FragPunkPublisher: Bad Guitar StudiosDeveloper: Bad Guitar StudiosAvailability: 2025Platforms: Xbox Series X/S, PC (Steam)
It takes a lot for an online shooter to stand out these days. Just ask Concord. But FragPunk’s Shard Card system looks to be the twist needed to ensure it stands out above the rest.
The game was revealed back at the Xbox Games Showcase in June, but is set for release next year across Xbox Series X/S and PC. In fact, it had a Steam alpha test in June and a further beta is due in October to give more players a chance to check it out.
If anything, FragPunk has the most in common with Valorant. Like Riot’s shooter, it’s a five-versus-five free-to-play shooter in which teams take turns attacking and defending – the aim is to either plant a bomb in the enemy’s base, or prevent them from doing so.
I had a chance to try developer Bad Guitar’s game out myself at Gamescom. Players choose from 10 heroes, each with unique abilities. Pathojen, for instance, has healing and poison abilities, while the assassin Zephyr has cloaking and teleportation abilities, Jaguar can deploy electric shock traps, and Axon wields an electric guitar (likely a nod to the developer’s name). Visually there are some very cool designs, even if the roster doesn’t have the same diversity as, say, Apex Legends. It’s unclear what backstory, if any, the heroes will be given.
There are also plenty of weapon loadouts to choose from – shotguns, submachine guns, rifles, pistols, and daggers for melee attacks – that are standard for shooters, along with cosmetic options for both characters and weapons.
But it’s the card system that brings a much-needed twist. Teams can have up to three Shard Cards active for each round, which are voted on by way of tokens. Some cards also offer enhanced effects the more tokens assigned – stronger health regeneration, for instance. Cards are randomly drawn at the start of a round, but can also be re-drawn by spending tokens, earned through completing rounds.
So what do the cards do? Most are used to boost your own team: providing extra ammo, health regeneration, or revealing enemies on the map. Some can impact the whole battlefield, be it through an enduring fog, low gravity, or altering the length of the match. Others are more amusing, like giving your opponents big heads – Goldeneye style – for easier headshots