Developer 1047 Games has revealed that Splitgate’s PlayStation player count increased after Halo Infinite’s November launch, potentially proving that both games may help each other, rather than compete for attention. Popular FPS game Splitgate has often been described as Halo meets Portal, with the analogy helping the game to find its footing with audiences during its 2019 launch.
Splitgate had a surprisingly successful 2021, surging in popularity after the game’s console launch in early summer. Statistics previously revealed by 1047 Games demonstrated that fact, with over 7 billion portals spawned, 108 billion shots fired, and 163 billion meters traveled through portals since the game’s launch. Following the game’s console release – having surpassed the CEO’s mild prediction of 2,000 concurrent players with a whopping 200,000 – 1047 Games secured a $100 million investment and Splitgate was evaluated at $1.5 billion. While this did delay the game’s escape from the early access beta phase, it has raised the bar for what 1047 Games has planned. With 15 million downloads in 2021 alone, Splitgate had a good year and may have an even better one in 2022.
As reported by The Loadout, Halo Infinite’s November launch didn’t hinder Splitgate’s rising popularity. Instead, Splitgate’s PlayStation player count increased. 1047 CEO Ian Proulx revealed he was “never worried” that rival games like Halo would “poach players from Splitgate and stomp it to the ground,” and instead believed that both games could help each in the long run, particularly against the “noise” of the ever-expanding battle royale market. To support his theory, Proulx stated that Splitgate’s player count on PlayStation consoles has actually gone up since Infinite’s multiplayer launched in November, though didn't state by how much. Proulx pointed out that it was all about getting new players exposure to the arena shooter genre as a whole.
Despite being a fairly new release, Splitgate has been compared to the longstanding Halo franchise in terms of quality and gameplay. While it does have many similarities, it seems Ian Proulx’s vision is to help the game find its unique place in the genre. Having once been satisfied with an indie game, Proulx has sights set on making Splitgate a AAA title. This process has already begun, with the launch of Splitgate’s debut season in August last year. Season 0 added a new Battle Pass system, enhanced the game’s Contamination mode, and introduced a number of quality-of-life features.
It’s certainly impressive that Splitgate did not suffer from Halo Infinite’s November launch, considering the critical and commercial praise for 343 and Microsoft’s free-to-play Halo. Perhaps Proulx’s theory is correct, and both games can help each other, garnering more attention for the arena shooter genre as a whole rather than poaching players to one side or the other. Player numbers might further increase in the future, as the 1047 Games has previously announced that Splitgate will have Forge before Halo Infinite.
Source: The Loadout