Today’s Xbox Partner Preview is proving to be pretty fruitful, with TiGames having just stopped by to reveal ZOOPUNK.
The Tencent Games backed studio dropped a gameplay trailer for the upcoming action RPG which marks the return of Rayton, a rabbit protagonist you may remember from F.I.S.T: Forged in Shadow Torch.
Handily, ZOOPUNK serves as a prequel to that aforementioned title, so you don’t need any prior knowledge of the series.
If you do have that though, ZOOPUNK is a totally different beast; TiGames has left behind the metroidvania genre, this time creating a fully fledged action RPG.
Extending the Animal Punk universe, ZOOPUNK chronicles the origins of Torch City, an animal metropolis on the brink of revolution.
Players will experience the dawn of the First Torch War, after “the discovery of the fire seed energy sparks an age of rapid technological progress and catastrophic conflict”, confirmed a press release.
“As the energy spirals out of control, it awakens mechanical debris into self-aware, unstoppable war machines. Initially created to harness energy, these machines soon adopt violence from their creators, turning against the animals and establishing a mechanical empire bent on domination.”
It continued, “With the city in chaos, animals from rival factions must unite to resist this overwhelming force.”
Players will traverse a war-torn landscape divided into factions and isolated regions, from a volcanic industrial fortress to a crumbling military citadel.
Combat is unlike anything you’ll have experienced in the Animal Punk world before.
The gameplay is designed around several unique fighting styles inspired by animal traits.
Rayton the Rabbit is agile and is thus excellent at melee; Braton the Rhino is a strong brawler who carries a flame sword; Trixie the Chipmunk is nimble, excelling in acrobatics and hit-and-run tactics.
In the game’s new trailer, we see the trio attempt to infiltrate an enemy domain to seize the Spark in a bid to protect Torch City.
While there are a variety of combat approaches, the swordplay really reminds me of Ghost of Tsushima, balancing that sense of challenge and accessibility.
The cyberpunk aesthetic, of course, should appeal to fans of Cyberpunk 2077.
ZOOPUNK Launch Window and Platforms
There’s no launch window for ZOOPUNK just yet, although devs have confirmed details are set to land in the near future.
We do know that it’s coming to both PC and consoles which is excellent news as the title looks brilliant.
Definitely one to keep an eye on as we head into 2026.
