Attempting to pull in some fans of Titanfall for multiplayer action, the developers of Splitgate have released EMPULSE into Early Access.
Just like the demo (that’s gone now), the anti-cheat continues to be enabled on Linux.
I already covered the demo here on GamingOnLinux where I wasn’t quite sold on it.
Now it’s out I’ve had the chance to play some more of it, as I’m always itching for more good first-person shooters on Linux so I was keen for this.
EMPULSE does feel really great with the movement mechanics.
It’s fast, smooth and being able to wall-run along with having a grapple make getting around the maps and getting into action super fast.
EMPULSE does perform well too, with my Fedora KDE 44 / Ryzen 5800x / Radeon 6800 XT system having no problems at all on the High preset running at well over 140 FPS.
So, initially, it ticks a lot of the right boxes.
There’s a range of game modes too including:
It’s actually quite funny in the Capture The Mech mode, because the mechs are only somewhat powerful, and when you’re in one all the enemy players run at you with their big hammer to take you down (but they get squashed by a mech so easily).
All while your own team swarm around trying to protect you.
It’s truly chaotic.
The P.A.I.N.T grenades are a fun system too.
Grenades splash around the map with a different colour for a different boost like extra speed, jumping, healing.
You’ll make great use of these and so there’s a sprinkle of vibrant colour across the maps constantly.
Really helps the maps feel more alive too.
See the launch trailer below:
One minor grip about the design – the grenades you throw down can end up making enemies a little difficult to see.
Thankfully, you can change the enemy colour in the settings.
But still not perfect.
The main thing that worries me is the developer, 1047 Games, they need to win back support after completely fumbling the Splitgate series.
EMPULSE is in Early Access, which they say will last “9-12” months – but how long will it actually live?
It’s multiplayer only, and so far the player counts are pretty low at a peak of 2,740 since release.
As a paid game, this could fail quite easily when there’s far more finished free shooters out there.
However, I’ve had no trouble finding games at all so that’s nice.
Perhaps once they’ve found their flow with it, EMPULSE might end up as something amazing.
Compared to the demo, it won me over a lot more with the various game modes.
And the movement really is a lot of fun.
Give it a try.
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**📚 Original Source:**
[Splitgate devs return with 'EMPULSE', a Titanfall inspired movement shooter](https://www.gamingonlinux.com/2026/06/splitgate-devs-return-with-empulse-a-titanfall-inspired-movement-shooter/)
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