I’ll admit it: marketing stunts rarely shock me anymore. But when 1047 Games CEO Ian Proulx bounded onto the Summer Game Fest stage wearing a red “Make FPS Great Again” cap to reveal Splitgate 2, even this seasoned shooter reporter did a double take. Not because the game looked underwhelming—it didn’t—but because that half-baked meme callback and political echo distracted from what should have been a showcase of portal-infused gunfights. In trying to lampoon a stale FPS scene, 1047 Games accidentally lit a fire under it—in the worst way.
The original Splitgate won hearts in 2019 by fusing the frantic, arena-style gunplay of Halo with Portal’s wormhole shortcuts. It felt fresh, honest and unburdened by paid loot boxes or day-one battle passes. Expectations for the sequel were high: a 2025 release on PC (with consoles likely to follow), built by the indie studio 1047 Games and its publisher. That’s why when Proulx uttered those loaded six words on live TV, the internet blew up. Critics blasted the stunt as tone-deaf; long-time fans accused the team of pandering to clickbait culture. The kerfuffle overshadowed the game’s meat: tighter netcode, revamped map editor and a full-fledged battle royale mode.
Under the controversy lies a genuinely ambitious shooter waiting to be judged on its merits. Splitgate 2 retains the signature portal gun, but with two key evolutions: customizable portal properties (one-way links, timed gates) and an advanced physics engine that rewards creative ricochets. Developers promise “over 20 distinct weapon archetypes,” each balanced for ricochet shots and vertical ambushes. Community manager Sofia Reyes told us, “We wanted players to feel limitless—portal pathways open new strategies every match.” These changes, along with a fully fledged ranked ladder and crossplay support, could redefine how we think about arena shooters in 2025.
On Reddit, the r/Splitgate subreddit exploded within minutes. User “PortalPatrol” wrote: “Sure, the hat was cringey, but I can’t wait to test the new portal shapes.” Meanwhile, on Twitter, veteran FPS analyst Jade “CriticalAim” Montgomery observed, “1047 Games shot itself in the foot by mixing politics and memes—marketing should spotlight gameplay first.” Esports strategist Andre Liu chipped in via LinkedIn: “The fundamentals are solid, but trust is fragile. One botched reveal can slow adoption curves significantly.” Taken together, these voices underscore a single truth: FPS fans crave authenticity and innovation, not contrived theatrics.
History offers both cautionary tales and triumphant wins. Recall Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II, where epic in-engine teasers and early demos generated record-breaking pre-orders—proof that showcasing polished gameplay trumps gimmicks. Conversely, Overwatch 2’s surprise PvE reveal last year, followed by sparse details, left fans feeling ghosted and contributed to its sluggish launch. Then there’s Halo Infinite: Microsoft aggressively teased new arenas and Spartan abilities before delivering a robust beta, turning an initial lukewarm reception into sustained success. These precedents highlight one principle: build hype on substance, not soundbites.
The current shooter landscape in 2025 is awash with cloned battle passes and incremental DLC. AAA giants push seasonal content in a quest for predictable revenue, while indies struggle to stand out. Splitgate 2 had the perfect entry point—younger studio meets beloved portal mechanics—yet it stumbled by leaning too heavily on sterile meme culture. As game designer Marcus Lee explains, “Portals are a disruptive mechanic. You create a space where players continually surprise each other. That’s innovation. Marketing should pivot off that.” In other words, Proulx’s hat quote threatened to paint Splitgate 2 as another cash-grab sequel, rather than a fresh canvas for skill-based play.
Numbers never lie. The original Splitgate peaked at a robust 67,724 concurrent PC players on Steam. By contrast, Splitgate 2 launched with under 30,000—less than half the audience. Sure, it’s early days, but first impressions shape streaming coverage, partner deals and word-of-mouth reach. On Twitch, viewer counts for Splitgate 2 have hovered around 5,000, while breakout rivals like Apex Legends hold steady above 20,000. If 1047 Games can’t recover the initial momentum disrupted by the hat controversy, they risk relegating their sequel to an “also ran” slot in the crowded FPS roster of 2025.
In a follow-up blog post, 1047 Games admitted the misstep: “We aimed to spotlight our frustration with formulaic shooters, not sow division. We regret distracting our community and promise to let gameplay speak louder.” Proulx personally told Polygon, “That hat was a dumb prop. We’re doubling down on content updates, balancing, and real talks with players.” The candid mea culpa is a step forward, but as marketing professor Dr. Helena Cho notes, “An apology can reset the conversation, but it can’t substitute for the substance audience originally came for.”
Beyond Splitgate 2’s fate, this misadventure sends ripples through the entire FPS ecosystem. Indie studios watching this saga know that bold mechanics—like portals, grappling hooks or destructible environments—offer a clearer value proposition than ironic slogans. Bigger publishers might rethink political or meme-based hooks and refocus marketing budgets toward playable betas or influencer-driven deep dives. Ultimately, the next frontier in shooters will blend novelty and authenticity. Gamers vote with their controllers; if they crave meaningful evolution, studios best serve it first.
In the end, Splitgate 2’s “Make FPS Great Again” hat will be remembered more for the PR backfire than for any portal prowess. Yet the underlying game still has promise. If 1047 Games rediscovers its original magic—prioritizing creative maps, balanced weapons and community-driven modes—the sequel could still blaze new trails in a genre starved of fresh ideas. And that, more than any meme, is the true way to make FPS great again.
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