Fragpunk is prepared to take on the hero shooter competition

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Table of Contents From concept to reality Cards and clashes Competition breeds innovation

The hero shooter genre remains as competitive as ever. Certain titles, such as Marvel Rivals andOverwatch 2, continue to evolve. Others like Concord haven’t been nearly as successful. Even with some occasional flops, any new offering aims to make its mark in a highly crowded field. The next contender up is Fragpunk, an upcoming 5v5 hero shooter from Bad Guitar Studio and Netease.

Fragpunk blends sci-fi and cyberpunk themes, along with fast-paced gunplay, to keep players on their toes every round. Most notably, it features a Shard Card system where teams select from a randomized pool of over 100 cards, some of which alter mechanics and environments, to make matches as unpredictable as possible.

I spoke with Xin Chang, creative director and producer of Fragpunk, to learn more about the project. He gave me some backstory on Hangzhou-based Bad Guitar Studio, which Chang helms, and how it went from a team of 10 to 100. A lot is riding on Fragpunk’s success, given that it’s also the debut title for most members of the development team.

From concept to reality

Fragpunk merges the adrenaline of first-person shooter combat with the unpredictability of a roguelike. Two opposing teams select characters, known as Lancers, with special perks and abilities. From there, a match turns into a frantic race to eliminate foes and plant/defuse bombs at specific sites. In between rounds, teams can also spend points to use Shard Cards, with various effects ranging from regenerative healing and increased movement speed to completely removing all doors in a level or turning a player upside down.

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