Bad Guitar's FragPunk turned more than a few heads last year, promising to inject new life into the wildly oversaturated hero shooter landscape. While FragPunk has a tough job ahead of itself, the team behind the title is confident in its ability to compete.
FragPunk has its work cut out when it comes to the hero shooter genre, with 2024 seeing many titles vy for Overwatch 2's crown. Marvel Rivals has thus far been a big success, while Concord only lasted about two weeks. Fortunately, FragPunk's fast pace and RNG Shard Cards give it quite an edge, and The Best War Games was able to learn more about the upcoming title when it sat down with creative director and producer Xin Chang.
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How FragPunk Will Stand Out From The Hero Shooter Competition
Ways Fragpunk Will Set Itself Apart
Q: The hero shooter space has become incredibly competitive in recent years. Was the density of competition in the space a topic of conversation during development?
A: Absolutely, we recognize that the hero shooter market is highly competitive, but we were highly motivated from the very beginning of development for FragPunk by our passion for this genre, and we believe we have what it takes to make FragPunk stand out. We understand that to succeed in a competitive landscape, it’s essential to offer something unique. That's why we introduced the Shard Card system, which empowers players to alter the rules of the game. Additionally, we designed a “duel” feature for tied matches that highlights each player’s individual skills. There’s much more to discover once we officially launch, and we are confident that we will stand out from our competitors.
Q: If you had to narrow it down to one thing, what single aspect of FragPunk sets it apart from the competition the most?
A: The rule-bending Shard Cards make the gameplay of FragPunk chaotic and unpredictable. In traditional demolition gameplay, players must follow a sequence of steps: scouting, searching for a site, and setting bombs. However, in FragPunk, you can throw the bomb onto the site, carry the site with you, or even turn the entire map into sites—all thanks to the power of Shard Cards. No two rounds in FragPunk are governed by the same rules.
Q: What inspired the Shard Card system of FragPunk? Was it there from the start of development, or were other core mechanics considered?
A: You might be surprised to learn that the concept of Shard Cards originated from sports. Over the years, as I watched traditional sports like soccer, basketball, and volleyball, as well as F1, boxing, and WWE, I noticed a clear trend in the revision of rules: to prevent fixed strategies from making the game predictable. Unpredictability creates suspense, and suspense captures the audience's attention and interest. This situation is similar to the competitive FPS scene. After spending thousands of hours playing current FPS giants, we felt that while superior shooting skills and perfect tactical execution are essential for ranking up, matches have become increasingly rigid and formulaic, often leading to repetitive experiences. Suspense mainly arises from the outcomes of player gunfights, but there aren’t many design elements in the game to enhance suspense and variety. We wanted to introduce greater suspense into the FPS genre, and when we thought of “random” and “unpredictable” situations, the implementation of cards immediately came to mind. This led to the creation of our card system, known as the “Shard Card.”
The Evolution of Fragpunk
Q: What are the big ways in which FragPunk has changed since its public playtests?
A: We have made significant modifications to various functions based on feedback from players and the community during testing, and we have added a wealth of new content for the launch version. For example, we have created a variety of new Shard Cards, some of which are inspired by player feedback. We have also made multiple shooting experience enhancements, including slightly reducing the recoil of all firearms to improve their handling, also based on player feedback. Overall, the biggest change is that FragPunk will be more enjoyable and engaging to play at launch. New content will be released gradually leading up to the launch, so please stay tuned!
Q: Some fans have voiced concern with the RNG aspect tied to FragPunk's card system. Is this something the team plans to address?
A: Randomness is inherent to our Shard Card system, which creates a rogue-like experience for players in every match. However, we did notice that some less interesting cards appeared too frequently during testing. We are working on new mechanisms to solve this very problem.
Q: Given the random element of cards, how does the team approach balancing Lancer abilities with the incredible variety of cards?
A: At the initial design stage of new Shard Cards, we involve our game designers, who are responsible for different modules to assess whether a card might disrupt the balance of combat, levels, and, of course, Lancers. Through this process, the development team aims to reach a consensus that a card's ability to bend the rules is kept in check. Additionally, our QA team will conduct various tests before a card's release to ensure it does not disrupt the game's balance. We will also closely monitor card balance after FragPunk's official release and make timely adjustments as needed.
FragPunk's Future
Q: How often does the team plan to add new cards?
A: New cards will be added together with our seasonal updates. We plan to release a roadmap outlining our future seasonal plans and updates closer to the launch.
Q: What challenges did the team encounter in making FragPunk such a fast-paced iteration on the hero shooter formula?
A: We began the journey of FragPunk with a small team of fewer than ten people and a rough yet heartfelt vision: to create a shooter that we, along with FPS enthusiasts, would truly love. Like many small teams venturing into a well-established genre, we’re grappling with challenges. We don't have a recognizable IP like Call of Duty, and our studio's name is virtually unknown at this stage. Promoting FragPunk has been quite a challenge, but we've been fortunate to work with great partners who helped us get started. We were thrilled to see players praise the game during our Alpha and Beta tests. We are incredibly grateful for the players’ time and feedback; it serves as our greatest motivation to continually improve FragPunk day by day.
Q: Is there much of a plan to develop the story of FragPunk? Will players be able to learn more about the personalities of Fragpunk's Lancers and, if so, how?
A: We are currently developing a more detailed narrative for the world of FragPunk, with the ambition of creating a "FragPunk Universe." The Lancers’ characters will also be unveiled gradually with our future updates.
Q: How far ahead have you planned with regard to the game's post-launch future?
A: FragPunk will operate on a seasonal basis, and we are currently planning content to be released in the latter half of 2025. Details about future seasonal plans and updates will be announced closer to the launch, so please stay tuned!
FragPunk
- Released
- March 6, 2025
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T For Teen // Violence, Blood
- Genre(s)
- Action, FPS, Multiplayer
