If you thought Nikita Buyanov was done pushing the first-person shooter into uncomfortable, unforgiving territory, think again. The Escape from Tarkov creator has just unveiled the first gameplay trailer for Fragmentary Order, a hardcore sci-fi shooter that trades the mud, snow, and crumbling post-Soviet streets of Tarkov for a distant, hostile world where survival is measured in seconds and mistakes are rarely forgiven. The trailer, which runs for around nine minutes, is the first extended look at the game in motion, and it makes one thing immediately clear: this is not a casual shooter, and it is not trying to be one.
Fragmentary Order is described as a hardcore sci-fi first-person multiplayer combat simulator for PC, and the new footage leans hard into that description. The action takes place on a remote planet, where players fight as part of rival factions in a conflict that feels less like a traditional arena match and more like a sustained military operation. The trailer shows soldiers moving through industrial complexes, open ground, and tight interiors, with gunfire, explosions, and tactical movement taking centre stage throughout. It is raw, tense, and deliberately grounded, even with its science-fiction setting.
That grounded feeling is no accident. Buyanov, who built his reputation on Escape from Tarkov and its famously punishing approach to realism, is leading Fragmentary Order as creative director and lead designer. He is also the founder of Battlestate Games, the studio behind Tarkov, and his fingerprints are all over this new project. The emphasis on weighty movement, detailed weapon handling, and high-stakes encounters will feel familiar to anyone who has spent time in Tarkov, but the sci-fi backdrop gives the team room to push the formula in new directions, with new weapons, equipment, and environments that would not fit in a modern-day setting.
According to the announcement from NickNack, the trailer is the first time the public has been able to see extended gameplay rather than just a concept or a teaser. That matters, because for a game built around realism and tactical depth, the way it actually plays is everything. The footage shows players advancing carefully, using cover, coordinating with teammates, and reacting to threats that can appear from almost any direction. It also shows the kind of large-scale, chaotic firefights that fans of hardcore shooters live for, with vehicles and heavy weapons adding to the sense that every engagement could go wrong in an instant.
One of the most interesting parts of the announcement is how the game is being funded and released. Fragmentary Order is launching through a system called Prime Batch, which offers players a way to buy into the game early and support its continued development. The standard Prime Batch is priced at $19.99 and gives players access to the game, while higher tiers offer additional rewards and earlier access to testing. Prime Batch Plus, priced at $59.99, includes the base game plus additional content and access to the Closed Alpha, while Prime Batch Elite, priced at $99.99, adds even more bonuses for the most dedicated supporters. It is a model that will be familiar to Tarkov players, who have long been used to different editions offering different levels of access and in-game benefits.
The Closed Alpha is a key part of that plan. The announcement confirms that the alpha is planned for later this year, giving early supporters a chance to play the game while it is still in development and to help shape its direction. For a hardcore shooter, that kind of early testing is crucial. Weapon balance, movement, map design, and the overall feel of combat all need to be tested by real players over long periods, and the alpha will be the first opportunity for the wider community to do exactly that. If the trailer is anything to go by, there is already a lot to test, from the core gunplay to the larger systems that sit around it.
Those larger systems are where Fragmentary Order could really set itself apart. The game is built around rival factions fighting for control, and the trailer hints at a world that is more than just a collection of maps. There is a sense of a living conflict, with different groups, objectives, and reasons to keep fighting beyond a single match. The announcement also highlights a military organisation known as COR3, which plays a central role in the game’s fiction. Details on exactly how the faction system will work in practice are still to come, but the foundation is clearly there for something deeper than a standard multiplayer shooter.
Visually, the trailer is striking. The environments are detailed and atmospheric, with a mix of futuristic technology and worn, industrial decay that gives the game a distinctive look. The weapons look and sound punchy, the animations are fluid, and the overall presentation feels polished for a game that is still in alpha. That is encouraging, because hardcore shooters live or die on their feel. If the gunplay does not feel right, players will not stick around, no matter how interesting the setting or the systems are. On this evidence, the team understands that, and the trailer puts the gameplay front and centre rather than hiding behind cinematic trickery.
There is also a clear sense of ambition here. Fragmentary Order is not trying to be a small, side project. It is a full-scale multiplayer shooter with a sci-fi setting, a faction-based conflict, and a development model that asks players to invest early and stay for the long haul. That is a big ask in a crowded shooter market, but Buyanov has already proven that there is a large audience for this kind of game. Escape from Tarkov built a huge, dedicated community by refusing to compromise on difficulty and realism, and Fragmentary Order appears to be following a similar philosophy, just in a very different world.
Of course, there are still plenty of questions to answer. How will the game handle progression? What will the full range of weapons, equipment, and maps look like at launch? How will the faction system affect the way matches play out over time? And perhaps most importantly, when will the wider public get to play? The announcement confirms that the Closed Alpha is coming later this year for eligible Prime Batch owners, but a full release date has not yet been confirmed. For now, the trailer is the main thing players have to go on, and it is a strong start.
What is clear is that Fragmentary Order is one to watch. The combination of Buyanov’s track record, the hardcore sci-fi setting, and the first gameplay footage makes it one of the most interesting new shooters on the horizon for PC players. Whether it can replicate the success of Escape from Tarkov remains to be seen, but the early signs are promising. The trailer does not oversell the game with flashy promises. It simply shows the gameplay, lets the action speak for itself, and trusts that players who like this kind of shooter will recognise what they are looking at.
For PC shooter fans, especially those who have spent years in Tarkov and are looking for something new that still respects their time and their skill, Fragmentary Order is already a name to remember. The first gameplay trailer is out now, the Prime Batch is available, and the Closed Alpha is on the way. The next few months will tell us a lot about whether this hardcore sci-fi shooter can live up to its pedigree, but for now, the wait for more information just got a lot more interesting.
Source: Games Press announcement from NickNack. Find out more and wishlist the game at the official Fragmentary Order website.
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