Fragpunk is ready to face the competition in the hero shooter genre.

      The hero shooter genre is as competitive as ever, with certain games like Marvel Rivals and Overwatch 2 continuing to develop and others, such as Concord, facing challenges in achieving success. Despite some occasional missteps, new entries strive to establish themselves in this crowded market. The latest contender is Fragpunk, an anticipated 5v5 hero shooter from Bad Guitar Studio and Netease.

      Fragpunk combines sci-fi and cyberpunk aesthetics with rapid gunplay, ensuring players remain engaged in every round. Notably, it introduces a Shard Card system that allows teams to choose from a randomized selection of over 100 cards, some of which can change mechanics and environments, creating unpredictable match experiences.

      I interviewed Xin Chang, the creative director and producer of Fragpunk, to gain insight into the game. He shared the origins of Hangzhou-based Bad Guitar Studio, which he leads, and its growth from 10 to 100 team members. Fragpunk’s success is crucial, particularly since it serves as the debut title for several team members.

      From concept to reality, Fragpunk merges the excitement of first-person shooter action with the unpredictability of a roguelike. Two teams select characters known as Lancers, each equipped with unique perks and abilities. Matches involve frantic efforts to eliminate opponents and plant or defuse bombs at designated sites. Between rounds, teams can use points to deploy Shard Cards, which can provide effects such as regeneration, increased movement speed, or even altering the game environment dramatically.

      Chang remarked, “Our team drew inspiration from the successes of other FPS titles like Counter-Strike and Valorant. We aimed to create a fast-paced game that highlights our unique features. I hope Fragpunk successfully merges what makes competitive FPS enjoyable while adding a novel strategic element with Shard Cards.”

      At launch, Fragpunk is expected to include 13 Lancers, each possessing distinct skills and ultimate moves. For instance, Broker’s Cherry Bomb unleashes energy blasts, and his Smokestack Lightning skill offers defensive capabilities. His ultimate ability, Goddard’s Vengeance, allows him to obliterate enemies with a rocket launcher. Some characters have similarly powerful ultimates that grant them special weapons for a limited time, such as Hollowpoint’s Meteora railgun, which fires high-powered rounds, and Axon’s Electric Guitar, which enables explosive attacks.

      “Our Lancers were developed through gameplay-focused brainstorming; asking what elements felt lacking in a match,” Chang explained. “Abilities evolved through playtests—some ideas were discarded as too disruptive, while others were kept for their potential synergies with cards. The development process can be lengthy and challenging, but if our Lancers provide a refreshing experience, it’s all worth it.”

      Chang highlighted three characters from sci-fi media that would fit well into Fragpunk’s world: “David Martinez from Cyberpunk: Edgerunners because of his rebellious nature and high-tech combat styles, Jinx from League of Legends and Arcane for her anarchic energy and explosive gadgets, and Neo from The Matrix films, whose bullet-dodging and reality-altering abilities align perfectly with our card chaos idea.”

      Cards and clashes are a central feature of Fragpunk. The vast array of Shard Cards allows players to strategize between rounds, deciding on the best allocation of points. “Fragpunk’s Shard Cards possess special ‘rule-breaking’ abilities, enabling changes to the weather, landscape, weapons, and characters within the game,” Chang noted.

      Importantly, teams can choose up to three cards each round to create unique and surprising combinations. “One of my favorite combos involves Blade Master, which allows blocking frontal attacks, and Turtleback, which defends against shots from behind. When used together, they enable players to block damage from both fronts, forcing enemies to shoot at their legs to inflict harm!” Chang shared.

      The randomized nature of the cards introduces an element of uncertainty and excitement, although it may also lead to frustration due to the luck factor involved. “Randomness is intrinsic to our Shard Card system," Chang acknowledged. "However, we noticed that some less engaging cards appeared too often during testing, which prompted us to implement a ‘Relic’ mechanic. This allows players to keep a card they favor between rounds.”

      With 13 characters, 17 weapon types, and over 100 Shard Cards available at launch, Fragpunk brims with potential combinations and synergies, which can also complicate balancing and the tracking of exploits. Chang recounted a specific challenge the team faced: “Initially, the design for the ‘World Flip’ card was intended to invert the entire level. However, as we began to integrate it, we encountered numerous bugs. After a week of brainstorming, we shifted our focus and instead decided to turn the character upside down, as seen in our Game Awards trailer. This illustrates the extent of our wild ideas sometimes!”

      Competition fosters innovation. “The success of hero shooters hinges on studios’ ability to keep players