Friday, Aug 7th @ 5PM PT is the deadline for the $5 Refer-a-Friend Launch Promotion. If you haven't referred others yet, there's still time! 🕑

Players who's referrals who have met the event requirements have already been paid or will be soon.

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The largest content update we have shipped since Early Access launched is now live on all platforms. Update #3 brings Aim Down Sights for every weapon, the new Crescendo lightning gun (secondary anti-mech weapon), refreshed versions of Plaza and Harbor, a v1 Custom Games experience, bot updates (for custom games), dozens of new weapon camos, and a balance pass across weapons and mechs. Read on for more details.

https://reddit.com/link/1vbyacf/video/2l015kzyslgh1/player

AIM DOWN SIGHTS (ADS) GRADUATES FROM THE EXPERIMENTAL PLAYLIST

The story of this update is the one we have been building toward since we launched the Experimental Playlist system in Update #2. You played the early version of ADS, gave feedback,and it earned its permanent spot in EMPULSE. Update #3 ships ADS on by default for every weapon, complete with red dot sights added to Coda, Percussion, Echo, Modulator, Compressor, Oscillator, and Opus, plus a batch of quality-of-life improvements around crosshair behavior, sight movement, and how FOV shifts feel while aimed in.

One note on how ADS shipped versus how you played it in the Experimental Playlist: the "weapons are less accurate when not in ADS" rule from the experimental version is not in the full-game version. We tested it, listened to how it felt, and decided it was one Experimental Playlist beat too many. ADS in Update #3 is additive, not a replacement for hip-fire play. We also heard a lot of feedback about the gun moving too much while ADS’d and it coming in the way of gunplay, so we’ve made big changes to address that feedback.

INTRODUCING THE CRESCENDO LIGHTNING GUN

Update #3 also adds a new weapon to the arsenal: the Crescendo. Damage ramps up the longer you keep your beam locked on a target and drops back down when you miss, so patience and precision are what turn the Crescendo into a real mech-killer. It is going to change how Crews decide to engage a piloted mech, and we cannot wait to see the plays it produces.

Crescendo - New Secondary Weapon

CUSTOM GAMES VERSION 1

Custom Games have also arrived in Update #3. Version 1 ships with a refreshed lobby setup, cleaner map and mode selection, and reworked Create Lobby, Find Lobby, and Join With Code screens. Game options can now be set the moment you spin up a lobby without digging through advanced settings, tie breaker rounds can inherit their configuration from the base game options, and setting health to 0 flips on infinite health for anyone running a party or a social session.

TWO MAPS, REVAMPED

Plaza and Harbor come back with updated visuals this update, keeping the same layouts and movement lines you already know but sitting inside completely new atmospheres. Ships and vehicles now move in Harbor's background, and Drainage picked up a foliage polish pass along the way.

Plaza Before and After

Harbor Before and After

FULL PATCH NOTES

• Crescendo (Lightning Gun)
  • A new anti-mech beam weapon. Damage ramps up as you chain hits on a target and drops back down when you miss.
• Aim Down Sights
  • ADS has graduated from the experimental playlist and is now on by default for every weapon.
  • Improved crosshair behavior while aiming
  • Added new sounds when aiming in and out
  • Added red dot sights to Coda (SMG), Percussion (Explosive SMG), Echo (Shotgun), Modulator (Fast AR), Compressor (Heavy AR), Oscillator (LMG), and Opus (Heavy Pistol)
  • Reduced weapon movement while aiming
  • Improved FOV changing behavior on higher base FOV
  • Weapons are no longer less accurate when not in ADS (this was part of the experimental ADS playlist ruleset)
• New weapon camos
  • Added 24 new Rare and 15 new Epic camos, available across all weapons.
• Custom Games
  • Custom Games has been redesigned, with a refreshed lobby setup, updated map and mode selection, and reworked Create Lobby, Find Lobby, and Join With Code screens.
  • Game options can now be set when creating a lobby, without opening advanced settings.
  • Tie breaker rounds can copy their settings from the base game options.
  • Setting health to 0 turns on infinite health, which is useful for parties and socials.
  • Fixed a number of issues in the Custom Games menus.
• Mech entry animation
  • Implemented a new mech entry animation and removed the hold-time requirement to enter a mech.

