FragPunk: Release date, gameplay & everything we know
NetEaseFragPunk is an upcoming hero shooter that takes a well-known concept and drops it on its head by introducing game-changing mechanics in each new round.
After playing its closed beta, we praised it for doing something different, saying “it has all the tools to compete with the very best in the genre.”
It finally has a release date following 2024’s Game Awards so from its release date to its gameplay and characters, here’s everything you need to know about the new FPS from NetEase and Bad Guitar Studio.
FragPunk release date
FragPunk releases on March 6, 2025.
It was first announced at the Xbox Summer Games Showcase in June 2024 before having a closed alpha in late June and a closed beta in October. Then, at December’s Game Awards, its March 2025 release date was confirmed.
NetEaseWhat is FragPunk?
FragPunk is a 5v5 first-person hero shooter that shares similarities with Marvel Rivals, Overwatch, CS2, and Valorant, but with one key twist – Shard Cards.
Between rounds, players draw these Shard Cards that bring game-changing modifiers. These can change the weather, give your team double-jump abilities, stop enemies from healing, let your team respawn as zombies, reduce cover at bomb sites, and much more.
It has the simple attack-and-defend format that has become immensely popular, and each character (or Lancer) has specific abilities we detail below.
FragPunk trailers
The first FragPunk trailer came in June 2024 with its announcement at the Xbox Summer Games Showcase:
A gameplay trailer was then released in August 2024, ahead of the closed beta:
The Game Awards 2024 announced FragPunk’s release date with a brand-new trailer:
FragPunk platforms
FragPunk is available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC through Steam and the Epic Games Store.
There’s nothing to say it’ll be coming to PS4 and Xbox One as fewer and fewer games are releasing on last-gen consoles with Black Ops 6 and EA FC 25 among the few.
Is it free-to-play?
Yes, FragPunk is free to play and the devs also confirmed that “All Shard Cards will be completely free and accessible at launch and beyond” so they won’t be locked behind a paywall.
Since it’s a free-to-play live service game, you can expect microtransactions such as Battle Passes and skins.
Does it have crossplay?
Yes, FragPunk has crossplay between all platforms so it’ll be as easy as inviting your friends to play, no matter whether they’re on Xbox, PlayStation, or PC.
All FragPunk characters & abilities
12 characters have been revealed for FragPunk so far, and you can find descriptions of all their unique abilities in the table below.
| Lancer | Ability | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Axon | Electric Guitar | An electric guitar modified for shooting that deals high damage to close-range enemies. Press the Aim key to quickly throw two “Sticky Fingers” bombs. Every kill made with the guitar replenishes two uses. |
| Sticky Fingers | Throws a bouncing sticky grenade. Hold down the Skill key to keep throwing. The grenade bounces off surfaces until it sticks to an enemy, or detonates automatically when its timer is up. | |
| Super Freak | When activated, Axon is immune to visual disturbances. | |
| Darkslide (Passive) | When sprinting, Axon can crouch to slide. | |
| Broker | Goddard’s Vengeance | A shoulder-mounted rocket that causes explosive damage and knocks back enemies who are within a certain range. |
| Smokestack Lightning | Throwable gadget that generates a smoke screen around the projectile. | |
| Cherry Bomb | A throwable energy device that generates multiple energy bombs upon hitting the ground. | |
| Corona | Fast Lane | Dashes for a short distance; the dash distance is shorter when moving vertically. |
| Ashes to Ashes | Throws a device that activates a war zone when hitting the ground, dealing minor damage over time to enemies in its zone, and provides Corona himself with damage reduction and speed booster when he is in its zone. | |
| Hot Head | After a short charge, blinds all frontal enemies looking directly at Corona. | |
| Hollowpoint | Meteora | Uses a single-shot railgun with variable optics when aiming down sights, the weapon charges and reveals enemies in the field of view. |
| Smoke Screen | Releases a forward-moving smoke screen. Enemies caught in the smoke will be displayed as silhouettes. | |
