Bad Guitar Games has suddenly announced that FragPunk is delayed for consoles.
They shared this statement on Twitter:
“Dear Lancers,
First and foremost, we want to express our heartfelt gratitude for your patience and unwavering support of FragPunk. Since the announcement of the game, your excitement has been truly inspiring, and we know how much you’ve been looking forward to launching into battle on both Xbox and PlayStation.
However, we want to be fully transparent with you: during the console compliance testing process, we encountered unexpected technical challenges in optimization and adaptation. Rather than rushing the console release and providing a potentially poor user experience, we have made the difficult decision to delay the launch of the console versions to ensure that players receive a comparable experience to those on PC.
We understand that delays are frustrating, and we sincerely apologize for the wait. As a gesture of appreciation, we have prepared compensation for both Xbox and PlayStation players, especially those who supported us through pre-orders.”
Bad Guitar Games went on to explain that they will cancel all pre-orders immediately and offer refunds to Xbox and PlayStation users. They will also give those users who did pre-order $ 10 in in-store credit when the game does launch.
If you earned certain rewards from engaging in Bad Guitar’s social media channels, they will still honor your rewards when the game finally comes to your respective consoles. Finally, they will not be offering a new pre-order period, but instead provide a time-limited bundle that will include those original pre-order incentives at launch.
Bad Guitar Games, for those who don’t know, is a subsidiary of NetEase via another bigger studio, Thunder Fire Studio. This is the same studio behind Naraka Bladepoint and Project Mugen, AKA Ananta.
Last month, NetEase assured investors that FragPunk was ready for launch. In their words:
“FragPunk has undergone large-scale testing in both domestic and overseas markets, with feedback meeting expectations. Players appreciated the innovative gameplay and system design. After months of iteration, the game is ready for launch.
Post-launch, NetEase will monitor player feedback, update levels, provide new characters, and address cheating behaviors to maintain a healthy gaming environment. The company is confident in FragPunk’s success due to its unique style and system design.”
This is the same NetEase who just confirmed they laid off the entire Seattle studio working on Marvel Rivals. A Bloomberg report claims that the company is currently undergoing restructuring, affecting all their projects and studios in and out of China.
So it’s no exaggeration to say that Bad Guitar Games must have labored over this decision. With all the trust that was put upon them by NetEase brass, they understand that if FragPunk does not meet those sales expectations, it won’t turn out well for them. We wish Bad Guitar Games the best of luck in their launch, as we are also hopeful that this bold attempt to reinvent multiplayer shooters finds their audience.
