Splitgate is a free-to-play arena shooter that is perhaps best described as Halo meets Portal. It's been available on PC in early access for a couple of years now, but just recently started its open beta on consoles. The response to Splitgate's console debut has been overwhelmingly positive so far, to the point where the developers have had to implement a queue system so people can play, though the wait times to get in the game are spiraling out of control.
Splitgate queue times can be an hour or more, up from the 30 minute or so wait times that players were experiencing last week. It seems that Splitgate's popularity is continuing to grow, with the game being picked up by streamers and drawing even more attention to it. The developers are working hard behind the scenes to improvement Splitgate's queue times and ensure that everyone that wants to play the game gets the chance to do so, though it seems that the game's growing popularity will continue to make this difficult.
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Some fans have become upset about Splitgate's queue times and how long it can take to get into a match, but it's worth pointing out that this is exactly the kind of thing beta testing is for. This way the Splitgate developers are able to ensure things go smoothly and better prepare for the full launch, whenever that may be.
Originally, the Splitgate release date was pegged for July 27, though those plans were scrapped after the game's overwhelming popularity caused server crashing and other issues. The developers decided to delay Splitgate's release date to an undetermined point in August to give them time to address the situation. It wouldn't be out of the question for Splitgate's ballooning popularity to keep pushing the official release date back, but latest word is that the game will indeed launch this month.
Besides fixing the servers and ensuring that everyone can hop on Splitgate whenever they want to play, it will be interesting to see what else the developers do to keep fans engaged with the FPS. Splitgate is a free-to-play game, and so fans should be able to expect plenty of new cosmetics and things of that nature in the near future, but it seems likely that new maps and game modes will also be part of the equation, especially if its popularity persists.
The launch of Halo Infinite's multiplayer later this year will serve as some major competition for Splitgate, but the game's unique portal mechanic could very well help it stand out and maintain its fanbase. Time will tell.
Splitgate is available in beta on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
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