With the same old suspects like Overwatch 2, and Valorant dominating the area, the aggressive shooter style isn’t precisely bursting on the seams with choices. This August sees Firewalk Studios’ Harmony getting into the fray as a brand new hero shooter, however maybe extra intriguing is FragPunk. Developed by Dangerous Guitar Studio, a subsidiary of NetEase Video games, it’s a free-to-play first-person shooter launching in 2025, solely for Xbox Sequence X/S and PC.
I had an opportunity to go hands-on with the latest playtest and was pleasantly stunned at its bombastic presentation and responsive gunplay. Listed here are ten new particulars you must know, together with what units it aside from the competitors.
5v5 Hero Shooter
At its core, FragPunk is a 5v5 shooter. You match up with 4 different gamers, every deciding on a hero generally known as a Lancer (no duplicates allowed, at the very least not historically) and selecting weapons. The choice is decidedly extra grounded than fantastical, and relying on the mode, your crew assaults or defends the target. After all, slaying out and eliminating the opposing crew earlier than the time expires can be an possibility.
Is This Simply Valorant?
While you first hop into FragPunk, the Valorant similarities are plain. Certain, there are variations – you possibly can dash, potential makes use of refresh every spherical, and as an alternative of shopping for weapons with cash, every has a set variety of makes use of. Run out, and that weapon is now not out there for the remainder of the match. There’s an financial system to maintain observe of, however one of these weapon choice is extra free-form.
In any other case, a lot of what you’ve seen (and doubtless loathed) of Valorant applies right here: Rigorously peeking and even tenting lanes to shoot any enemies that strategy, planting and disarming the bomb (generally known as the Convertor), creating boundaries to seal off potential flanking routes, the checklist goes on. The gunplay feels fairly good and deceptively deep – you’re well-advised to hop into coaching to determine every weapon’s unfold sample and recoil.
Playable Lancers
That “We’ve got Valorant at house” connotation might persist when sure playable heroes. Dealer makes use of a rocket launcher and cluster grenades like Raze, however may throw down some smokes to obscure sightlines. Nonetheless, there’s a strong set of choices right here impressed by one hero shooter or one other.
Zephyr’s cloaking and assassination expertise carry the Spy from Workforce Fortress 2 to thoughts, however she will additionally teleport by way of dagger beacon. Kismet’s detection is just like Sova’s Recon Bolt, however she will additionally Rift Stroll, a danger/reward endeavor since you possibly can’t see different Lancers or their devices whereas it’s activated. Some Lancers are higher based mostly on pure utility alone, whereas others, like Nitro, may use fine-tuning. They’re an eclectic bunch, with distinctive designs aided by the over-the-top artwork model.
Weapons
The number of weapons can be fairly stable all-around, with 9 classes in whole – Shotgun, Submachine Gun, Assault Rifle, Gentle Machine Gun, Marksman Weapon, Sniper Rifle, Pistol, Utility Gun and the de facto melee weapon. Every matches its niches, although the Assault Rifles, SMGs and singular sniper are inclined to take priority. The Utility Weapons are attention-grabbing, permitting any crew member to deploy smokes and different devices, whereas the melee weapon helps charged assaults that deal extra injury.
Maps
4 maps have been out there through the playtest – Naos, Tundra, Tulix and Outpost. Between the corridors, corners, packing containers and doorways, you most likely know what to anticipate with the sightlines and layouts. Nevertheless, they every have some distinctive properties that add to the technique. Tulix, for instance, are ruins with overgrowth and crumbling partitions. It’s potential to flank opponents by means of these openings and even crouch within the tall grass. Will the latter prevent from eagle-eyed gamers? In all probability not, however it might present a couple of milliseconds to get the primary shot off.
Shard Conflict
Because the “Aggressive” mode, Shard Conflict features very like Valorant’s Spike Rush. One crew picks up the Convertor and has to plant it at one in every of two areas whereas the opposite has to cease them. The primary to win 4 rounds is the victor. What units it aside is using Shard Playing cards. Earlier than every spherical, you’re dealt three random playing cards – the crew can then spend factors to activate them.
Relying on the choices, it might be troublesome to activate all three on the outset, however you may also select to not activate something and save these factors for later rounds. Alternatively, you possibly can spend Shard Factors to vary a card right into a extra appropriate alternative. There’s some potential counterplay, particularly since you possibly can see the opposing aspect’s playing cards.
Shard Playing cards
Shard Playing cards add every kind of enjoyable – and painful – modifiers to a match. You can achieve +1 to all ability utilization on kills, purchase HP regeneration when near your allies, improve motion pace by 20 %, double soar, and even make all weapons free for a spherical. It’s additionally potential to mess with the enemy crew, enabling massive head mode for (presumably) simpler headshots, eradicating their therapeutic and even swapping attacking and defending sides.
As you degree up, extra Shard Playing cards change into out there, and whereas the stronger ones demand extra Shard Factors, they are often game-changing, like shotguns dealing further fireplace injury or activating a Blaze sword to deflect pictures above the knees. Some Shard Playing cards even have results that may be strengthened as you pour extra Shard Factors into them.
Duels
A match of Shard Conflict ends when a crew reaches 4 spherical wins, however what occurs if each groups are tied up, 3-3? That is when the Duels start. Gamers have interaction in 1v1 gunfights – take down an opponent to battle the following in queue, although your well being carries over between duels. Die, and your teammate is subsequent in line. Every participant can resolve their place within the queue, and it’s genuinely enthralling to look at, particularly when arriving on the final participant who’s scared witless at having to clutch.
Arcade Modes
Exterior of Shard Conflict, you could have Arcade Modes like Workforce Deathmatch and Scrimmage. Because the title implies, the previous sees two groups battling to succeed in 100 kills first. There aren’t any restrictions on weapon decisions, and skills recharge over time. Scrimmage is like Free-For-All Deathmatch, and you’ll drop in whereas queued for some fast motion. As soon as once more, there aren’t any restrictions on weapons, however talents are absent, so it’s all about gunplay. In case you’re eager on practising Shard Conflict with different gamers, a playlist towards AI bots can be out there.
Taking pictures Vary and Solo Coaching
The Taking pictures Vary is a should in titles like this to refine your intention and grasp the recoil and unfold patterns of various weapons. FragPunk’s Taking pictures Vary is fairly well-equipped, with choices for stationary and shifting bots, aerial targets, time restrictions, and so on. You may also shoot targets from 5 to 40 meters to enhance accuracy and measure how exactly you must faucet the set off for some weapons.
Those that wish to 1v5 towards bots, with no restrictions on Shard Playing cards can check out Solo Coaching. You need to nonetheless plant and guard the Convertor, however both sides has respawns out there. As you full matches efficiently, extra issue choices unlock, additional bumping up the AI’s consciousness. It is probably not one of the best for encouraging teamwork, however Solo Coaching gives a good reside firing atmosphere earlier than hopping into Shard Conflict.