| Paparazzi | Deploys a trap that automatically attaches to a nearby enemy and exposes the enemy. The gadget can be destroyed or removed by interaction. | |
| Jaguar | Live Wire | Deploys an electrical shock trap that deals damage and slows nearby enemies, as well as adding a “Hunter’s Last Gift” to them. |
| Electric Avenue | Summons electrified cages around enemies in front of you. Enemies within the cages will be tagged with a “Hunter’s Last Gift.” | |
| I Can See For Miles | Displays the number and direction of enemies ahead and detects enemies with low health and enemies with “Hunter’s Last Gift.” | |
| Hunter’s Last Gift (Passive) | After being affected by Jaguar’s skills, enemies carry “Hunter’s Last Gifts” for a period of time. When active, enemies with “Hunter’s Last Gifts” are detected. | |
| Kismet | Hello, Goodbye | Generates a frontal scan of all enemies in range. |
| Misery Angel | Throws a bomb that deals damage to enemies in range, regardless of intervening barricades. | |
| Walk on the Wild Side | Enter Rift Walk stage, becoming invisible and invulnerable, but unable to see other Lancers and gadgets. | |
| Nitro | Chug Chug | Deploys a multi-function tactical combat drone that can be controlled remotely. |
| The Wall | Places a wall of shields formed by three pieces of cover across the designated location. | |
| Mr. Pewpew | Throws a sentry turret that fires automatically. | |
| Pathojen | Emotional Rescue | Throws a biomedical device that creates a healing field, restoring health to all allies within its zone. |
| Shroom Wall | Erects a destructible fungus wall on the ground or in a doorway. | |
| Killer Queen | A throwable trap that can be activated manually or triggered when an enemy approaches. Lancers within its range will receive damage over time. | |
| Chemical Romance (Passive) | Pathojen is immune to poison damage. | |
| Serket | Station to Station | Conceals Serket and allows her to place a controllable beacon. Within a limited time, she can teleport to the beacon’s location. Enemies within the beacon’s view are displayed as sandstorms. |
| Gold Dust Woman | Releases a dust tornado that moves forward slowly, blinding and slowing enemies in range. | |
| Dilemma | Throwable gadget that drags enemies in range towards it. | |
| Sonar | Echolocation | Deploys an echolocation device that periodically reveals surrounding moving enemies. |
| Sonic Surge | Launches a sonic wave that exposes all enemies it hits. The wave releases a delayed sonic blast that knocks back, dazes, and further exposes enemies in range. | |
| Sound of Silence | Dampens footsteps of the player and surrounding teammates. Grants immunity to enemy Echolocation scans. | |
| Spider | Teleporter | Place two teleporters that Spider recall remotely. |
| Spirited Away | Throws teleportation trap that takes effect after a short delay, teleporting all Lancers in range to the location where Spider initially used the skill. | |
| Spider Web | Places a disorienting trap. Enemies who trigger it are briefly blinded and slowed. | |
| Zephyr | Midnight Rambler | Enters optical cloaking mode, which cycles between full invisibility and semi-invisibility. Only melee weapons can be used while in this state. Automatically deactivates once firearms are employed. |
| Fade Away | Selects an area in which Zephyr can become fully invisible when using her “Midnight Rambler.” The cloaking time is unlimited and will not be disrupted when being attacked. | |
| Get Back | Deploys a dagger beacon. Reactivate the skill to teleport to it after a short delay. The beacon can be destroyed. Using this ability will not interrupt the invisibility of Midnight Rambler. |
PC system requirements
| Minimum | Recommended | |
|---|---|---|
| OS | Windows 10 64-bit or newer | Windows 10 64-bit or newer |
| Processor | Intel i7 8th or AMD Zen2 | Intel i7 10th or AMD Zen3 |
| Memory | 16 GB RAM | 32 GB RAM |
| Graphics | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 / Intel ARC A380 | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 / Intel ARC A580 |
| DirectX | Version 11 | Version 11 |
| Network | Broadband Internet connection | Broadband Internet connection |
| Storage | 35 GB available space (SSD required) | 35 GB available space (SSD required) |
While we wait for FragPunk to arrive, you can also check out the best multiplayer games on Game Pass and our favorite games of 2024 – you might just find one you missed.