GENERAL

• Bots can now pilot mechs.
  • Bots will grab idle mechs, use the rocket and shield abilities, and carry the mech to capture in Mech CTF.
  • Idle bots give real players a reasonable chance to grab a mech first before making the trip themselves.
• Added new mech sounds, including entrance audio and a new melee impact sound.
• The mech rocket now uses team colors.
• The mech shown in the post-game winner circle now displays its rocket.
• Fixed an issue where other players' first-person grappling hook models could be visible.
• Fixed an issue where spectators would see incorrect weapon visuals after the player they were watching respawned.
• Fixed an issue where charm thumbnails appeared much darker than the in-game item.
• Fixed an issue where a cosmetic thumbnail did not match its in-game preview.
• Fixed a rare crash related to weapon impact effects.
• Fixed an issue with the ball pickup sound in Upload.
• Fixed spelling errors in two map callouts.

PERFORMANCE

• General optimization pass across Plaza and Harbor.
• Additional optimization across multiple maps at lower quality settings.

MAPS

• Plaza has been updated to a new version of the map, with new graffiti, ceiling lights, set dressing, and lighting improvements.
• Harbor has been updated to its reworked version, including interior art updates.
  • Ships and vehicles now move in Harbor's background.
• Foliage polish pass on Drainage.
• Fixed a number of bot navigation issues across maps.
• Fixed a number of texture issues on props across multiple maps.
• Fixed a number of collision, clipping, and out-of-bounds issues on Plaza and Harbor.
• Updated loading screens and thumbnails for Plaza, Harbor, and the practice range.

PROGRESSION

• Speed Demon medal
  • Required speed: 2000 → 1850cm/s
    • This makes the medal and challenge easier to earn.
• Close Call medal
  • Low health <=15hp → <=20hp
    • This makes the medal and challenge easier to earn.

BALANCE / WEAPONS

• Volta (Homing AR)
  • Homing Acceleration: 40 → 50m/s²
  • Homing Acquisition Angle: 5.13 → 6.28 degrees
    • The Volta acquires targets more easily and corrects harder toward them.
• Percussion (Explosive SMG)
  • Explosions no longer block view in first person when being shot.
• Requiem (Sniper)
  • Time between shots: 0.8s → 0.95s
  • Dropoff distances: 80m, 120m, 160m, 200m, 240m → 40m, 60m, 80m, 100m, 120m
    • Damage drop-off takes effect at closer distances. The Sniper picked up a serious buff pass in Update #2 and started dominating matches at longer ranges than we wanted, so this adjustment brings it back in line with the rest of the arsenal.
• Finale (Hammer)
  • Damage to mechs: 200 → 250
  • Time between swings: 0.595 → 0.5s

BALANCE / MECHS

• All Mechs
  • Health: 1500 → 2000

See you in Freehold.

-1047 Games

Early Access Update #3 arrives Friday July 31st, and it is the largest content update we have shipped since the Early Access launch of EMPULSE

AIM DOWN SIGHTS (ADS) IS HERE

You played the early version in the first Experimental Playlist, you sent us the feedback, and now it is official: ADS is graduating out of the experimental playlist, and becoming a permanent part of the game.

This is exactly what the Experimental Playlist system was built to do. You tested a big idea with us, you told us what worked and what did not, and it earned its spot in EMPULSE. We will have more details on how ADS is being rolled into the full game when we share more info on Update #3 next week.

CUSTOM GAMES v1

We have been hearing a lot of feedback from players who want to play EMPULSE with their friends and communities, or who want to host events. We are excited to share that v1 of Custom Games arrives with Update #3, allowing players to further customize their EMPULSE experience. As with many of the features in Early Access, we hope you give feedback on what you would like to see added or changed with custom games as you spend more time with the feature.. 

HARBOR AND PLAZA, REVAMPED

Two maps are getting glow-ups in Update #3: Harbor and Plaza. Both maps have the same layouts and movement lines as before, but with new textures, surfaces, and character. Same gameplay, new atmosphere.

Harbor

Plaza

AND A FEW MORE THINGS

You will have to wait a few more days for the full details on the Update #3, but here are a few more QOL highlights that we are eager to share with our players :

• Bots can now pilot Mechs! This is a great addition to time with the Custom Games release
• New Weapon Camos: Rare and Epic Camos across many weapons 
• Performance pass, specifically for Seadock, Harbor, and Plaza

HOW TO STAY IN THE LOOP

• Share feedback and find a Crew on Discord and here on Reddit.
• Follow us on X, YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok.

See you in Freehold.

The team at 1047 Games

The Sentinel Experimental Playlist begins at 1PM PT today (approximately two hours after this post goes live) Find it then under Quickplay to queue it.

