PRAGMATA: Release Date, Platforms, TGS 2025 Demo Review | New Puzzle x Action Sci-Fi Adventure
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Capcom’s completely new sci-fi action-adventure game, *PRAGMATA* (Pragmata), has captured the attention of many gamers since its announcement. After a long period of silence following its information release in 2020, the anticipation has reached a fever pitch with the confirmed release date set for 2026. The innovative combat system, particularly the “fusion of action and puzzle,” sets it apart from conventional games and appeals even to non-fans. We will detail why this title is so popular, covering its overview, game system, and the latest hands-on experience at Tokyo Game Show 2025.
- What is PRAGMATA? Capcom's Challenging Near-Future Sci-Fi Masterpiece
- World Setting: The Dystopian Near-Future Lunar World
- The Two Protagonists Forming a Buddy Duo: Hugh and Diana
- Innovative Game System Fusing Action and Puzzle
- Other Combat and Exploration Systems
- Release Window and Supported Platforms
- 【TGS 2025 Hands-On Review】The New Sensory Battle of Simultaneous Hacking and Shooting
- Initial Confusion Leads to Immersion
- Intuitive Button Controls Don't Hinder Action
- Exploration and the Shelter Base are Also Major Attractions
- Summary of the Appeal of this Challenging New Sensory Action-Adventure
What is PRAGMATA? Capcom’s Challenging Near-Future Sci-Fi Masterpiece
*PRAGMATA* is a completely new sci-fi action-adventure game developed and published by Capcom. It marks the company’s first original IP in eight years. Since its development is primarily handled by new and younger staff, the title embodies the developers’ strong commitment and challenge to ensure it is “not a game you have seen somewhere before”.
World Setting: The Dystopian Near-Future Lunar World
The setting of this game is a research facility (Cradle Lunar Facility) on the moon in the near future. This facility is where the dream material called “Luna Filament,” generated from lunar ore, is being researched and developed. Luna Filament enables a special technology that can 3D print anything, not only reproducing the shape of objects but also generating them with functionality.
The story begins when the characters are caught up in a massive accident that occurred at this lunar facility. The player embarks on an adventure aiming to return to Earth from the lunar world managed by a runaway AI.
The Two Protagonists Forming a Buddy Duo: Hugh and Diana
The journey through this harsh adventure is shared by two protagonists with contrasting personalities.
- Hugh Williams
Hugh is a System Auditor dispatched to investigate the lunar facility. He is separated from his comrades and severely injured in the accident, but is rescued by Diana. His personality is cynical, and he sometimes says exactly what he thinks, but he is fundamentally a kind character. The player controls Hugh, who traverses the lunar facility using thrusters mounted on his spacesuit and fights enemies using firearms and heavy equipment, offering exhilarating action. His spacesuit has been updated since the initial announcement and features an exoskeleton-like design with enhanced mechanical equipment. - Diana
Diana is an android girl made of Luna Filament. After rescuing Hugh, she acts as his companion, but her identity is shrouded in mystery, including why she was present at the accident site. Curious and innocent, Diana’s key feature, in contrast to Hugh’s action, is her hacking ability. She can seize control of enemies and facility controls, giving an advantage in combat and exploration. The name Diana was initiated by Hugh as a shortened version of her identification number (D03367) and is inspired by the mythological goddess of the moon. Furthermore, special androids like her, made of Luna Filament, are referred to as “Pragmata” within the game.
Innovative Game System Fusing Action and Puzzle
The most innovative element of *PRAGMATA* is its combat system, which fuses shooting (TPS) action with real-time puzzle solving.
Hacking Holds the Key to Combat
The lunar facility is overrun by robots (Bots) encased in hard armor, managed by a runaway AI. Hugh uses firearms (Primary Units), such as the “Grip Gun” which automatically reloads over time, but regular gunfire alone cannot penetrate the enemies’ hard armor and is largely ineffective. This is where Diana’s hacking ability becomes crucial.
By hacking into the enemy’s defense system, Diana can temporarily disable the armor and expose the weak points. While the weak point is exposed, Hugh can shoot the enemy, dealing significant damage and allowing the player to progress through the combat.
The Real-Time Hacking Matrix Challenge
Hacking is performed in a puzzle format called the “Hacking Matrix,” displayed on the right side of the screen. The player succeeds in hacking by moving a node (cursor) on this matrix and connecting it to the goal, a green square, using a single continuous line.
This puzzle progresses in real time. This means the player must simultaneously solve the hacking puzzle while Hugh is dodging enemy attacks or dealing with other foes.
The developers emphasized operability to ensure smooth “simultaneous operation of action and puzzle”. Especially in the PS5 version, the design allows for intuitive operation by assigning the controller buttons (such as Circle, Cross, Triangle, and Square) for up, down, left, and right movement, rather than the sticks. This makes it easier to perform actions like movement and shooting with the left hand while simultaneously operating the puzzle with the right hand.
Furthermore, the grid size of the puzzle (the matrix size) changes to 3×3 or 5×5 depending on the enemy’s strength. There are also elements that enhance combat strategy through the puzzle, such as greedily passing through “blue squares” during the puzzle to extend the duration that the enemy’s armor remains open.
