Splitgate 2 quickly became the most-discussed game ofSummer Game Fest. Not thanks to innovative gameplay that gripped players’ attention, that award goes to Downhill, where the protagonist is uncomfortably aware that you’re controlling her actions. Not due to a compelling narrative that entices players in; that one’s Relooted. Neither is it because it’s a beloved IP being revived by a developer on a h*ck of a hot streak. Congratulations, The Expanse: Osiris Reborn.
No, everyone’s talking aboutSplitgate 2because the developer announcing its battle royale mode wore a silly hat. The hat in question was a simple black hat, emblazoned with the words, ‘Make FPS Great Again’. It’s a hat in the style of US President Donald Trump’s ‘Make America Great Again’ slogan hats or, more specifically, former senior advisor to the POTUS Elon Musk’s black variation on the hat. This hat is the reason why everyone’s talking about Splitgate 2.
1047 Games CEO Ian Proulx wore the hat as he proceeded to talk down the most successful FPS games around like Call of Duty and Apex Legends, enthusing that he wanted to make something different, something fresh and new. Following that up with the announcement of a battle royale mode in a game with $70 microtransactions and a trailer featuring Imagine Dragons is certainly a choice, but all was overshadowed by the unfortunate choice of headwear.
Proulx has since ‘clarified’ that he meant no political statement by the hat. It was just a joke, guys. Just banter. But we all know what Make X Great Again hats mean. We understand the connotations and the context of their existence. We live in a post-Trump world, and that world is darker because of his ascendency to become the most powerful man in the world. If you invoke his catchphrases, joking or not, you’re calling out to his supporters. You’re making your stance clear.
The Context
The hat alone might not have been so egregious if it were not for the riots currently happening in Los Angeles. Justfour blocksfrom Summer Game Fest,LA locals were standing up to ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) agentswho were trying to detain immigrants on the President’s orders. ICE isarresting record numbers of immigrantsunder President Trump’s direction, despite the fact thatdetention centres are already overcrowded. You cannot remove this hat from that context.
As the crowds gathered in LA, ICE deployed tear gas and rubber bullets,one of which hit an Australian journalistreporting on the violence. A reminder, ICE is acting on the orders of the President, just a few streets away from SGF, where Proulx wore his President Trump-adjacent hat.
What I want to know, though, iswhyProulx wore that hat. Was it to make a political statement? I doubt it. While the horrible headwear has ensured that the worst people in our communities are now supporting Splitgate 2, I think Proulx would have doubled down on ‘anti-woke’ talking points by now if was intent on going all-in with that crowd.
While he hasmade a point of not apologising, none of the CEO’s responses have outright courted gamergate phrases. He hasn’t pulled out the usual buzzwords; there’s no mention of ‘DEI’ or ‘being cancelled’. Other than the hat itself, he has not courted this audience, unlike the developers ofLords of the FallenorNo Rest For the Wicked.
“I’m not here to apologize but I am here to clarify,” Proulx laterwrote on Twitter, the platform owned by the man who made this style of black hat popular. “This is not a political statement, it is quite literally what it says, so take it at face value.”
If we take him at his word, then why wear a hat that was practically guaranteed to cause controversy? I blame Keanu Reeves.
Splitgate 2’s Summer Game Fest Moment
Ever since Reeves took to the stage to promote Cyberpunk 2077 and had his “you’re breathtaking” moment, developers have been desperate to recreate that viral success. The problem is, that moment was entirely natural, completely unscripted. It was also at a showcase for one of the most hotly-anticipated games ever made, and was said by Keanu fl*pping Reeves. Attempts to recreate it are tired and futile.
Proulx also channelledHazelight Studios director Josef Fareswith his expletive-ridden speech. Fares made a name (and a meme) for himself by telling the Oscars exactly what he thought of them. Again, it felt natural and honest. Instead of aiming his crosshairs at a sort-of rival awards show, however, Proulx decided that his fellow developers needed taking down a notch or two.
“I’m tired of playing the same Call of Duty every year,” he said. “And I wish we could have Titanfall 3.”
He followed these statements by showing a trailer for a battle royale mode (the same thing which, inApex Legends, many fans believe‘killed’ Titanfall 3) with those same $70 microtransactions that plague Call of Duty every year. He’s making FPS the same, again.
I’m not saying that the hat would have been fine if Splitgate 2 looked like the genuine article, that it would change the course of FPS history. But Proulx’s whole bit may have had a little more merit. As it stands Splitgate 2 is just an arena shooter, but with portals. The battle royale mode sure looks like a battle royale, but with portals. Splitgate 2 isn’t selling me on the FPS revolution Proulx promises.
Any Publicity Is Good Publicity
However, there’s one more reason that Proulx wore that hat. The same reason why anyone paid Geoff Keighley to showcase their game at his annual show. To get noticed. To stand out from the crowd. To get people talking about your game. And I hate to say it, but it worked. I didn’t watch any of SGF live – I have a newborn to look after, so I watch the adverts back on my second monitor during work hours – but what games did I hear about from friends’ texts or social media posts? Splitgate 2. In fact, I saw very little about any other game until I dug further and watched the shows for myself.
Any publicity is good publicity, so they say. And I can’t help but feel that this rings true. Proulx’s controversial cap may have turned away the players who are more aware of its political implications, especially in the context of the ICE raids simultaneously being enacted in the same city. It may have courted a few more players drawn in by tentative promises of President Trump-aligned politics within the development team or the game itself. But mostly, it’s got a load of regular folks to hear about the game via organic social media buzz and articles like this one written by people who feel compelled to call out problematic, hypocritical behaviour. I hope it was worth it.