If you still need an ADS fix, you can queue it until the Sentinel Playlist goes live.

Work In Progress map: Sentinel

Thanks for all the feedback on the ADS Experimental Playlist so far. Based on what you've been telling us, we're reverting the increased hipfire spread we introduced in this EP.

Hipfire accuracy in the EP now matches Quickplay and Ranked, so it's back to what you're used to. ADS still gives you an accuracy bonus, so aiming down sights remains more accurate than firing from the hip. Everything else in the EP stays the same.

Thanks, all, and keep the feedback coming!

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Early Access Update #2 is now live on all platforms! Today’s update brings our first Experimental Playlist to EMPULSE focused on testing ADS. Update #2 also includes Phase 2 of The Sprint, weapon balancing, changes to Ranked, and a number of additional fixes and improvements. Read on for more details.

https://reddit.com/link/1urx0fm/video/ar2x77hvh8ch1/player

Experimental Playlists

• ADS Playlist: We will be testing an early version of ADS on all weapons in an experimental playlist.
  • This playlist will be available when the patch drops.
  • Emphasis on this being early! Animation and balancing are not complete and there may be buggy behavior.
  • In this playlist weapons are less accurate when not in ADS, and weapons become more accurate when in ADS.
• Sentinel Map: We will be testing a blockout of a new map, code-named Sentinel, in an experimental playlist.
  • This playlist will start next week.
  • This is intended to collect feedback on the layout of the map before we begin implementing art for it in earnest.

https://preview.redd.it/g4h3m4nzg8ch1.png?width=3840&format=png&auto=webp&s=00d6e0acad40fc5ff867057fb79f22ec7705eb48

General

• Phase 2 of The Sprint begins with this update!
  • You’ll be racing to unlock the serialized Legendary Reaper skin.
• Implemented speedometer option in gameplay settings
• Fixed a number of rare crashes
• Fixed an issue where certain inputs would behavior strangely when using mixed input types
• Fixed an issue where duplicating a loadout could result in that loadout having a kill counter on a weapon that shouldn’t have one
• Fixed an issue that caused muffled audio in rare circumstances
• Fixed an issue where mechs could melee other players through walls and ceilings in specific circumstances
• Improved hit registration for mech melee

https://reddit.com/link/1urx0fm/video/dfeb8zuqh8ch1/player

Performance

• Performance improvements when firing a large number of projectiles
• Reduction in VRAM usage on low/medium texture quality settings
• General optimization across multiple maps at lower quality settings
• Improved motion blur when using low post process quality settings

Game Modes

Ranked

• Mechs have been disabled
  • We may bring them back in the future with tweaks.

Maps

• Collision and out-of-bounds zones on multiple maps have been fixed

https://preview.redd.it/75lsrm02h8ch1.png?width=3840&format=png&auto=webp&s=281a6869d704e21379412b0da6a28327c2128e59

Progression

• An additional level has been added to each loadout weapon that gives a “Chibi” charm once earned.

Balance

Movement

• Fixed a bug where walking sideways was faster than walking forward
  • Slightly lowered min slide speed to compensate

Weapons

• All
  • Grip effectiveness: 75% -> 50%
• Oscillator (LMG)
  • Dropoff distance stops: 0, 30, 45, 60, 75, 90 → 0, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60m
    • This is a reduction in damage at longer ranges.
  • Time between bursts: 0.15 → 0.16s
  • Vertical recoil increased 0.50 → 0.65
  • Horizontal recoil increased 0.175 → 0.200
• Triad (Burst Rifle)
  • Dropoff distance stops: 0, 40, 60, 80, 100, 120 → 0, 30, 45, 60, 75, 90m
    • This is a reduction in damage at longer ranges.
  • Time between shots: 0.38 → 0.35s
• Resonance (Carbine)
  • Dropoff distance stops: 0, 40, 60, 80, 100, 120 → 0, 30, 45, 60, 75, 90m
    • This is a reduction in damage at longer ranges.
  • Time between shots: 0.225 → 0.235s
• Percussion (Explosive SMG)
  • Spread Angle: 2.0 → 0.5 degrees
    • This increases overall accuracy (reduces spread)
  • Dropoff distance stops: 0, 12.5, 18.75, 25, 31.25, 37.5 → 0, 15, 22.5, 30, 37.5, 45m
    • This is an increase in damage at longer ranges.
  • Projectile speed: 80 → 120m/s
• Opus (Heavy Pistol)
  • Spread Angle: 1.0 → 0.5 degrees
    • This increases overall accuracy (reduces spread)
  • Dropoff distance stops: 0, 40, 60, 80, 100, 120 → 0, 30, 45, 60, 75, 90m
    • This is a reduction in damage at longer ranges.
  • Time between shots: 0.33 → 0.30s
• Volta (Homing AR)
  • Base Damage: 11.2 → 12.5
  • Homing Acceleration: 35 → 40m/s^(2)
• Echo (Shotgun)
  • Projectile range: 35 → 30m
• Coda (SMG)
  • Dropoff distance stops: 0, 12.5, 18.75, 25, 31.25, 37.5 → 0, 15, 22.5, 30, 37.5, 45m
    • This is an increase in damage at longer ranges.
• Requiem (Sniper)
  • Hip-Fire Spread Angle: 20 → 12 degrees
  • Time between shots: 1.0 → 0.8s
  • ADS animation time: 0.316s → 0.25s
  • Sniper fire no longer blocks or cancels ADS (You can stay ADS’d and shoot multiple times)