Other Combat and Exploration Systems
Besides the Grip Gun, Hugh can also use powerful, consumable weapons with limited ammunition, such as the “Shockwave Gun” (an attack unit specialized for close-range, similar to a shotgun) and the “Stasis Net” (a tactical unit that fires an electromagnetic high-speed net to temporarily stop enemy movement). Managing these resources also adds to the combat strategy.
Diana’s hacking ability can also be activated as a special move called “Overdrive” during combat. When activated after the hacking gauge is full, it can simultaneously open the armor of multiple surrounding enemies and temporarily halt their actions.
Furthermore, exploration elements are abundant. Collectibles hidden in the stages include lore (memos and audio records), holograms, and “Earth Memory” (memories for generating Earth-related items) that can be gifted to Diana. Through exploration, players can also find materials to strengthen Hugh and Diana, as well as items like the “Repair Cartridge Holder” which increases the number of repair cartridges the player can carry.
Release Window and Supported Platforms
*PRAGMATA* is scheduled for release in 2026.
The compatible platforms are the following next-generation consoles and PC:
- PlayStation 5 (PS5)
- Windows (PC/Steam)
- Xbox Series X/S
It uses the RE Engine, which is also utilized in *Resident Evil* and *Devil May Cry*, enabling state-of-the-art visuals and immersion thanks to the power of the PS5 console.
【TGS 2025 Hands-On Review】The New Sensory Battle of Simultaneous Hacking and Shooting
At the Capcom booth during Tokyo Game Show 2025 (TGS 2025), *PRAGMATA* demo stations were installed and garnered significant attention. The booth was prominently located in the center of the venue, indicating the high expectations Capcom holds for this title.
Initial Confusion Leads to Immersion
During the hands-on session, the first impression many players had was, “Is this just a normal action game at first?“. However, as soon as combat began, the unique fighting style of the game became clear: a hacking puzzle appears on the right side of the screen, and the player must solve the puzzle while simultaneously performing action to advance the fight.
In the demo version, players were initially confused, including how to approach the puzzle. However, once the method was understood with staff support, the combination of action and puzzle felt like a new and highly enjoyable sensation. Once accustomed to it, players felt truly immersed, and the demo time flew by quickly.
Since the hacking puzzle occurs in real time, there is no time to think slowly; the puzzle must be solved immediately upon display. This sense of speed is one element that contributes to the excitement of combat.
Intuitive Button Controls Don’t Hinder Action
Playing the demo at TGS 2025, I was genuinely surprised and delighted by the simultaneous progression of action and puzzle. What was particularly impressive was that the hacking matrix could be operated using the directional keys (simulated by the PS5 face buttons), which felt highly intuitive, and the operability allowing the puzzle to be executed without obstructing movement or dodging actions was truly excellent.
The sound effects and visual effects upon successful hacking provide players with a sense of exhilaration. The payoff was so effective that Hugh’s subsequent shooting sometimes felt “obligatory” after “virtually winning the fight through hacking”.
On the other hand, some might feel that the combat pace itself is “slow” to accommodate this hacking system. However, as players become proficient at hacking, they seek faster combat, suggesting that this “slowness in combat” is proof that the game system itself is captivating players.
At TGS 2025, the Japanese voices were unveiled, featuring Mio Tanaka as Hugh and Nao Touyama as Diana. The synchronized dialogue between the two buddies also enhanced immersion in the game.
Exploration and the Shelter Base are Also Major Attractions
Even in the demo version, the element of exploring the lunar facility—the game’s setting—was rich. Mechanisms to reward exploration were provided, including not just fragments of lore (settings) but also holograms and collectible “cute collection robots“. The best way to find these collectible robots was to listen for their tiny cry of “Shoot me!“.
Furthermore, during the demo, items like Earth Memory (memories for generating Earth’s memories) were found. These can be taken back to the adventure’s base, the “Shelter,” and presented to Diana. Gifting Earth Memories allows the player to see Diana’s reaction corresponding to the item, resulting in intimate and enjoyable exchanges between Hugh and Diana.
The Shelter is Hugh and Diana’s base of operations. It is also the location where players use collected materials from the stages (such as Luna Filament) to generate and enhance Hugh’s weapons and Diana’s nodes (puzzle elements). As weapon enhancement progresses, more strategic combat combinations become possible.
Summary of the Appeal of this Challenging New Sensory Action-Adventure
After several years since its announcement, *PRAGMATA* has demonstrated, through the TGS 2025 hands-on experience, that its foundation as Capcom’s new challenge is exceptionally robust.
The game offers the classic sci-fi appeal of the “old man and young girl buddy duo”—astronaut Hugh and the android girl Diana—while providing an innovative experience that transcends the boundaries of conventional TPS action games.
The key feature that brings a completely new sensation, different from previous action games, is that although it initially appears to be a standard Third-Person Shooting (TPS) action game, the essential element of “Hacking Puzzles” needed to breach enemy armor is integrated into the combat.
Players will experience a unique blend of strategy and exhilaration by not just shooting enemies, but by solving puzzles in real-time, exposing enemy weak points, and then targeting them.
The efforts made in operability to seamlessly link hacking and action, the profound sci-fi worldview, and the richness of exploration elements such as collection, enhancement, and interaction demonstrate that *PRAGMATA* is not merely an action game but a deep sci-fi action-adventure. This highly anticipated title will be one to watch leading up to its 2026 release.
＞ Click here for the Official CAPCOM PRAGMATA Page
©CAPCOM [Note: This is under development, and actual specifications may differ.]
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