An upcoming free FPS is Battlefield meets Halo, and we can’t wait to see more later this year.
Shrapnel, an upcoming FPS from Neon Machine, combines the high-octane battles of the Battlefield series with sci-fi environments reminiscent of Halo.
Set in the far future, Shrapnel takes place in a world where a large asteroid has collided with the Moon, creating a huge 500km-wide band of devastation across Earth.
This area is known as the Sacrifice Zone, where lunar meteorites rain down fresh deposits of Sigma, a vital resource that will secure humanity’s future.
The game is a small-scale 4v4 shooter built around strategy, coordination, and risk management. Its flagship game mode, Stockpile, has your squad securing Sigma to bring back to your employer.
However, other squads are also out for the same resource in a bid to earn a neat payday, so it’ll come down to how much Sigma you can secure before the enemy team does.
Your job will be to rush the craters, scavenge them, and bring back what you can. If the enemy manages to secure these deposits, you can risk raiding them and stealing any stockpiles while their back is turned.
Shrapnel Also Features Extraordinary Powers During Combat
However, Sigma isn’t just the resource you’re after, it’s also the source of your power. Collecting more Sigma empowers your abilities during the match, where the more you secure, the stronger you become.
If the enemy steals your stockpile, and it hits zero, your abilities are gone, so you need to recover the resources for them to come back.
On the other hand, if you carry too much Sigma, you’ll paint too much of a target over your head.
You’ll become marked on the enemy’s map with glowing footprints which alert enemies to your presence, so you’ll need to bank often to stay hidden.
Speaking of which, Shrapnel also features a bunch of operators to play as, each with their own perks and progression to add towards as you play more of the game. Many of these upgrades are applied in real time as you play, but some can also be added between different matches.
Shrapnel is launching “Q1 2026”, but a concrete release date hasn’t been confirmed yet. I imagine we’ll hear more about that very soon though, with us now being in the full swing of the year.
Neon Machine is made up of developers from previous hit games, such as Call of Duty, BioShock, CS-GO, and Halo.
