Splitgate (originally released as Splitgate: Arena Warfare in 2019) is going through somewhat of a rebranding. The "Halo with portals" FPS is dropping its clunky subtitle and also coming to consoles with full crossplay support from July 27.
This rebranding seems like an effort from developer 1047 Games to remind people that Splitgate exists and is free-to-play, and I understand why: despite having a small player base and little buzz in the two years since its release, Splitgate is pretty darn good. I've picked up the game in the last few weeks and, while I have a sneaking suspicion there are bots helping to fill the matches, I've had a blast.
For the uninitiated, it's basically a Halo-style competitive FPS in which every single player has a portal gun that works exactly as it does in Portal. Only some of the walls on the map are valid portal surfaces, so the game is all about learning how to use them tactically.
You can also use portals as viewports into different areas of the map and can even shoot through them, too. You're the only one that can see through your own portals, but enemies can try to shoot back through them or use them to flank you. It's a lot to keep track of sometimes, but surprisingly easy to get used to once you wrap your head around the mechanic and get into a good rhythm of popping portals.
Hopefully more people will give Splitgate a shot when it relaunches next month, because it's a pretty neat arena shooter that deserves to find an audience.
