Splitgate: Arena Warfare Gets Major Update Ahead of Latest Playtest Weekend

It’s been a while since we talked about Splitgate: Arena Warfare. Last year when I spoke with Ian Proulx about the game at Dreamhack Austin, it was still under the working title of Wormhole Wars. Even then, the concept of mixing Portal-style level traversal with Halo-style gunplay and combat was an amazing idea to me, so when I saw 1047 Games at PAX South, I had to catch up to Ian and get a peek at how far the game has come since mid-2018. It did not disappoint.

More than just a name change, Splitgate has gone through an impressive level of evolution as Ian and his team at 1047 work tirelessly to iron out the creases and bring this unique idea to its apex. Various community playtests have taken place, feedback collected and implemented, and the game had a place on the stage of PAX Arena. It all culminated in a major update coming to the game that’s going to be playable in the community playtest starting on January 26, 2019. You can see the trailer for the update below.

Maybe the most standout feature was the overhauled maps. As Proulx took me through the update at PAX, he mentioned that Splitgate now has a new Art Director, Daniel Floyd, who instrumental in the various changed looks. Maybe the most eye-catching was Club Silo. What was once a missile silo map is now a glitzy and glamorous night club map packed with neon color to go with the frenetic portal-hopping combat. The other levels are nothing to sneeze at though. Helix went through maybe the most drastic change to become the heated map it is now (quite literally, it was once the cold opposite).

That quality of art aesthetic has extended to other parts of Splitgate as well. New character and weapon customization, modes, sound systems animations, and fresh weapons have come to the game since we last saw it. Animations in particular were built to give more style and life to characters, but some were also the direct result of fan feedback.

“We had a former Halo 3 pro who wished that subtle head movements existed in the game when strafing,” Proulx explained. “Head sway was something that served a purpose in Halo games for a lot of players, making a headshot a little bit more of a moving target for players that knew the mechanics of their movement and could make use of it to dodge enemy fire.”

And so head sway, among other movements, came to the game with a variety of directional body and leg movement when doing things like jumping and moving up inclines. In particular, where once character animation in the air was a bit stiff, Proulx showed me how when jumping, the character’s legs will now move towards the direction in which they’re landing. Not all of it serves a purpose like the head sway, but it most certainly gives more life to the characters that wasn’t quite there when I first laid eyes on the game. Just as important, 1047 has revamped the sound system in the game to give more directional feedback to players on where shots are coming from, as well as discerning enemy fire from that of allies.

Of course, we have to talk about the new guns a bit. New to me were the rail gun and plasma rifle, which I delighted to have a look at (as a Red Faction fan myself, rail guns are a personal favorite). Fans of the Spartan Laser in the Halo series will be familiar with the mechanics here. The rail gun charges up briefly before releasing a deadly straight shot. It essentially makes for a delayed sniper rifle, but the aesthetic of seeing the energy charge down the barrel of the gun before letting loose a murderous bolt is something that looks altogether satisfying. It’s definitely a gun that will be difficult to master, but rewarding to play proficiently.

Then there’s the plasma rifle, which works similar to that of the DOOM variety. It’s a rapid fire weapon, but the energy bullets fire just a bit slower than other projectiles, making it a good close range, but slight difficult medium to long range weapon. Ian described the philosophy behind it as somewhat similar to a submachine gun, but with a higher learning curve.

“The submachine gun and plasma rifle are both deadly at close range,” Proulx went on to say. “But where the submachine gun is kind of a spray-and-pray weapon, the plasma rifle has a bit more opportunity to be deadly beyond close quarters if you properly lead your shots. I feel like skilled players are going to enjoy making the most out of this gun.”

All of this fresh content leads up to a playtest weekend. Players are going to be able to jump in and try out all of the fresh goods Ian Proulx and his team at 1047 have packed into this game pretty soon. The latest of these tests kicks off on Saturday, January 26, 2019 at 12PM PST and lasts until 11:59PM on Sunday, January 27, 2019. If you want to be involved, be sure to head to the Splitgate end of the 1047 Games website to sign up for a chance to be in the playtest! You can also get involved in the Splitgate Discord where keys are sometimes also sent out and an active community continues to discuss and improve the game.

Splitgate: Arena Warfare is fast becoming a thing of competitive beauty. Every time I lay eyes on it, I’m impressed by the opportunities it presents and the possibility of fun future competitions it promises. Mixing Halo firepower with Portal movement can’t be easy, but Proulx and his team continue to deliver. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: this is a first-person shooter every fan of the genre needs to keep their eyes on.

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