EMPULSE: Steam Next Fest 2026 Analysis
Developer: 1047 Games Publisher: 1047 Games Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/4323990/EMPULSE/ Event: Steam Next Fest June 2026 (Top ~6 most-played demo)
Overview / Quick Take
Fast-paced 6v6 movement shooter from the Splitgate team, heavily inspired by Titanfall 2. Features fluid wall-running, grappling, holojumps, mech piloting and gadget play ("P.A.I.N.T.") across vertical streets in the city of Freehold. Arcade gunplay focused on mobility and outplaying opponents. Early Access launches June 24, 2026 on Steam, PS5 and Xbox for $19.99 (no MTXs at launch).
The Next Fest demo was a breakout moment: daily content updates, strong player engagement, and a jump to ~250,000 wishlists.
YouTube References
- JbowenDaMan – Empulse Just Keeps Getting Better and Better (GREAT Movement Shooter): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvF3Csg7ojw
- MayorReynoldsTV – EMPULSE: A TITANFALL successor from the SPLITGATE team: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIo2qx6KDqo
- Various creator playtests and clips from the fest showcasing movement tech and mech action.
Developer Shares / Signals
- @PlayEmpulse: "250,000 Steam wishlists later...THANK YOU to everyone who played the EMPULSE demo during Steam Next Fest." Confirmed they reviewed community clips, streams, and feedback.
- Daily X posts with new map/mode reveals (Refinery, Control mode).
- Feedback survey shared publicly.
- Steam news post detailing daily fest schedule and EA plans.
- Emphasis on listening to players and focusing on core gameplay refinement.
Next Fest Impact
Major positive impact. Landed in top 6 most-played demos. Drove wishlist count from near-zero to 250k+ in roughly a month. Daily content drops kept players engaged and returning. Developers publicly thanked the community and used the fest to gather structured feedback ahead of a very close EA launch. Built real momentum and visibility for a studio looking to rebound.
Gamalytic / Market Notes (as of 2026-06-23)
Pre-Early Access. No detailed revenue or ownership estimates yet. ~250,000+ Steam wishlists post-fest. Demo saw solid concurrent peaks (thousands). Strong interest from movement shooter enthusiasts. Success here will depend on post-launch retention and content cadence.
Sources
- Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/4323990/EMPULSE/
- Steam News (Next Fest schedule)
- @PlayEmpulse X account and posts
- Polygon preview
- Reddit r/Empulse (demo discussions, wishlist milestone)
- YouTube impressions and Alinea/substack coverage noting 250k wishlists and ranking
- Game Informer and other previews