In 2021, the original Splitgate became an overnight success when word spread about its beta. It blended the best elements of arena shooters with the mind-bending mechanics of Portal to become one of the best FPS games on PS5. Instead of simply running and shooting around a map, all players had the ability to create portals to flank and create new sightlines through. This opened up a ton of possibilities, and yet the game was almost immediately abandoned after reaching 1.0. Now, developer 1047 Games is back with an upcoming video game sequel. Competition is tough in terms of upcoming PC games, from Civilization VII to Monster Hunter Wilds, so let’s see if this genre-blending FPS has what it takes to compete.
Splitgate 2 will be a cross-platform game, so you can also see it on our lists of upcoming PS5 games and upcoming Xbox Series X games, but sadly not on our upcoming Switch games list.
Release date window
Splitgate 2 only has a rough release window of 2025. There’s no way to tell right now when next year it will come, but it would be safer to assume in the second half.
Platforms
Splitgate 2 will be available for most platforms when it is released. This includes PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. It will also be free-to-play so everyone is welcome to jump in and give it a shot.
Trailers
The announcement trailer for Splitgate 2 is purely cinematic but does show off a few concepts we can expect in the full game. While there is a hint of personality in the characters shown in the trailer, it is only a few small quips.
Unlike the first game, we do know that Splitgate 2 will have a single-player narrative mode, but nothing beyond its existence. The only hint CEO Ian Proulx gives during an IGN interview is that, “We’re not killing each other to save humanity or to defeat evil. It’s a sport. And so that reflects itself in the lore, in the art style. You saw a very small smidge of that in Splitgate, because that was always my original vision is I wanted it to be a sport.”
There was a quick trailer for Splitgate 2 at The Game Awards 2024 that was essentially a montage of cool moments from various matches. Sadly, nothing else about the single-player mode was shown.
Gameplay
When people say Splitgate was a mashup of Halo and Portal, they weren’t wrong. Splitgate 2 looks to recapture that special feel of tight arena-shooter mechanics with the added wrinkle of needing to place and watch out for portals. In that same IGN interview Proulx said, “Splitgate was much more of an arena shooter, fast-paced, very circular motion. With this next game, it’s much more of a class-based shooter or arcade shooter where it’s still fast-paced. It’s still about shooting people and portaling, but it’s a little bit more thoughtful, it’s a little bit more strategic. The angles are a little bit more intentional and less chaotic.”
Those classes will include the Aeros, Meridian, and Sabrask. Aeros is billed as the “hit-and-run” character who is fast, deadly, but a bit weaker than the others. They have an ability called rush which boosts movement and reload speed. Meridian is a unique class for the series that focuses on healing by throwing AoE healing items. They can also use an ability to see enemy positions through the environment and toss down a time dome that increases their own and teammates’ speed while inside. On the flip side, you can use it offensively because enemy players in that dome are slowed. Finally, Sabrask is a defender. They can deploy temporary barriers that block enemy shots but allow you to shoot through.
The trailer also shows off some new tools, such as a deployable portal, explosive disk, and some form of stasis trap. These are likely tied to each of the factions based on the footage.
In addition to the standard 4v4 deathmatch game types returning from the first game, Splitgate 2 will also bring in objective game modes. None were specifically mentioned, but would no doubt need to be carefully considered with how the portal mechanic could affect balance.
A few weapons we’ve seen include pistols, rifles, railguns, snipers, SMGs, and even rocket launchers. Mobility in general looks far more refined in the sequel. Players can run, slide, vault, and jetpack through the air (or portals) with ease.
The glimpses of maps all look unique and varied but contained enough that you never seem to be more than a few seconds from your next encounter.
Preorder
There’s no preorder information for Splitgate 2 as of this writing. However, since it will be free-to-play, the only preorders we expect would be for cosmetic items and things of that nature. You can wishlist the game on Steam, Xbox, or PSN.
