A new shooter has launched on Steam, which convinced many genre fans with a beta version in 2024. However, criticism from players is now pouring in.
What kind of shooter is this? FragPunk is a hero shooter where two teams of five players compete against each other. The playable heroes all have different abilities, including a sonar scan, a smoke wall, or healing mushrooms.
It is played in a classic 5v5 mode, as known from various tactical shooters:
- The attacking team must place a type of “bomb” on one of 2 spots (A or B).
- The defenders must prevent this.
- There is no respawn.
- If there is a tie, the teams compete in 1v1 duels.
The significant feature of FragPunk is a system that allows you to select up to 3 game cards at the beginning of each round, all of which have different effects. These cards can change the weather, give your opponents larger heads, or block opponents’ healing.
Here you can see a trailer:
FragPunk is free-to-play. You can play the shooter on Steam and in the Epic Games Store. The game is also set to be released on PlayStation 5 and Xbox in the near future.
From sweet baby to ugly child
On the night of March 7, FragPunk celebrated its release. Previously, there were already some shooter fans waiting for the game’s release, as FragPunk was already a small hit during a past beta.
On Steam alone, up to 22,300 players played simultaneously, and the test was additionally playable on consoles. Furthermore, big streamers like shroud, TenZ, or Lirik showcased FragPunk to tens of thousands of viewers on Twitch. Hopes arose that FragPunk could become a cool PvP shooter.
What are players criticizing about FragPunk? After the official release, disillusionment is spreading among shooter fans. Of the first 1,700 reviews, only 67% are positive. Players criticize mainly 2 aspects.
- The movement is slower than in the beta – significantly slower.
- The monetization: there are numerous in-game currencies, a battle pass, and a subscription.
Especially the financing model is an issue for many players. Overall, many players do not like the changes that FragPunk underwent compared to the beta. One player complains on Steam:
“Coming from the alpha and beta phase, FragPunk is like seeing a really cute baby that then slowly turns into the ugliest child you can imagine.”
Other reviews read similarly. The Steam user Solomon Muto writes, “The beta was the best game I have ever played. Now there are 9 currencies, weapon and lancer skin cards, 18 menus, and the slowest movement I have ever seen.”
The tragic thing about the criticism is that the basic gameplay is fun for many players. A Steam review summarizes the release mood very aptly: “The gameplay is fun, but the monetization is horrific.”
Should you test FragPunk? Yes, if you enjoy competitive shooters like Valorant or CS2, you should test FragPunk. The game is fundamentally free at first, and you should decide for yourself whether you like the gameplay or not. And if the many different currencies still scare you off, you can easily uninstall it and forget about it forever.
If FragPunk has disappointed you and you are looking for an upcoming shooter to look forward to in 2025, you can find 9 more titles that will be released this year and might interest you in our list on MeinMMO: 10 new shooters that are particularly interesting in 2025 – These releases you should mark on your calendar
