phantom divide‘s developers will be the first to tell you that the fledgling FPS game is off to a rocky start and is on the back foot. Mountaintop Studios’ transparency about its player numbers and how it hopes to rebound is refreshing, and it knows as well as anyone that its Season 1 update is essentially a soft reboot and chance at redemption for the tactical shooter. The developer has now shared some new, expanded plans for Splinters Season 1, including when the delayed debut season will arrive.

The Phantom Divide surprised me when it launched last year for two reasons. First, it went from an unannounced project to a fully released, live-service game in a matter of weeks. Despite being in development for a few years, its whirlwind launch (and lack of a proper early access window) probably didn’t do it much good. Secondly, it wowed me with its novel core gameplay mechanic, which lets you swap between two bodies during a match. Combining this mechanic with tense gunplay, a rich cast of playable factions called “sponsors”, and a great art style, it combines many of the elements needed for a successful FPS game.

However, it quickly became apparent that it still needed improvement in some areas, and the initial pricing of its cosmetics didn’t sit well with some early players. As a result, Mountaintop says it will enter the game development equivalent of an ecological wheel—sit back, stop marketing, and focus on perfecting the game for the first season. Mitchell expects the first season to air in late December or January.

However, in the latest update today, Mitchell said it has been delayed further to give it “more time to cook”. The first season of Splinters, titled “Flashpoint,” is now released in “late February.”

All previously promised content from Season 1 remains – there will be a new sponsor called Monark Tactical, a proper battle pass, career and match history tabs, and ranked rewards. Cosmetic prices will also be reduced againand anyone who has purchased premium currency in Specter Divide will receive $50 in free currency.

But The Hilltop has revealed some additional content coming to Season 1. Hilltop has increased movement speed once before, and now the dash mechanic will help you spin around its sizable map faster. There will also be a new map called “Canals”, which brings the total number of maps to five, and “Specter Divide” will also be launched on consoles to further expand its reach.

Season 1 does have a lot of heat, and it needs to. I’m really excited to see how all these additions and improvements land, and whether another marketing push (plus a console launch) can bring new life to the 3v3 shooter. Until then, take a look at some of the multiplayer and free-to-play Steam games it’ll be facing.

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