It’s a widely held belief that competitive team shooters must achieve a perfect sense of balance, tuning weapons, abilities, maps, and mechanics in a never-ending chase for gameplay harmony and happy PvPers. So it’s interesting to hear that FragPunk, an upcoming 5v5 hero shooter, is hoping to jar that sense of balance with the addition of power-ups known as shard cards that promise to “bend the rules of combat.”
“Welcome to a future where lancers, genetically enhanced heroes, face off against each other in a competition for the most valuable resource in the universe: Glunite. Any good lancer knows that the rules of engagement can change on a dime thanks to powerful tools known as shard cards, and only the players that constantly adapt will emerge victorious. […] If you wanna win the gunfight, you’re gonna have to play your cards right!”
FragPunk comes to us from Bad Guitar, a subsidiary studio of the NetEase-owned developer ThunderFire. The game’s marquee shard cards feature will let player teams choose from a random selection of 70 different cards at the start of each round to engage mid-match. These cards apply effects like big head mode for enemies, chain lightning or fire damage for bullets, increased jump height, or even switching the role of attacking and defending teams. The game also touts its fast pace, with rounds lasting only two and a half minutes, while also promising plenty of characters, maps, and weapons, all done up in a colorful neon style.
FragPunk is headed for PC and Xbox X|S sometime in 2025, with wishlisting on both platforms now available.
