Today, 1047 Games revealed that Splitgate 2 is relaunching as Splitgate: Arena Reloaded on December 17, 2025. It will be available as a free-to-play game across PC, Xbox, and PlayStation.

This comes following the launch and "unlaunch" of Splitgate 2 earlier this year. Splitgate 2 released in June to middling reviews, controversy, and a rapid drop-off of players as criticism of the game grew. In response, 1047 "unlaunched" Splitgate 2, announcing in July it would temporarily wind down support for it while the team worked on a new version of the game with "big, sweeping changes."

We spoke to CEO Ian Proulx at the time. During our conversation, he explained that Splitgate 2 as it was at launch was "not a finished product yet," and that fans were clamoring for a game that was closer to Splitgate 1. At the time, he assured the team would be focused on updating the game in accordance with player feedback, including adding "basic features" like a leaderboard and better progression, more portal walls, and adjustments to game modes.

Proulx also said he wanted to make the season pass and monetization in general less confusing while keeping the game free-to-play. At the time, Proulx projected the update would take place in early 2026, so this December release is sooner than expected.

So what, then, is Splitgate: Arena Reloaded? According to a press release, it "reimagines everything from core combat to UI." Here's an overview provided by 1047 of the major updates:

• Removed Factions, Abilities, and select equipment to refocus on classic arena combat
• Rebuilt progression from the ground up and overhauled the Ranked system
• Introduced 5 new, and 6 fully-reworked maps, 3 new Primary Weapons and 1 new Power Weapon: the Railgun
• New Arena modes, playlist selection, and a true Classic Arena mode with even starts and powerups
• Reduced store prices, simplified the Battle Pass, and improved overall cosmetic quality

An accompanying video featuring former Rocket League game director and current 1047 design director Josh Watson also notes that Arena Reloaded includes the addition of player stats, leaderboards, and a career system.

We initially gave Splitgate 2 at launch a 7/10, calling it "a decent successor to the original that expands on it, but never really surpasses it."

Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. Got a story tip? Send it to rvalentine@ign.com.