P.A.I.N.T

• Explosive
  • Time between explosions: 1.00 → 1.25s
• Sticky
  • Thruster Acceleration Multiplier: 0.5 → 0.0x
    • This disables jetpack acceleration while you are under the effects of Sticky P.A.I.N.T.
  • Jump Z Velocity Multiplier: 0.5 → 0.25x

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Early Access Update #2 drops on all platforms tomorrow, July 9 at 10 AM PT! We’re launching the first Experimental Playlist, and Phase 2 of The Sprint kicks off. The update also includes a big weapon balance pass, meaningful changes to Ranked and Mech v Mech TDM, a bunch of performance improvements, and a new speedometer option you’ve been asking for.

EXPERIMENTAL PLAYLISTS

This is the part of Early Access we are most excited about. Experimental Playlists (EPs) are how we test out big ideas in real time before deciding whether they earn a permanent spot in EMPULSE. We would rather ship something rough that we can evolve over time with your feedback instead of iterating on a change internally until it feels perfect, hoping we get it right. EPs are why we launched in Early Access.

Our first EP is split into two phases:

Compressor Heavy AR with ADS.

ADS Playlist: This playlist launches with the update tomorrow, and features an early version of ADS (aim down sights) enabled on every weapon. After seeing your feedback over the last several weeks, we really wanted to get this change into your hands. Weapons are slightly less accurate from the hip, and more accurate when using ADS.

This is very much a work in progress – animations and balance are still being tuned, you’ll see some rough edges, and we have some fine-tuning to do on accuracy once we see how you play.

New map code-named Sentinel.

Sentinel Playlist (coming soon): A blockout (or early version) of a new map code-named Sentinel will come online next week. This one is focused entirely on getting your feedback on the layout of Sentinel before we move it into full art production. Your feedback will help shape the final version of Sentinel before art is finalized.

Tell us what you think of both on Discord and Reddit. This is exactly what the Experimental Playlist system is here for!

CHANGES TO RANKED

Ranked: Mechs have been disabled in Ranked for now. We are watching how the competitive experience evolves without them, and we’re considering how Mechs may come back with adjustments in the future.

Chibi Charms!

WEAPON AND EQUIPMENT ADJUSTMENTS

EA Update #2 includes a deep weapon balance pass. More details will drop in the patch notes tomorrow, but here’s a short preview:

• Long Range: Reduced effective range on rifles and marksman weapons, plus other adjustments.
• Close Range: The Percussion and Coda SMGs get a buff, and the Echo Shotgun gets nerfed.
• Big improvements to the Requiem Sniper Rifle and Volta Homing AR.

Along with the balance tweaks, every weapon except the Finale now has an additional progression level, which unlocks the new Chibi weapon charm.

We’ve also made several changes to P.A.I.N.T. Bombs and Mechs, including:

• Sticky P.A.I.N.T. now completely disables jetpack acceleration while you are under the P.A.I.N.T.’s effect, and dramatically reduces jump height. If you have been using it to lock down chases, expect it to feel a lot more punishing on the receiving end.
• Explosive P.A.I.N.T.: The delay between explosions has been pushed slightly (1.0 → 1.25s) to give players more time to react.
• Mech melee now cancels the melee of a player who tries to melee them back..

New speedometer in the top left corner.

QUALITY OF LIFE AND PERFORMANCE

New speedometer in the top right corner.

