Splitgate: Arena Warfare feels like a classic multiplayer shooter in the realm of Halo, Unreal Tournament and Quake, then blows your mind by adding player-controlled portals into the mix. Everyone starts on an even playing field with a standardized loadout, and battles it out in one of a slew of game modes including the basics like Team Deathmatch, Free for All, and King of the Hill - as well as the more zany like Teabag Confirmed, where you must teabag an enemy after killing them to score points. Beyond these modes, the portal-based curveball that is thrown at you takes the traditional understandings of arena shooters and hurls them into a new dimension.
Be prepared to find yourself in a plethora of new scenarios that you haven’t seen in a multiplayer shooter before. Here are some of the infinite possibilities:
Anytime is the right time to flank
You may have experienced shooters where campers post up in a corner and wait for unsuspecting targets to waltz into their room, where they pounce. In Splitgate, any teal textured wall will let you place a portal. This means that you can always take the fight to them by teleporting across the map through your portals, walk up right behind them, and shoot them in the back.
Tread lightly through enemy portals
Those scary red portals that you can’t see through - they belong to the enemy. While you might not be able to get a glimpse at what is on the other side, if you see them flashing and your crosshairs turn red, there is a baddie and you should be shooting! Not only that, but feel free to take a stroll straight through their portal. Just be prepared as you might not know what is waiting for you on the other side.
Learn to fly with momentum and a jetpack
One of the keys to Portal was learning how to use your momentum to maintain speed. The same works in Splitgate, where you can fall a long distance into a portal only to fly out the other end at full speed. The jetpack on your back helps you keep your distance off of the ground and continue that momentum until you find your next target to frag.
EMP grenades demolish enemy portals
Any attempts to place a portal on top of another portal will be futile. Luckily, there is a tool in your arsenal that can help you out. If you find yourself in a situation where only one portal will fit on that glorious teal wall, and an enemy portal is already there blocking your path, just chuck one of your handy dandy EMP grenades at it. Once it’s destroyed, you’re free to place your own portals and continue your hunt.
If you also see an enemy create a portal to try to flank you or shoot you through it, thank fast and destroy it with the EMP grenade to prevent this attack.
Look for power weapons in hard-to-reach places
As mentioned earlier there is a standard loadout - usually an Assault Rifle and Pistol. Similar to Unreal Tournament, you will then be able to find more powerful weapons across the map based on spawn timers, rather than RNG. Splitgate continuously utilizes the momentum from portal play as a keystone of the game, and as you play the maps, you may discover some of the most potent power weapons in hard to reach places that require advanced portal movement.
There are many montage-worthy clips of 200 IQ plays just waiting to be made in Splitgate: Arena Warfare. You can have your hand at making some for free on Steam.
