘Let’s just go and make a fun shooter.’
If we do that and it turns into an esport, that’s great – but if it’s just a casual thing, that’s great too.
That said, I would love for this to be an esport one day. It’s a post-launch thing and not something I want to force or prioritise, though.
It’s typically quite tough for new games to elbow their way into the esports market. It has been dominated for so long by The Big Three: Counter-Strike, League of Legends, and Dota 2. Other titles have cut their way into the wider business, but it’s tough.
In recent years, the most successful new game was VALORANT, but that’s backed by Riot Games, so the foothold was already there. For a new IP to break into the market successfully, a perfect storm of positive circumstances must unfold.
Are you eager to see if Splitgate 2 generates a solid esports following? Let us know on the Insider Gaming forum.
For more Insider Gaming coverage, check out the news that Activision has confirmed using gen-AI to produce COD assets
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