FragPunk Closed Alpha Details Revealed

Highlights

• FragPunk promises a unique gameplay mechanic with Shard Cards that can dramatically change matches in the crowded hero shooter scene.
• Closed Alpha Test starting June 27 will offer 10 characters, 15 weapons, 4 maps, and 70 Shard Cards for players to experiment with.
• FragPunk by Bad Guitar Studio aims for short and intense 5v5 rounds, standing out with customizable loadouts and a unique card system.

NetEase Games has released the details on the upcoming Closed Alpha Test for FragPunk, its newly announced multiplayer shooter. Revealed during the Xbox Games Showcase on June 10, 2024, FragPunk promises to put its own spin on the team-based hero shooter scene with a unique “rule-changing” gameplay mechanic.

The Xbox Games Showcase, as well as other game-centered events in and around the Summer Games Fest, brought with it a slew of new game announcements, including a wave of new multiplayer shooter titles, including FragPunk. The hero shooter scene is dominated by major titles that include games like Apex Legends and Valorant, so FragPunk will have some very stiff competition. That said, developer Bad Guitar Studio appears confident in FragPunk‘s ability to stand out, thanks to a unique mechanic based on actively changing the rules of the match as it’s played.

The FragPunk Closed Alpha Test will start on June 27, 2024, and run through July 1 for selected applicants. Players in North America can register to participate in the test on the official FragPunk website. Alternatively, players can request access via the game’s Steam store page. The schedule makes FragPunk the second of the new wave of hero shooters to enter a public testing phase, as the superhero-themed hero shooter Marvel Rivals entered Alpha Testing in early May 2024.

FragPunk Closed Alpha Includes the Launch Roster of Characters

According to an FAQ on the official site, players will be able to play an early build of FragPunk, and have access to the launch roster of 10 characters. They’ll also be able to choose from 15 weapons, 4 maps, and 70 different Shard Cards, allowing for a good number of combinations between weapon, character, and card deck. It’ll be during this test period that players will see just how impactful the FragPunk Shard Card abilities can be.

Based on the trailer, which was entirely cinematic, Shard Cards are the central mechanic that helps FragPunk stand out in a crowded genre. Shard Card abilities can be relatively mundane, like Dragon’s Breath, which adds fire damage to a player’s attacks. But others can be far more dramatic, like World Flip, which indirectly takes a page from Lawbreakers and flips the map upside-down, to “reverse” enemies’ gravity temporarily.

What wasn’t clear from the trailer alone is how the “hero” part of FragPunk‘s hero shooter concept will come into play. The official site promotes a cast of ten playable heroes with a variety of abilities and weapon combinations, but says little about what those abilities are and how they’ll play alongside Shard Cards. That might come into clearer light once more details emerge from the FragPunk Closed Alpha.