• We added a new speedometer option in gameplay settings so you can see exactly how fast you are moving.
• Fixed a bug where sideways walking was faster than forward. Minor min slide speed adjustment to compensate.
• Performance optimizations including:
• VRAM reduction when playing with low or medium texture quality selected.
• General optimizations across multiple maps at lower quality settings.
• Motion blur improved on low post-process settings.
• And a ton of other bug and crash fixes – more details in the patch notes tomorrow.

Provide a caption (optional)

Legendary Reaper Skin.

PHASE 2 OF THE SPRINT

Phase 2 of The Sprint begins with Update #2, and you’ll be racing to unlock the serialized, Legendary Reaper skin. Good luck, and let us know on social which number you get!

HOW TO STAY IN THE LOOP

• Wishlist or purchase EMPULSE on Steam , PlayStation , and Xbox (And don’t get about refer a friend!)
• Share feedback and find a Crew on Discord and Reddit .
• Follow us on X , YouTube , Instagram , and TikTok .

See you in Freehold,

-1047 Games

Get ready to watch: https://www.twitch.tv/1047_Games

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To celebrate EMPULSE coming to PS5, 2XP is LIVE on all platforms now through Monday morning!

Good luck in your matches this week, and enjoy the boost!

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Heads up, PlayStation fans: EMPULSE arrives on PS5 on Wednesday, July 1 at 9 AM PT!

Thank you to everyone who's been patiently waiting for the PlayStation release, we'll see you in a few days!

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The first EMPULSE update is now live! Update #1 includes crash fixes, performance improvements, a movement pass that should feel noticeably snappier in your hands (including a buff to Speed P.A.I.N.T.), a nerf to controller aim assist on PC, mech-on-mech balance changes, general weapon tuning, and more. Read on for the full breakdown.

General

• Fixed an issue where the Finale (Hammer) would sometimes be invisible
• Fixed an issue where slide would sometimes get cancelled when landing on the ground
• Greatly improved performance when projectiles are on-screen
• Reduced the maximum lifetime of some projectiles
  • Projectiles fired off into the distance were lasting well beyond what they should have been, which was contributing to performance issues in gunfights.
  • Further optimizations around projectiles will be released in a future update.

Stability

• Fixed a number of crashes upon game exit.
  • Most of these are invisible to players, but some may have been causing the game to hang instead of quitting out properly.
• Fixed a rare crash when rejoining a game you previously left.
• Fixed a rare crash in the middle of games.

Balance

• Reduced effectiveness of aim assist on PC with controller
  • Console aim assist is unaffected

Movement

• Base Acceleration: 2000 → 3500cm/s^(2)
  • Acceleration multipliers for Wall Boost Pads and Speed P.A.I.N.T have been reduced to compensate for this change.
• Jetpack Horizontal Acceleration: 4000 → 6000cm/s^(2)
• Wallrun Terminal Velocity: 1800 → 2000cm/s
• Wall Boost Pad Acceleration Multiplier: 1.7 → 1.0x
  • This increase has been moved into base movement. Overall, acceleration while on Wall Boost Pad is higher than before these changes.

Mechs

• Minigun
  • Projectile hitboxes are now smaller at close range and become larger as they travel.
• Melee
  • Player damage: 50 → 75
  • Mech damage: 50 → 150
    • Mech melee previously did the same damage to both players and other mechs, it now does twice the damage against other mechs.

Weapons

• Resonance (Carbine)
  • Fire rate: 0.21 → 0.225
  • Increased recoil
• Percussion (Explosive SMG)
  • Fire rate: 0.1 → 0.095
• Volta (Homing AR)
  • Projectile acceleration: 22500 → 35000 cm/s^(2)
  • Target acquisition angle: 12.84 → 5.13 degrees
  • Increased max projectile size

P.A.I.N.T

• Explosive P.A.I.N.T
  • Damage against mechs is now double what it does to players
• Speed P.A.I.N.T
  • Max Speed Multiplier: 1.65 → 1.7x
  • Max Acceleration Multiplier: 1.65 → 1.0x
    • This increase has been moved into base movement. Overall, acceleration while in speed P.A.I.N.T. is higher than before these changes.
  • Max Boosted Speed: 1500 → 1800cm/s

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Every Crew in Freehold has a unique identity that aligns across an ideological spectrum and every crew member expresses it in their own way.

