Massive Splitgate 2 Open Beta Launches Featuring Halo Forge-Style Map Editor

I’m supposed to talk about this game, Splitgate 2—totally hyped, let me tell you. And yeah, I know people are all like “Call of Duty this” and “Battlefield that,” but no, Splitgate 2 is where it’s at for me. The first one had this crazy mix of Halo and Portal, which was fun but, I gotta say, it kind of fizzled out. Not enough content or whatever. But this second one? Way more promising. The open beta just dropped, and it feels like it’s got pretty much the whole game ready to go—even cooler, no end date on this beta, so play to your heart’s content and your progress stays when the full game releases. Sweet deal, huh?

So, rewind a bit; I tried out Splitgate 2 during some earlier playtests and, wow, it’s got the gameplay nailed down again. Switching to Unreal Engine 5 has the visuals and movement looking slick. You still get that Halo-ish shooting action, and portaling is back—kind of like a brain workout, really. Plus, they’ve added class abilities. So, like, layers upon layers. Hopefully, not like an onion that makes you cry, though. Or maybe it should? I dunno.

Alright, so 1047 Games, they’re bringing a ton of modes and maps your way. Yeah, I know, everyone says that, but they actually deliver here. Think big arena battles and these huge 24-player mode things. New battlegrounds coming in, too. Oh, and there’s a nifty new weapon, the Borealis. Sounds fancy, but it’s more of a charge-up-and-blast type of deal.

And get this—I think it’s genius! They want you to take down the devs in the beta. They’ll be running around with these ‘flaming disco ball’ skins, and if you nab one of them? Boom! You get a skin of your own. It’s like a treasure hunt but with explosions.

Now, the biggie—The Lab. It’s like this massive sandbox, kinda like Halo’s Forge. Throw in whatever you want, dream maps, total customization. Do it solo, or bring up to 16 buddies along for creative chaos.

Quick tip: the beta’s live on pretty much everything. PC players, Steam Deck fans, Xbox, PlayStation—you’re covered. And it rolls through to summer when the game hits for real, so that’s handy.

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