| Splitgate 2 | |||
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| Release Date | Gameplay & Story | Pre-Order & DLC | Review |
Splitgate 2 is a soon-to-be-fully-released team-based FPS and 1047 Games’ follow-up to the 2019 original. Read our review of its early access build to see what it did well, what it didn't do well, and if it's worth buying when it fully releases!
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Everything We Know About Splitgate 2
Splitgate 2 Story Plot
Unfortunately, the developers confirmed that Splitgate 2 does not have a single-player campaign. Nevertheless, the game’s lore appears to be expansive, with the game being set in a futuristic universe where players assume the role of elite combatants known as Aces, participating in the Sol Splitgate League—a prominent galactic arena competition. Here, three factions based on three planets vie for victory: Aeros from Earth, Meridian from Venus, and Sabrask from Mars.
While the developers did not want to reveal much about the lore of Splitgate 2, Ian Proulx did mention in an interview with GameRant that "in a lot of video games, characters die and respawn without any explanation. This concept is going to be explored in a future cinematic, but I can’t provide any details at the moment."
More lore about the game is available through digital comic books, accessible within the Splitgate 2 Companion app on mobile devices.
Splitgate 2 Gameplay
Similar to its predecessor, the central gameplay element in Splitgate 2 remains the use of portals, which players can create on any surface to traverse the map quickly and flank unsuspecting opponents. Building on the mechanics of the first game, players can now slide and mantle in Splitgate 2. Moreover, the portal system has been streamlined with an "auto triple portal" system, which simplifies opening and closing portals.
As a 4v4 arena-based shooter, the game prioritizes fast-paced combat within enclosed spaces. It features a diverse arsenal and dynamic maps designed to maximize the strategic use of portals. Gameplay modes include Deathmatch and Hotzone, with a future addition of Multi-Team-Mayhem, a large-scale mode where 24 players clash in all-out war across an expansive map.
Unlike the original, however, Splitgate 2 introduces a class-based system with three distinct factions: Aeros, Meridian, and Sabrask. Each faction offers different abilities and equipment that could influence playstyles and strategies.
Aeros caters to players who favor aggressive and agile combat. Meridian supports teammates with a focus on supportive playstyles. Finally, Sabrask excels in defensive tactics and controlling key areas of the map.
Splitgate 2 Release Date and Time
Fully Releases in 2025, Open Beta Now Available!
Splitgate 2 is slated for release sometime in 2025 across various platforms, including PC Steam, Epic Games), PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, and Xbox One.
An exact release date and time for the game’s full release have yet to be revealed, but the game’s free-to-play Open Beta period is currently underway, starting on May 22, 2025. We will update this article with the latest release information as soon as it becomes available, so stay tuned!
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Splitgate 2 Review [Open Beta]
CoD, Halo, and Portal's Unremarkable Lovechild
These days, calling a video game genre “oversaturated” feels like beating a very dead, very commercialized horse. Every new release that dares to be anything less than wildly original only reinforces the notion. With mass production as the norm and pop culture perpetually chewing through trends, creativity seems to have quietly slipped out the back door. Not entirely, of course—but when Splitgate 2 ends up sharing shelf space with the likes of Call of Duty, Portal, and Halo, it’s hard to shake the sense that we’re stuck in a loop, endlessly reusing what already works.
Yeah, yeah—I know. Another FPS is being stacked up against the granddaddy of questionable lobby chatter or the GOAT mid-air triple headshot collateral clips. We’ve all been here before, endlessly comparing CoD and Halo to itself or another game if it isn’t something out of left field like Marvel Rivals or S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2. It’s a vicious cycle, but not one that exists without reason.
Because once you’ve made it through this review, you’ll see that despite its flashy gimmick and a real attempt to carve out its own lane, Splitgate 2 doesn’t bring many new things to the table—just a combination of three excellent mechanics from equally excellent games that still somehow ended up being less than the sum of its parts.
So let’s make like a test subject from Aperture Science and hop through this portal together, shall we?
Classic FPS Action, But Now You’re Thinking With Portals!
So, let’s start with the basics: what is Splitgate 2, exactly? In short, it’s an action-packed FPS and the direct sequel to 2019’s Splitgate, sticking closely to the original’s core formula. At its heart, Splitgate 2 is a team-based shooter where match objectives vary depending on the map and mode you’re thrown into. Depending on your queue, you might end up in a classic Team Deathmatch—where racking up kills first secures the win—or something more objective-focused, like chasing down a moving capture point or planting a bomb CS: GO-style.
