The Open Beta starts on May 22nd, and will stay live through the launch of the full game this summer. The Open Beta has way more than our last Alpha this past February, and it still doesn’t have everything that will be in the full version of the game at launch (Splitfam, keep that quiet–all shall be revealed soon). For now, we want to tell you about some of the exciting new features in the Open Beta.

INTRODUCING THE LAB, OUR NEW MAP CREATOR

• The Lab is what we’re calling our brand new creative mode, where you can create your very own maps and game modes.
• Our goal with The Lab is simple: we want anyone to be able to jump in (alone or with friends) and build something awesome—no experience required. At the same time, we’ve built in the depth and flexibility for power users to bring even their wildest ideas to life.
• We took inspiration from Unreal Engine and Halo’s Forge, and how fun and possible it was to make something really cool with your friends. In fact, Halo Reach was a big reason our CEO and many of our level designers originally got into game development! We hope to bring that level of creativity to a new generation of gamers.
• In The Lab, you’ll be able to collaborate in real time on maps with your friends (up to 16 players at a time), and you’ll of course be able to share your maps with the world.
• The Lab has a variety of blank canvas templates for you to begin building your maps, as well as scalable geometric shapes, prefabricated SSL map items, environmental props, and other gameplay objects to bring your vision to life.
• And just like we hope you start working in The Lab, we’re going to keep working on it, too. We've been building The Lab with the community and for the community. We have lots of content coming to the map creator system post launch. We’re planning to continue to support it and add to it for years to come based on community feedback and requests.
• So, go check out The Lab and let us know what you think. We’re going to feature the coolest, most fun, and most creative maps that the community creates, so don’t hold back. We can’t wait to see what you create.
• And for the real map making fiends out there, you can apply to be a Splitgate MVP. We have a map creator category!
• Want to see a glimpse of what’s possible? Take a look at Eclipse, an incredible community-made map by UneeQ.

[previewyoutube=BBiSnzHaoxk;full][/previewyoutube] (Full disclosure: The Lab’s functionality is still in Beta, so maps created during Beta could be impacted by changes to the mode later on. We currently don’t anticipate that any major issues will arise, but we want to flag this as a possibility as we continue to update and improve the map creator system.)

TAKEDOWN AND FOUR NEW SIMULATION MAPS

• Takedown is back! OG Splitgate players loved playing Takedown on our Simulation maps. We’re thrilled to announce that we’re bringing back the Takedown game mode.
• For the uninitiated, Takedown is a fan-favorite mode from the original Splitgate with a simple mechanic: teams compete to wipe out the other team before any players can respawn back into the game. But there’s a catch: killing makes your team’s respawns shorter, and dying makes your team’s respawns longer. So, the first team to have all enemy players dead at the same time wins the round.
• That means in the Open Beta you’ll be able to play Takedown on not one, not two, not three, but four brand new Simulation maps.
• One of those new maps is an updated version of Simulation Charlie, one of our most popular maps in the original Splitgate
• We’ve honored the original simplistic style of the Simulation maps with an updated gloss that makes them better than ever.
• And we’re not stopping at four. We’re going to keep adding more Simulation maps in upcoming seasons.
• Plus, the map creator features in The Lab include the tools necessary for players to create their own Simulation maps, so the possibilities for more maps are endless.

NEW ARENA MAPS: CORE AND (THE TRIUMPHANT RETURN OF) STADIUM

• We’re adding two new arena maps: Core and Stadium. Now along with Bypass, Eden, Frontier, Ozone, and Zenith, you’ll be able to play our arena modes on seven different maps.
• Core: This map takes you underneath the surface of Venus to a mysterious Meridian research laboratory and cybernetic intelligence server. Built around a floating spherical artifact (keep an eye out for power weapons spawning there!), this map is action packed, with verticality in the center and ramps trailing outward so you can grab some momentum before a quick portal behind your opponent in the OmNom food court area.
  • Note: Core will be coming later in the Open Beta period, shortly after May 22nd.
• Stadium: Takedown isn’t the only thing back from the first Splitgate in this Open Beta! Ever since we announced we were working on Splitgate 2, we’ve had people in the community asking if we were going to bring back Stadium, the most popular map from the first game. With the Open Beta, we’re stoked to reveal that Stadium is indeed oh so back.
• Fans of the original Stadium will recognize the layout, but also notice some key changes we’ve made to make gameplay even better, including a launchpad for mid-air combat in the map’s center, a death pit in the basement for any portal pranksters who want to go for a sneaky portal kill, and overall improved navigation and portal opportunities.

NEW 24-PLAYER ONSLAUGHT MAPS: DROUGHT AND FRACTURE

• Joining Glacier, our massive multi-team map from the Open Alpha, we’re adding two new giant maps: Drought and Fracture.
• Drought: “Drought” is the nickname given to the portion of the desert moon Verdantis, recently discovered and now used as a part of the Splitgate competition. A mostly barren moon that was once full of life, this desert biome is actually a dried out seabed. The cliff walls are infused with proelium dust, but don’t get distracted by the sparkles as you navigate these treacherous canyons.
• Fracture: The floating islands of Fracture are the result of an extremely unique gravitational pattern combined with competing magnetic forces in the soil, likely caused by a chain reaction from a proelium-infused geothermal explosion. This Splitgate map is in the Epsilon Eridani star, and is without question our most out-of-this-world map yet. Enjoy the launch pads connecting the floating islands, but watch your step and mind the gap: it’s a long drop down.
• Note: we’re now calling the multi-team modes that happen on these massive maps our “Onslaught” modes. We had previously called them “Multi-Team Portal Warfare” in the last Alpha.