• The Unbound value self-expression, community, and  embracing their humanity.
• Crews that align more Loyalist are controlled, structure-driven, and fight to reconnect to N.A.I.O.M.I. But even their members have unique looks.

What are some of your favorite potential designs? Let us know in the comments!

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EMPULSE is better when more players are playing.

More players means more chaos, more movement, more clutch plays, more ridiculous P.A.I.N.T. moments, and more reasons to queue up again. So for Early Access, we’re launching Refer-a-Friend: a way to reward players who help bring more people into EMPULSE.

Share your code, bring your friends in, and earn in-game rewards and real cash when they play.

https://preview.redd.it/t355szcjih9h1.jpg?width=3840&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b1741181ca169dccd7342f7509f739f5be98c25a

How It Works

Every player gets a referral code. Share that code with a friend who is new to EMPULSE. When they buy the game, enter your code, and play 2 hours, both of you earn in-game rewards.

And you can also earn real cash for each friend you refer!

To earn cash rewards, you need to have a 1047 Games account. Once your referral goes through, you will get an email from us with instructions on how to claim your cash rewards.

We want to reward and celebrate players who help grow EMPULSE from day one.

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What You Can Earn

Both the referrer and the referred friend earn in-game rewards.

Eligible referrers can also earn up to $5 per referral. Cash rewards may vary based on the referral’s local purchase price and region. 

We know cash rewards can get confusing, so here's the gist: you earn based on what your friend actually spends. If they're in a region where the game costs less, your reward will be a bit lower to match, but in regions that are full price like the US, you will get $5 (not counting any potential bank processing fees).

Before You Can Earn Cash

To redeem cash rewards as a referrer, you need to:

• Be 18 or older
• Have a 1047 Games account
• Be in a supported cash payout region

Cash payouts are currently only supported for eligible players in the United States and Europe. That limitation comes from our payment provider’s current regional support, and we hope to expand availability to more countries in the future.

Players outside supported cash payout regions can still participate in Refer-a-Friend and earn in-game rewards.

What Your Friend Needs To Do

For a referral to qualify, your friend needs to:

• Enter your referral code within 7 days of first downloading EMPULSE
• Enter your referral code within their first 100 minutes of in-match playtime
• Play at least 130 minutes of in-match time
• Not refund the game

Referral codes are locked once entered, so make sure your friend uses the right one.

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When You Get Paid

Cash rewards will take roughly 30 days to become available.

The reason is simple: we need to make sure the purchase sticks before we pay out the reward. This helps prevent refund abuse and keeps the program fair for everyone. Basically, you get paid once we do.

Once your reward is ready, you’ll receive a link with instructions for how to claim your cash. You may need to link your bank account and complete any required verification before funds can be transferred.

How Much Can I Earn?

There is no upper limit to how much you can earn by referring friends. As long as you keep bringing in more players, you can keep cashing out!

If you earn more than $600 and are in the US, you’ll have to file a tax form - but don’t worry, if that happens you’ll receive an email with the correct forms.

On the flip side, the minimum cashout amount is just $5 (a requirement of our payment processor). That means you’ll be able to cash out as soon as you’ve referred one or two friends (depending on where they’re from) once they’ve played for a while.

Built For The Community

EMPULSE is still early. That is the whole point of Early Access. We want more players in the game, more feedback coming in, and more friends stacking into matches together.

If you’re having fun, bring someone in.

If you think they’ll love the movement, send them your code.

If they want to fly across the map, slam into a fight, miss every shot, somehow win anyway, and immediately queue again, EMPULSE is probably for them.

Refer-a-Friend is live now!

Grab your code, bring your friends, and we’ll see you in Eidolon.

Participation is subject to eligibility, regional availability, applicable law, and the full Refer-a-Friend Terms.

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After 250,000 wishlists and a fantastic week during Steam Next Fest (read the recap here), EMPULSE Early Access is here! It’s available on Steam, and Xbox Series X|S for $14.99 (Normally $19.99, but it’s 25% off for the first week!) and will be available soon on PlayStation 5 once certification is complete. No microtransactions, no battle pass, no store… no MTX at the start of Early Access, just us building with you, the community. 

This blog is a rundown of what you can expect at Early Access launch and how we are approaching the months that follow.

OUR GOALS FOR EARLY ACCESS

We are going the Early Access route because the best version of EMPULSE is the one we build alongside you. Our update cadence will be shaped by player feedback, not by a seasonal calendar. 

