Splitgate 2 CEO suspends salary as studio 1047 Games lays off developers

Splitgate 2 developer 1047 Games is hit with layoffs shortly after releasing their F2P shooter, and studio co-founders have suspended their pay amid the reductions.

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It looks like Splitgate 2 may not be having a successful launch, at least on PC. SteamDB numbers show Splitgate 2 had a peak of 25.7K on Steam, with about 10K players in the last 24 hours. Conversely, megaton shooters like Counter-Strike 2, PUBG, and Apex Legends accrue over 100,000 players each in a 24-hour period, and some reach over a million players each day.

Coupling this limited data with recent controversy mires things even further for Splitgate 2. The studio was recently criticized for launching the game with expensive microtransactions like an $80 skin bundle, and CEO Ian Proulx triggered backlash for a particular hat he wore this month at the Summer Games Fest.

Unfortunately, these circumstances have contributed to layoffs at 1047 Games.

Proulx, who serves as studio CEO and co-founder, has foregone pay while parts of his team are laid off. We've seen this before in gaming when Satoru Iwata notoriously took a pay cut when Nintendo reported an earnings loss from the 3DS in 2011.

1047 Games co-founder Nicholas Bagamian also suspended his salary as development of Splitgate 2 continues.

Here's the update from 1047 Games' LinkedIn page:

"Today we parted ways with a small group of valued 1047 Games team members. We're still perfecting the Splitgate 2 gameplay experience in response to community feedback, and we are redirecting resources to build the best game for our players.

":We are sad to see our teammates go, and we are actively working to help them secure new opportunities. Further, our co-founders Ian Proulx and Nicholas Bagamian have opted not to take salaries as we lock in to deliver the next phase of the project. Thank you to those who've built alongside us-we are sad to say goodbye and would not be here without you.

"To everyone who's playing Splitgate 2, we're continuing to work hard to deliver more things we know you'll love. We are committed to building this game for the long haul."