NEW POWER WEAPON: BOREALIS

• For the first time, in the Open Beta you’ll get to play with the Borealis, a new power weapon from the Meridian faction.
• The Borealis is a charge-up power carbine. Think of it like a combination of a railgun and an energy beam rifle.
• It’s named after the natural electrical phenomenon characterized by streams of color lighting up the sky–fire it once and you’ll see why.
• To see the Borealis in action, check out this video.

BETA BATTLE PASS

• The Open Beta will have our first mini Battle Pass. It includes:
  • Three exclusive character skins
  • Three exclusive weapon skins
  • One exclusive portal skin
  • Multiple emotes, sprays, weapon charms, and player card banners and titles
  • Plus bonus Splitcoin and Proelium (our cosmetic upgrade currency)
• It will cost 500 Splitcoin (roughly $4.99 USD).
• The Beta Battle Pass is the first taste of how we’ll be handling Battle Passes at launch and beyond. Instead of one long Battle Pass for the three months of a season, we’ll have three shorter and lower-priced Battle Passes corresponding to monthly narrative chapters. More info on our mini Battle Pass system can be found on our blog here.

FOUNDER’S PACKS

• There are three faction themed Founder’s Packs, each with:
  • Two exclusive character skins
  • Three exclusive weapon skins
  • Plus a bonus emote, weapon charm, and player card banner
• Gotta have them all? The Aces Founder’s Bundle includes the cosmetic items of all three Faction Founder's Packs, plus 2000 Splitcoin ($20 value) and the exclusive Chef’s Kiss emote.
• Want even more? The Ultimate Founder’s Bundle has all the cosmetic items above, plus nine additional Primary Weapon skins, six additional Secondary Weapon skins, and 3000 Splitcoin ($30 value).

INTRODUCING: MYTHIC UPGRADES AND COSMETIC VARIANTS

• We’re remaining dedicated to our promise to never have any items that have game perks or pay-to-win features.
• Our upcoming cosmetic options will be introducing some exciting ways to flex your style, such as Mythic level rarity character skins and weapon skins that come with unique reload animations (that are cosmetic only and don’t actually impact gameplay at all).
• Our plan is to have rotations of Legendary and Mythic items in the store every couple weeks.
• We’ll also have skin variants and upgrades that you can get by using Proelium, our new upgrade currency. These will be cosmetic only and will not affect gameplay.
• You can get Proelium through the Battle Pass, through Daily Login rewards, or by buying it directly from the store.
• Character upgrades include a new skin with updated geo, a unique emote, and jetpack effects.
• Weapon skin upgrades include custom tracer effects, death effects, and reactive effects.
• For example, the Deadly Harvest Jackhammer is a Mythic level weapon skin that comes with three color variants–Rust Bucket, Herbicide, and Lawn Ninja–as well as unique visual effects.

“HUNT THE DEVS” IS BACK

• For those who didn’t get a chance to participate in our “Hunt the Devs” event during the Open Alpha, we’re bringing it back!
• This is another chance to earn an exclusive skin without paying a dime.
• How it works: during any match, kill a 1047 Games dev wearing the special flaming disco ball skin, and you’ll receive the corresponding “Dev Killer” skin for the faction they’re playing. Kill devs playing Aeros, Sabrask, and Meridian and you’ll collect all 3.
• We’ll have some specific times where we’ll invite the community to play in a two-hour Hunt the Devs window when a bunch of 1047 Games devs are playing, too, but the event itself will be ongoing for all of Beta. Check back on our Discord during the Open Beta for more info.

MORE WAYS TO PLAY

• We’ve expanded where Splitgate 2 will be available for the Open Beta. In addition to Steam, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S, Splitgate 2 will now also be available on PS4, Xbox One, and Steam Deck (through Proton), as well as on Epic Games and the Microsoft store.
• As a reminder, Splitgate 2 has crossplay, so you can play with your friends no matter what platform they’re on.
• So, be sure to wishlist Splitgate 2 to stay in the loop for the Open Beta and our upcoming launch!

FAQ: WILL PROGRESSION BE RESET AFTER BETA?

• No, it will not.
• We saw some confusion about this online, so we want to make it clear: player progression will not reset after the Open Beta.

FAQ: WHEN DOES BETA END? WHEN WILL YOU LAUNCH THE FULL GAME???

• As we mentioned, the Open Beta will go straight into our launch.
• So, you can start progressing on your Splitgate 2 journey in the Open Beta on May 22nd and then never stop

FAQ: IS THERE MORE?

• Yes! Still so much more to come! Like we said above, this still isn’t everything we’re going to have for launch. There’s more – much more – still to come for Splitgate 2.
• For example, we’re going to have weekly rotating playlists of Splitgate 1 community favorite game modes for your portaling pleasure. If there’s a mode from the OG game that you’ve been missing, chances are you’ll be able to play it very soon
• We can’t wait to see you in the Open Beta starting on May 22nd at 9am PT and running live through launch (we’ll announce that date in the near future – stay tuned).
• And in the meantime, come say hi on our Discord.