Splitgate: Arena Warfare evokes your favorite memories of the most-revered shooters of the past two decades, embracing the classic and familiar feel of arena multiplayer with a multi-directional twist. Splitgate: Arena Warfare’s world-bending portal mechanic lets players instantly create and link gateways around the map, encouraging and rewarding constant jetpack-boosted movement, strategic flanking and ambushes, and action that truly embraces all 360 degrees. It also looks really cool.

Splitgate: Arena Warfare is designed to be equally accessible to first-time and veteran FPS players, with an infinitely high skill cap that will take players hundreds of hours to refine and master. Splitgate is built in Unreal Engine 4 by 1047 Games, a passionate group of Halo fans, whose experience and love for the genre transcends the typical development team.

“As Splitgate evolved, we realized that players would be best served with a free-to-play model. We want to ensure that everyone who wants to play has the opportunity to do so,” said Ian Proulx, CEO and co-founder of 1047 Games. “Rest assured this will not detract from its hyper-competitive design – all items for sale in the game are purely cosmetic.”

Players can try Splitgate: Arena Warfare’s free beta now on Steam. The beta, which runs from May 3-6, features a variety of ranked, unranked and custom games. The game will launch with a vast array of customizable options, including weapon and armor skins, jetpacks, portal guns and more; a select amount of these items will be available in the open beta. Ranks and progression will reset after the beta.

Constant movement is encouraged and rewarded as players strategically place portals to FLY, FLANK and FRAG through the air to create incredible, previously-impossible highlights.

Instead of a complicated and convoluted matchmaking system,Splitgate: Arena Warfare uses a simple, intuitive 1-50 ranking system determined purely on player wins and losses, cutting down on in-game griefing while providing little incentive for player boosting.

Players start each match with the same loadout, eliminating any unfair advantages from the start. Power weapons spawn on a timer across the map, and players are encouraged to use these powerful weapons to achieve montage-worthy killstreaks.

Standard FPS controls and intuitive portal mechanics mean beginners are up and running right off the bat. However, players must constantly evolve strategies and their ability to think with portals in order to outsmart one another. The skill cap is unlimited.

Splitgate: Arena Warfare will launch for free on PC via Steam on May 22, 2019.