Splitgate Season 1 Adds New Modes And Custom Maps Today

Splitgate's first season officially begins today, January 27, as developer 1047 Games has revealed more of what players can expect in the latest update for the Halo-meets-Portal shooter. The biggest addition is a map maker for both PC and console that can be used in custom matches. Interestingly, these custom maps can also be co-designed with up to eight players, although there are limitations.

1047 Games stressed that for now the only way to share these maps is through hosting a custom lobby, but this mode will be further developed as the game continues to evolve. Capture the Flag and Evolution modes are also being added, with the CTF option featuring a stipulation that the flagbearer in each round cannot portal to an easy victory.

Evolution is a variation of Showdown and has a list of loadouts that get incrementally better as a match continues. Every time a team wins a round, the other side gets an upgraded loadout as part of a system to keep each encounter more interesting and dependent on skill.

You can expect a battle pass with 100 levels of unlockable cosmetic items and skins--some free, others part of a premium paid-for package--and on a technical level there'll be improvements under the graphical hood. Lastly, the Foregone Destruction map has been overhauled and will be joined later in the season by a simulation map titled Hotel. This level will be used for 3v3 games of Takedown, Evolution, and Showdown.

Splitgate has established itself as one of the best free-to-play games on the market right now, combining well-oiled gunplay with strategic portal combat. Even with games like Halo Infinite out now, Splitgate has continued to grow its audience and has even seen its PlayStation userbase increase after the release of Microsoft's Xbox console exclusive.