No matter the mode, the match structure sticks to a familiar rhythm: five rounds, best-of-five. Win three rounds before the other team does, and the victory is yours. Simple enough, right?
Well, not quite. Splitgate 2 isn’t just about running, gunning, and hoping for the best. Before each match, players pick one of three character classes—each with their own unique toolkit of strengths, weaknesses, and playstyles. In the Open Beta, you’ve got access to Aeros, Meridian, and Sabarsk—roughly mapping to Scout, Utility, and Engineer archetypes, though nothing is labeled that directly.
Each class brings something distinct to the table. Aeros boosts their own mobility with a temporary speed buff. Meridian plays the intel game, scanning enemies through walls. Lastly, we have Sabarsk, a defensive powerhouse capable of deploying see-through, bulletproof walls for creative cover plays. While all classes share access to the same core weapon pool, their unique throwables and class-specific perks help round out their identity through their customizable loadout sets. Mix and match, and you've got your personal loadout ready to go.
At last, we come to Splitgate 2’s namesake—the portals. Every player, regardless of class, can deploy portals at designated spots around the map, launching them like projectiles that create an entrance or exit wherever they land. Each player can maintain two portals at a time—one in, one out—and placing a new one will overwrite the old. It’s a simple mechanic on paper, but one that opens the door (literally) to some clever and chaotic plays.
As expected, you can travel through your portals for quicker rotations, but they also preserve momentum. That means with the right positioning, you can launch yourself across the map or into combat like a human cannonball—perfect for those who know the maps and the angles. Beyond movement, the portals let you shoot through them as well, setting up unexpected flanks or last-second clutch kills from the safety of a hallway you were never in. Or maybe you just need a quick exit before things get messy—portals have you covered there, too.
They’re versatile, fun, and undeniably the thing that makes Splitgate 2 stand out. And yet… not quite enough.
I’m Not Seeing Much Innovation Apart From The Portals
Now, don’t get me wrong—I’m not here to downplay the game’s standout feature. The portals are genuinely fun, impressively well-implemented, and surprisingly stable for something that’s available to every player, every match. They’re a strong mechanic. But the issue is that Splitgate 2 leans on them a little too hard. There’s not much else propping the experience up, and without those portals, the gameplay loop starts to feel dangerously thin.
It’s a classic case of wasted potential, and while I’m willing to chalk some of that up to the game being in Open Beta, the gaps are hard to ignore. The classes are pretty standard archetypes—straight out of a CoD lobby circa 2012. The unlockable perks for each class are mostly just passive stat tweaks like faster reloads or shorter cooldowns. The jump pads and Power Weapon spawns are like Halo's. Not exactly groundbreaking stuff.
Even with the game’s sleek sci-fi veneer, the weapons don’t do much to distinguish themselves either, at least not from their real-life counterparts. That assault rifle that kind of looks like an AK-47 probably shoots just like one, too. And that goes for pretty much every non-Power weapon you can kit your loadout with—they’re serviceable, but uninspired.
Now, Power Weapons? That’s a different story. These bad boys are actually a highlight of every round. Sure, they’re not incredibly revolutionary either, but they do shake things up nicely. Weapons like the FUBAR—a satisfyingly destructive rocket launcher—offer players a chance to go full rampage mode. My favorite has to be the rocket bat you can just use to deck people from a deceptively long distance. They never see it coming and it's hilarious every time.
And unlike CoD’s killstreak rewards, anyone can grab a Power Weapon once its timer is up. The catch here is that if you die while wielding one, it’s fair game for anyone to pick up, enemies included. Suddenly, the momentum of a match can swing wildly because someone fumbled a god-tier weapon into enemy hands. It's chaotic, it's fun, and it’s one of the rare moments where the game feels genuinely alive. Combined with the portals, I almost forget that everything else is bland by comparison because CoD already did it five times over and Halo had its power-ups make us go Armor lock, b**ch
for a decade before this. That’s not the worst of it, though.
Major Connection, Matchmaking, and Queueing Pitfalls
For all its simplicity—and its shortage of new ideas beyond the literal three in the title—Splitgate 2 is still fun. I won’t pretend I didn’t enjoy myself. I spent a good few hours in it, chasing killstreaks like it was Modern Warfare II all over again, yelling into the mic, and getting that classic teenage adrenaline rush. Honestly? I would’ve kept playing. I wanted to keep playing.
