1047 Games aren't resting on their laurels. The team successfully relaunched Splitgate: Arena Reloaded, and now they're moving into the arcade shooter space. EMPULSE takes on twitchy movement and satisfying gunplay, and the inaugural trailer looks hype. Check it out below, alongside their explanation for the game. A full gameplay reveal will occur at the PC Gaming Show on Sunday, June 7 beginning at 12:00pm PT.
Two weeks ago we officially announced EMPULSE, and today we dropped our cinematic trailer. If you have not seen it yet, you can check it out below. We wanted to take some time to walk through what EMPULSE actually is, why we are making it, how the core systems come together, and what we are trying to do with the community around it. There is a lot to cover, so let's get into it.
A 6v6 Movement Shooter Launching in Early Access
EMPULSE is a fast-paced 6v6 movement shooter set in the post-utopian streets of Freehold, where wall-running, grappling, Holojumps, and P.A.I.N.T. Bombs form the foundation of every fight, and where player-controllable mechs become the most contested objective.
The bigger question is why this game, and why now.
Our dream has always been to be a multi-game studio, and this is the kind of game we love making: a fast, arcade-style FPS gameplay that rewards player expression and skill. That is the type of gameplay we love and EMPULSE is the purest version of that idea we have built so far. We have a lot of Titanfall fans on this team, and we have heard a lot of the same from our community over the years. More movement. More verticality. More ways to express yourself in a fight. EMPULSE is our answer to that.
Movement Is Freedom
Movement is the heart of EMPULSE. Every system in the game is built to keep you moving, and encourages chaining together movement mechanics to reach a true flowstate.
Here is what is in the toolkit:
- Wall-running: forward and backward. Run along walls to flank, escape, or hit an angle no one is expecting.
- Grapple Hook: used as a swing and to close gaps. Latch on, build speed, and launch yourself into the next play. Grapple around a corner or onto an enemy to swing in for the kill.
- Holojumps: not just a jump pad. We did not want a typical man cannon that just throws you across the map. We wanted something to feel closer to a snowboard jump, where you maintain momentum and chain it into your next move instead of being a passenger for the ride.
- P.A.I.N.T. Bombs (Plasma Activated Infusion of Nano-Tech): Toss one onto a surface and that surface starts behaving differently. Speed boosts, jump boosts, new lines that did not exist a second ago. Use them on yourself, use them to open up the map, or use them to set up a teammate or take down an enemy.
The important part is that none of these systems live on their own. They are designed to combine. Wall-run into a grapple swing, drop a P.A.I.N.T. Bomb on the wall ahead of you, boost off it into a Holojump, and land already lined up for your next shot. When all of these systems are firing together, EMPULSE drops you into a flowstate that feels totally unique to this game.
The city district of Freehold itself is built around this mantra of Movement is Freedom. Every playable map has the surfaces, sightlines, verticality, and routes to let you string movement together a hundred different ways. There is no single correct path through a fight. The map is the playground.
Claim the Mech. Own the Fight.
Mechs are a true power spike in EMPULSE, and they change the energy of a match the second they arrive. Instead of being something every player calls in throughout each game, Mechs spawn on the map as the most powerful objectives in the match, and your Crew has to fight for control of them.
Think of it like fighting over the rocket launcher in classic Halo, except this rocket launcher walks, has unique abilities, and a massive health pool.
A mech in the right hands can take over a round. But focus on bringing one down as a Crew and you can swing momentum right back. Some of the best moments we have had in playtests so far are as a squad rallying together to take a mech down, then immediately turning that kill into a push that decides the match. That push and pull over who controls the mech(s) is one of the things we are most excited for you to experience.
We will have a lot more to share about mechs, their abilities, and how they fit into match flow in the coming weeks.
Built With Our Community, in Early Access
EMPULSE is launching in early access as we want the community to be at the center of how this game grows. We will be shipping updates quickly (and sometimes in early development states) to see what's working and what's not.
As part of building EMPULSE with all of you, expect us to be active on socials, especially on the EMPULSE subreddit and Discord server. We're excited to share what we're working on with you, and see how the game will evolve over time together. Expect us to move quickly, especially on the things most important to our community, including movement feel, map flow, weapons, art style, mech balance, and more.
We don’t need to sell a million copies on day one. We are prioritizing putting out a really, really fun game in front of players who want a game like this, and then shaping it alongside them. EMPULSE will be a better game because we are building it alongside you. Early access is just our starting line.
Looking Ahead, Gameplay Reveal Soonâ„¢
Today's trailer is just the first look at EMPULSE. Tune into the PC Gaming Show on June 7 beginning at 12:00pm PT for the first look at EMPULSE gameplay. Also if you missed it, check out the recent AMA our team did.
Over the next few weeks we are going to break down each of the systems in more detail, show more of Freehold, walk through mech specifics, talk about modes, maps, progression, lore, and lay out exactly what early access is going to look like when it arrives.
Wishlist EMPULSE on PlayStation, Xbox, and Steam and follow us on YouTube, Instagram, Discord, TikTok, and Reddit so you do not miss anything.We can’t wait to show you more!
See you in Freehold.
Stay tuned to GamingTrend for more EMPULSE news and info!