To make sure that happens in practice, we are committing to a few things:

• Regular in-game and community surveys: We will be asking you what’s working, what’s not, and what you want next. 
• Active Discord, Reddit, and social presence: We will be in the conversation with you, every week.
• Frequent updates: New maps, modes, weapons, mech tuning, balance passes, system improvements. Shipped when they are ready instead of waiting for a bigger update.

NEW CONTENT AND RANKED

The Early Access build is a step up from the Steam Next Fest demo in size and scope. Here is what is new at launch:

• Drainage: a new map joining the rotation alongside everything you played in the demo.
• Mech Bounty: a new VIP-style mode where each team fields a mech. Take out the enemy mech for 5 points. Standard kills are worth 1. Coordination matters.
• Requiem: an all-new sniper rifle.
• Ranked Playlist: 4v4 across Upload, Control, and Intel. Ten placement matches to set your starting rank. Pure skill-based progression from there. Climb the ladder, and prove your skill. Ranked unlocks after 50,000 Account XP.

 

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GIGS AND THE SPRINT

Gigs are our challenge system in EMPULSE to earn cosmetics, and there are a variety of types to complete: Daily Gigs, Mastery Gigs, Crew Gigs and then there is The Sprint, which hosts phased Gigs for Legendary rewards. 

• Daily Gigs: Daily Gigs are challenges that refresh daily that give Cred. 
• Mastery Gigs: Every weapon has its own mastery camo track. Run a weapon hard, complete its challenges, unlock its camos.
• Crew Gigs: Every Gig ties to one of the two Crews, Loyalist or Unbound. Each Phase offers 8 unique Sprint-specific Gigs (4 Loyalist, 4 Unbound), with new phases unlocking every two weeks. Pick a side, or play both. Finishing either or all of the Loyalist and Unbound gigs will net you a special Crew reward.
• The Sprint: Each Sprint phase is a two-week stretch of Gigs with a Legendary serialized skin as the payoff. The first player to finish the phase gets #1, the second gets #2, and so on, up to #9,999,999. We are excited to see who gets the first serialized weapon with #1. (And who grabs #1047!)

 

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DROPS - ALWAYS FREE. SOMETIMES LEGENDARY.

Drops are another one of the ways you can earn cosmetics in EMPULSE.

Playing matches, leveling progression, completing Gigs, and a handful of other in-game activities earn you Cred. Take your Cred to the Broker and trade them in for an HDD Drop. Each Drop gives you a random weapon skin ranging from Rare to Legendary. Each gun skin can also be found with a rarer “kill counter” variant, which provides a viewable tracker of your kills with that particular weapon skin. Serialized Legendary weapon skins can also be found in HDD Drops. In case you were wondering, the hammer has skins too :) 

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REFER A FRIEND. EARN REAL CASH.

Every EMPULSE player gets a personal referral code at Early Access launch. When a new player signs up using your code and meets the referral requirements, eligible referrers can earn a real-money payout of up to $5 per successful referral (depending on region and availability). You and your friend both get Cred, EMPULSE’s in-game currency. 

We want to put EMPULSE in front of the players who will love it most, and you know your Crews better than any ad we could run. This is our way of saying thanks for the players you bring with you.

There are regional restrictions that prevent us from offering this system outside of the US and EU at launch but we are looking into options to make the program accessible in other regions in the future. Regionally-restricted referrals will still be eligible to receive Cred. More info coming on the Referral Program later today!

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TWITCH DROPS

Twitch Drops go live beginning at 11am PT on June 24 and are live through July 8. Here’s how to link your account and how to earn them.

Account Linking: Link your Twitch account to a 1047 Games account to claim Twitch drops. Log in, or create your 1047 Games account here.

Drop 1: Watch 1 Hour of anyone streaming EMPULSE on Twitch
Rewards: 

• Sorcery Triad
• Sorcery Volta
• Sorcery Percussion
• Sorcery Resonance
• Sorcery Modulator
• Sorcery Opus

Drop 2: Watch 2 Hours of anyone streaming EMPULSE on Twitch
Rewards: 

• Sorcery Requiem
• Sorcery Oscillator
• Sorcery Echo
• Sorcery Finale
• Sorcery Coda
• Sorcery Compressor

 

Starts: June 24, 2026
Ends: July 8, 2026

HOW TO STAY IN THE LOOP

• Buy EMPULSE on Steam, PlayStation, and Xbox.
• Sign up at playempulse.com for news and special unlocks.
• Share feedback and find a Crew on Discord and Reddit.
• Follow us on X, YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok.

