Splitgate 2 CEO Apologizes For Summer Game Fest Controversy

Summary

Splitgate 2 CEO apologized for controversial Summer Game Fest presentation.
Fans criticized the game, its microtransactions, and presentation at SGF.
Despite negative feedback, Splitgate 2 has drawn plenty of players.

Splitgate 2 CEO Ian Proulx has issued an apology for his controversial Summer Game Fest presentation. When Proulx announced the game's full release and a surprise battle royale mode at this year's SGF, he stirred up quite a reaction, but likely not the one 1047 Games was hoping for. Now, after significant criticism from fans, the Splitgate 2 chief has clarified the reasoning behind the controversy and apologized for how it came across.

Fans had several issues with the game's SGF presentation, both with the way Proulx presented the game and with how Splitgate 2 delivered on the announcement's promises. Proulx wore a hat with the slogan "Make FPS Great Again" and dissed Call of Duty's annual releases, rubbing many the wrong way, especially when they discovered $140-plus microtransactions in the game. The next day, Splitgate 2 Steam reviews plummeted, with negative feedback outnumbering the positives for the first time since the title's open beta began.

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By Nathan Round

In response to the backlash, Proulx posted a video on the official Splitgate 2 Twitter account apologizing for the presentation, specifically for his hat and its political associations. According to Proulx, the team did not intend to make any sort of political statement but rather wanted to cause a bit of a stir to draw attention to the game. He emphasized how hard it is for a smaller studio to "break through the noise" at big industry events, and the 2025 Summer Game Fest did have several major reveals, so he felt the need to do something flashy to help stand out. Still, the response to the hat, especially in light of how many thought Splitgate 2 did not, in fact, "make FPS great again," was not what 1047 Games wanted to incite.

Splitgate 2 CEO Says His Controversial Summer Game Fest Hat Was Not Meant to Be Political

Proulx does admit that he knew the cap would cause some amount of controversy, but he reiterated that the team "saw it as a meme" more than a political statement. He went on to say the resulting discord in the community was far greater than 1047 Games expected or intended and that he was sorry for causing such a negative impact. Of course, the hat was not the only issue people had with the game following Summer Game Fest, but Splitgate 2 also recently slashed its microtransaction prices in response to that part of the controversy.

Despite the unintended political implications, Proulx reaffirmed that the idea behind the phrase "Make FPS Great Again" does reflect the studio's intent. In the video, he explained that 1047 Games thinks the FPS genre is in a less-than-ideal state and hopes Splitgate 2 can improve things. While it has struggled to make a great early impression in some circles, it does seem to have impressed some fans. According to another tweet, Splitgate 2's player count has more than tripled since its open beta, largely thanks to console users.

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