Threads
- Fragpunk’s console release delay was due to underestimating the review process for console platforms, not competition.
- Sports inspired Fragpunk’s unique “Shard Card” system to bring unpredictability and suspense to FPS matches.
- Player feedback is actively shaping the game’s future, especially regarding in-game events, rewards, and monetisation.
- The development team is working to improve matchmaking times, especially during peak hours, to ensure a healthy player base.
FragPunk has quickly become one of the more unique takes on the hero shooter genre, mixing fast-paced FPS gameplay with a surprising rogue-lite twist through its “Shard Card” system. We spoke with Xin Chang, Creative Director and Producer at Bad Guitar Studio, to learn more about how the game is doing post-launch.
We discussed everything from the game’s performance and community feedback to plans for eSports and future updates.
Chang explained that while breaking into the live-service FPS space is tough, FragPunk has met internal expectations so far. He also shared that the team’s goal has always been to create a game that stands out through unpredictability and variety.
This idea inspired the shard cards, which were designed to keep matches fresh and suspenseful—something the developers felt was missing in other shooters.
We also talked about the creative process behind the Lancers, the studio’s response to criticism, and the path forward. Chang was clear that player feedback is shaping many of the game’s next steps, especially around monetisation, in-game rewards, and matchmaking improvements.
With a community-driven mindset and a growing roadmap, Bad Guitar Studio seems determined to keep FragPunk evolving in the long run.
Xin Chang: So far FragPunk’s performance is within our expectation. And as you mention, the FPS genre is hard to break in to, but we have a strong belief in FragPunk and our determination to deliver a long-term operation has never been weakened.
Xin Chang: The concept of Shard Cards originated from sports. Over the years, as I watched traditional sports like soccer, basketball, and volleyball, as well as F1, boxing, and WWE, I noticed a clear trend in the revision of rules: to prevent fixed strategies from making the game predictable. Unpredictability creates suspense, and suspense captures the audience’s attention and interest.
This situation is similar to the competitive FPS scene. After spending thousands of hours playing current FPS giants, we feel that while superior shooting skills and perfect tactical execution are essential for ranking up, matches have become increasingly rigid and formulaic, often leading to repetitive experiences.
Suspense mainly arises from the outcomes of player gunfights, but there aren’t many design elements in the game to enhance suspense and variety. We wanted to introduce greater suspense into the FPS genre, and when we thought of “random” and “unpredictable,” cards immediately came to mind. This led to the creation of our card system, known as the “Shard Card.”
Xin Chang: Our lancers were born from gameplay-first brainstorming : “What element feels missing in a match?” Abilities evolved through playtests—some ideas were scrapped for being too disruptive, while others stuck because they enabled unexpected synergies with cards. Through numberless internal tests, the lancers finally become what our players meet. The process is long and sometimes difficult, but as long as the lancers bring a refreshing experience for our players, it is all worth it.
Xin Chang: Even though FragPunk and Marvel Rivals both belong to the hero shooter genre, there are notable differences setting the two titles apart in gameplay and many other aspects, and we believe our players can easily tell that. We admire the creativity and passion of teams like Marvel Rivals, but FragPunk was developed independently.
We do try out each other’s games sometimes, but most of the time the two teams work separately. Healthy competition drives the genre forward, and we’re all players at heart—so we’re excited to see how different studios interpret the hero shooter space!
Xin Chang: We have been closely monitoring our community’s feedback, and we notice that players are commonly complaining about insufficient in-game events and rewards. We are aware of this problem and are now working specifically on events of Season 2, increasing both the frequency and content of events.
Xin Chang: We are continuously working on the monetization system and have realized optimizations like the merge of Lancer and Weapon Skin Keys. More updates on the monetization are in store now based on players’ feedback.
Xin Chang: Maintaining a healthy player base is our top priority. We’re aware of feedback regarding matchmaking times during peak hours and are actively optimizing our systems to improve efficiency.
Player retention is a dynamic challenge for any live-service game, and we’re committed to addressing it through regular content updates, community-driven events, and quality-of-life improvements. The passion we’ve seen from our community reinforces our confidence in FragPunk’s long-term potential. We’ll continue listening to player feedback and evolving the experience to keep the game vibrant and rewarding for everyone.
Xin Chang: We are taking the first step in the field of e-sports events by holding FragPunk Global Invitational, and we are glad to see that our player community is enthusiastic in participating in e-sports events. We will not say that we are not interested in “Becoming a big contender in the competitive FPS scene”, but we are still in the “trial and error” stage in e-sports. Doing the very first things right is our priority now.
Xin Chang: Our future updates will gradually enrich the Lancers’ characters. As you can discover in our launch build, we have added special comics as rewards for completing challenges, explaining the Lancers’ backgrounds and stories. We are also exploring other ways to deliver a more vivid and abundant FragPunk worldview to our players.
Xin Chang: The delay has nothing to do with competition. We underestimated the strictness of the console platform review, which resulted in our failure to pass the review on the expected launch time, so we had to delay the console launch. We were still trying hard till the last minute, and that is why we announced the delay only two days before the launch.
We understand the frustration of console players, so we made the most of the extra 2 months to optimize our console version and worked out a rich compensation plan for console players. We are closely listening to the console community’s feedback and working continuously on solving still-existing problems now.
FragPunk may still be finding its place in the competitive FPS market, but it’s clear that the team at Bad Guitar Studio is focused on long-term growth. The developers stay responsive and adaptable, from addressing player concerns to experimenting with fresh ideas like Shard Cards.
They listen to their community and keep improving their work with frequent updates. This proves they’re focused on creating something meaningful, not just following what’s popular.
Thanks again to Xin Chang for taking the time to share these insights. It’s always valuable to hear directly from the people behind the game, especially when they’re willing to be this transparent.
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Passionate gamer and content creator with vast knowledge of video games, and I enjoy writing content about them. My creativity and ability to think outside the box allow me to approach gaming uniquely. With my dedication to gaming and content creation, I’m constantly exploring new ways to share my passion with others.
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