The developer behind Splitgate: Arena Reloaded is making a final attempt to keep the game alive with the introduction of a new 'Arena Royale' mode. This mode aims to blend the best elements of battle royale and arena shooters, offering a unique experience that the developer hopes will attract players.
The 'Arena Royale' mode introduces several changes to the traditional battle royale format. Players will no longer drop from a ship but will instead be dropped into a lobby where they can vote on one of four available maps: Dought, Glacier, Fracture, and Outskirts. Once the match begins, players will instantly spawn in and engage in combat immediately.
One of the key features of 'Arena Royale' is its focus on fast-paced action. Unlike traditional battle royales, which often involve long stretches of traversal and looting, this mode aims to minimize downtime. Chests open instantly, and loot drops in a big pile when players die, eliminating the need for deathboxes. Additionally, there are no buy stations in any of the biomes, allowing players to upgrade equipment on the fly with money earned by doing damage, racking up kills, and completing events like Split Ball, Firecracker, and Hot Zone.
The mode also features a low player count, with only 24 players per match, divided into six teams of four. This is a significant departure from traditional battle royales, which often feature much larger player counts. The developer hopes that this change will make the game more accessible to new players while maintaining the competitive nature of arena shooters.
The four maps in 'Arena Royale' offer diverse environments, with Dought featuring a mix of urban and natural elements, Glacier showcasing icy landscapes, Fracture presenting a fractured terrain, and Outskirts providing a smaller but iconic map that bears some resemblance to Kings Canyon from Apex Legends.
However, the future of Splitgate: Arena Reloaded remains uncertain. Despite the relaunch of its predecessor, Splitgate 2, in late December, the game failed to gain significant traction on platforms like Steam, Xbox, and PlayStation. The developer's previous attempts to draw attention to the game by addressing its poor concurrent player numbers did not yield positive results.
The 'Arena Royale' mode and other updates will arrive on January 22, 2026. If the game does not see a significant increase in player numbers following this update, it is possible that the developer may make an announcement regarding the shutdown of the studio and the game in the near future.
