Fragpunk sprang to life from a commonplace mishap we’ve all experienced: that moment of horror when your phone’s screen shatters. However, what might seem like a minor disaster sparked an inspiration for Fragpunk. Those smeared, neon lights on the damaged screen captured the rebellious and dystopian vibe the game seeks to express, yet the broken glass held an even deeper symbolism.
Our daily lives revolve so heavily around our devices that a cracked phone screen can symbolize a fragmented world, offering parallel glimpses of the same reality, each varied yet interconnected.
Set in the Shardverse, Fragpunk introduces us to a world splintered by a mysterious element called Glunite. This substance grants ordinary people from alternate realities astonishing powers, but at a price—they become dependent on Glunite for survival. As mercenaries known as Lancers, they battle across Shards to claim whatever Glunite they can.
A unique feature in Fragpunk is the distribution of Shard Cards between rounds, which Lancers use to alter the environment to their advantage or hinder opponents. These cards offer a range of quirky to groundbreaking effects, like activating a big head mode for the enemy or creating portals to alternate versions of the current map, essentially doubling the arena size.
Thus, the multiverse in Fragpunk isn’t merely a visual treat; it’s integral to the gameplay.
“What distinguishes Fragpunk is the uniqueness of each round,” Fu Wenhe, narrative director at Bad Guitar studio, explains. “We remain committed to our core idea of defying norms and bending rules. Our art, narrative, and gameplay designs consistently reflect this ethos.”
“Our aim is to make the game accessible and enjoyable to players worldwide. This global perspective is evident in the ideas and inspirations we’ve drawn from mainstream international media.”
“Our art style, for instance—a blend of 2D and 3D—draws inspiration from the Spider-Verse movies,” Fu adds.
However, Spider-Verse’s influence on Fragpunk isn’t confined to visuals alone. While the characters hail from various alternate universes, a hallmark of the Spider-Verse style is the harmonious coexistence of diverse elements within one cohesive universe. Fragpunk aspires to replicate this, creating a world that feels familiar yet distinct. The development team hopes to achieve this delicate balance by focusing on a narrative-first approach for each character’s role in the universe.
“We’re deliberately avoiding a focus on a single character,” Fragpunk’s art director, Li Yiming, elaborates. “Each character follows consistent design principles regarding style, appearance, animations, skill effects, and color. Our goal is to highlight individual personalities within a unified art style.”
“We established the core lore early in development,” Fu continues. “Our narrative team crafts the character concepts, and the art team then develops diverse design elements, contributing to the process through their insights. Together, we decide which prototypes to develop further.”
Not only do Fragpunk’s characters leave a lasting impression, but so do the maps and environments, which vividly illustrate the Shardverse’s multiple realities. As a competitive shooter, Fragpunk incorporates classic map tropes—like transport depots and crumbling temples—into its unique style. Each location’s narrative purpose is deeply intertwined with the Shardverse lore.
“Our collaboration with the map design team runs parallel,” Fu explains. “We provide themes, and they create layouts and key points, while the narrative team defines environments, locations, and backstory. We aim to allow design teams freedom, only setting necessary parameters.”
“When they finish, they return the maps for custom additions and distinct callouts,” shares Huang Jingsi, narrative designer. “We ensure the locations reflect Fragpunk’s lore while making it easy for players to communicate during gameplay. That’s why we use familiar callouts like ‘mid’, ‘A-side’, ‘B-side’.”
The narrative potential of parallel universes is immense, especially in the hero shooter and free-to-play arena, where new characters, maps, and seasonal themes are expected for years. Fragpunk embraces this potential, standing out from other live-service games with a coherent yet imaginative universe.
“Our intent with the Shardverse was deliberate,” Fu says. “As a hero shooter with a punk aesthetic, we wanted an inclusive lore to support diverse design and future expansions.”
Regarding in-game skins, Li clarifies, “Lower-ranked skins might just have color alterations, but higher-ranked skins are transformative, showcasing pivotal moments in a character’s narrative, whether from their past or future.”
Yet, Bad Guitar’s ambition isn’t restricted to cosmetic items. They aim to deepen Fragpunk’s lore across media, including digital graphic novels and animations, with in-game storytelling adding layers of narrative through environmental cues and character dialogues.
“We welcome all media forms to enrich our game’s lore,” Fu states. “Alongside gameplay, we use text, voices, comics, and animated trailers to narrate our story.”
For further insights into gameplay and how Fragpunk combines elements from iconic shooters into a singular experience, check our preview and interview with Bad Guitar’s creative director, Xin Chang.
Fragpunk is set to launch on PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store on March 6th, with PlayStation and Xbox releases slated for a later date.