But alas, Splitgate 2 is doing exactly what you’d expect from a freshly launched, free-to-play Open Beta. The servers crashed. Connection timeouts became frequent, frustrating, and eventually disruptive enough to push me off the game entirely.
Queue times with this build are also quite rough—easily stretching into two or three minutes, even with what’s clearly a high player volume (high enough, apparently, to be kicking people off mid-match).
Matchmaking isn’t much better. It’s a coin toss between absolute beginners who move like bots or sweatlords who play like they’re grinding for a sponsorship deal. It’s a mess, but to be fair, this is a beta, and most of these issues are par for the course. The final release should smooth things out, and I’m willing to give it the benefit of the doubt…for now.
But if this server situation isn’t sorted by launch? You’re better off spending your time in a game that respects it.
That Dreaded Battle Pass Model
I bet you didn’t see this coming. Come now, of course you did! It’s a free-to-play multiplayer shooter, duh, it’s going to have a battle pass. Fortnite did it, and so did The Finals. Heck, even Marvel Rivals did it, and now we’ve got Splitgate 2 doing it. The devs didn’t even bother to name it something cute for Splitgate 2, it really is just a “Battle Pass”, and rather stingy one at that. The free version gets you like 4 things at most, and they’re just charms and nameplates.
I don’t hate the battle pass model, despite how this reads. I don’t think it’s inherently a bad idea, it can just be executed poorly. Marvel Rivals did this too, but received minimal backlash because the battle pass itself is generous to F2P players while still giving the premium players something nice for their troubles.
With that in mind, I’m not entirely sure where I stand. It’s all cosmetic, thankfully—so no pay-to-win nonsense—but it still feels short and oddly underwhelming. Even the premium rewards are a bit light for what you're paying. Again, Open Beta; it could just be like this because we’re in season 0 or something. So, once again, I’ll extend the benefit of the doubt. I’ve got my eye on it, though, and you should too.
Simple, Effective Progression and Fun Open Beta Events
Another thing worth keeping an eye on is all the events, bonuses, and little gimmicks the devs have lined up for the Open Beta—because there are quite a few. For starters, everyone gets 50% more EXP from missions throughout the beta, which is a solid perk on its own. But the real standout? The Hunt the Devs event. Yep, actual members of the development team are out there, hiding in normal lobbies like wolves in sheep’s clothing. If you manage to take one down, you’ll score a free cosmetic. It’s a fun little side objective—and honestly, a pretty cool way to earn some early-season drip.
I mentioned EXP in passing earlier, so let’s break that down a bit more. It’s exactly what you’d expect: you earn it by completing daily quests. Rack up enough, and you’ll unlock new weapons for your character’s loadout. You’ll also earn tickets along the way, which can be spent on things like battle pass rewards. It’s straightforward, easy to follow, and refreshingly grindable. Just keep playing, and eventually, you’ll have enough to snag Aeros a fresh new fit to go with their new loadout.
Bland, Mostly Unoriginal, But Loads of Fun
And that’s Splitgate 2 in a nutshell. It’s not an original game—neither in concept nor execution—leaning heavily on the FPS genre’s tried-and-true formulas to deliver a simple, mostly satisfying loop that echoes Call of Duty’s best moments, Halo's power fantasy, and Portal's...well...portals. The portals are a genuinely clever mechanic, and the Power Weapons bring just enough bombast to elevate the experience beyond its barebones foundation. Even the class and loadout systems, as familiar as they are, do their job well enough.
But let’s be real: Splitgate 2 doesn’t do quite enough to be an absolute showstopper. Not yet. What it does offer is a solid, enjoyable ride when it works. Server instability and matchmaking hiccups are holding it back right now, and they need to be addressed if the game hopes to stick the landing on full release.
It's less than what I hoped for from a game of this conceptual pedigree, but more than what other FPS games had on launch. This lovechild might grow into something worth experiencing yet.
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Splitgate 2 Product Information
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| Title | SPLITGATE 2 |
|---|---|
| Release Date | May 22, 2025 (Open Beta) |
| Developer | 1047 Games |
| Publisher | 1047 Games |
| Supported Platforms | PC (Steam, Epic Games) PlayStation 5 PlayStation 4 Xbox Series X|S Xbox One |
| Genre | FPS, Multiplayer |
| Number of Players | 4v4 8v8v8 (Online Multiplayer) |
| ESRB Rating | ESRB Teen 13+ |
| Official Website | Splitgate 2 Website |