Welcome to Freehold.

The team at 1047 Games

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The demo was our first chance to put EMPULSE in your hands at scale, and you showed up. Thousands of you filled out our survey, started Discord threads, and gave feedback via X, Reddit, and videos. That kind of response is exactly what makes building EMPULSE in the open possible. We also hit 250,000 Wishlists which is an amazing milestone. Thank you all!

WHAT THE SURVEY TOLD US

The demo averaged an 8.1 out of 10 on fun in the survey which shows us that the core of the game is landing. An 8.1 is not a 10 though and we know there is room for improvement. We are reading everything and here is what stands out most to us after the Next Fest Demo:

•       Favorite weapon: the Modulator assault rifle

•       Least favorite weapon: the Finale hammer

•       Favorite P.A.I.N.T.: Speed

•       Favorite modes: Upload and TDM

•       Favorite map: Elevation

•       Biggest art note: the character art style needs more personality

•       Biggest gameplay frustration: fighting against mechs

Each of your responses gave a lot more specific and actionable feedback, but these are the initial standouts that we plan to act on. The Finale hammer is getting attention for day one of Early Access, and the art style and anti-mech feedback are both things we are exploring. Here is what came through loudest and what we are doing about it.

BALANCE CHANGES YOU WILL FEEL DAY ONE

A few things were disrupting the player’s flowstate, and making the moment-to-moment action less fun.

1.    The hammer was too strong. We are nerfing it for day 1 of Early Access

2.    Speed P.A.I.N.T. was the obvious pick in almost every situation, and when everyone gravitates to one option, that is a balance problem. We have a small nerf for day one and we will keep tuning it based on how it plays.

3.    The grapple hook is now slightly faster and holds onto more of your speed, so chaining movement feels as good as it should.

4.    We are actively monitoring weapon balance and will have more to share on that soon. Balancing is never finished, and we will keep adjusting as more of your feedback comes in.

GIVING THE WORLD MORE PERSONALITY

The most consistent piece of art feedback is that the game looks too clean and too simple. Early on we aggressively leaned into readability, both because this is a movement shooter and P.A.I.N.T. already adds a layer of color to the maps. The trade-off is that the world lost some of its personality, and we want that back.

We have the team adding more destruction and detail to the maps. We are also improving the existing characters to look more realistic, and we will be sharing character concepts soon to get your input on where we take character direction next.

The below image is very early exploration on how we are adding more “character” to the maps.

(Early Exploration, in-engine)

BIGGER MAPS

A lot of you want more room to move. Our level design team is building two new maps, both of which are bigger than anything in the game today. We plan to drop them into an experimental playlist in the coming weeks so you can play them early and tell us what is working before they reach the main rotation. 

The below image is a WIP blockout (very early, and not final art) for an upcoming map that we’re excited to have you all playtest in the future. 

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ADS, WITHOUT LOSING HIPFIRE

You want the option to aim down sights, but not at the cost of the accurate hipfire that makes the movement feel good. We are working on ADS animations now. Rather than just adding ADS to the game, we will share work-in-progress videos as it comes together so you can weigh in before it hits the game… and eventually test ADS in experimental playlists before implementing it into the main experience. Make sure to join our Discord to see the WIP videos and give us feedback. 

MORE DEPTH TO MECHS

You want more variety and more depth from the mechs, and we’re working on two things already. First, an animation to get into the mech, so players have to fight harder to cleanly enter a mech. Second, we are exploring ways to add variety, starting with different mech weapons, and possibly entirely new mech types in the future.

MORE SECONDARY WEAPONS AND ANTI-MECH OPTIONS

Right now the hammer carries a lot of the weight as your answer to mechs. After reading through the initial feedback, we noticed that a lot of players want a variety of secondaries, both to customize their playstyle and to counter mechs. We are exploring concepts for alternate secondary options and new dedicated anti-mech secondaries.

WE ARE JUST GETTING STARTED

We could keep this list going, because you gave us a lot to work with. The more of you playing and talking to us, the faster EMPULSE becomes the game we all want it to be. We will keep reading your feedback, developing in the open, and shipping updates as quickly as we can. See you on June 24 for the start of Early Access and keep the feedback coming.  

HOW TO STAY IN THE LOOP

• Wishlist EMPULSE on Steam, PlayStation, and Xbox.
• Sign up at playempulse.com for news and special unlocks.
• Share feedback and find a Crew on Discord.
• Follow us on X, YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok.

See you in Freehold.