- Fragmentary Order extraction shooter blends infiltration, exfiltration, and realistic combat simulation.
- Core and CORIE shape the setting through AI-driven control, economics, tasks, and social systems.
- Mars is the first announced location, with additional solar-system environments planned.
- Combat is human-centered, using clones, drones, robots, vehicles, hazards, and detailed weapons.
- Testing is still early, with closed alpha testing planned and no public release date confirmed.
Fragmentary Order extraction shooter overview
Fragmentary Order is a hard science-fiction combat simulator from Rant Gaming Studios and publisher Cor3. The project is led by Nikita Buyanov, previously associated with Escape from Tarkov, but it is being developed by a largely new team. Although the game includes extraction mechanics, its creators have said they do not define it as a conventional extraction shooter.
The central loop is expected to involve infiltration, combat, and exfiltration while players earn money through the wider in-game system. The experience is designed to be difficult, grounded, and more focused on tactical decision-making than on casual action. The developers have also emphasized that Fragmentary Order is a new invention rather than a replacement for Tarkov.
| Feature | Confirmed direction |
|---|---|
| Genre description | Combat simulator with extraction mechanics |
| Setting | Hard science fiction across the solar system |
| Developer | Rant Gaming Studios |
| Publisher | Cor3 |
| Engine | Unreal Engine |
| Team size | Approximately 130 developers |
| Current status | Early development and testing preparation |
Tactical Combat
Detailed weapons, physical technology, environmental hazards, and deliberate engagements define the combat direction.
System-Driven World
AI systems organize work, payments, reputations, military tasks, and social interaction across distant colonies.
Large-Scale Locations
Some environments are planned to be four or five times larger than typical Tarkov locations, with smaller CQB areas also considered.
Treat announced mechanics as development targets rather than final specifications. Team size, features, maps, and testing plans may change before release.
Lore, Core, and the fragmented future
The title refers to two connected ideas. In military usage, a fragmentary order combines separate pieces into a larger operational command. Within the game’s fiction, the “order” is represented by Core, a powerful organization whose control is beginning to fracture.
Core’s influence extends through CORIE, an AI-driven system used throughout the solar system. CORIE connects payments, tasks, operations, reputations, and other forms of social coordination. Its systems make conflict feel procedural: wars are organized through military and business actions instead of purely emotional decisions.
The setting follows a possible future that grows from present-day events. It is intended to feel gritty, dark, and realistic, with cyberpunk elements grounded in physical technology rather than unexplained fantasy.
| Lore element | Current description |
|---|---|
| Core | A super-corporation whose control is weakening |
| CORIE | AI-driven system for economy, tasks, reputation, and communication |
| IWC | Holographic transmission technology connecting users and systems |
| Earth event | An experiment in a secret Soviet facility displaced land to the Moon |
| Main conflict | Fragmenting control, renewed conflicts, and competing colonial interests |
| Aliens | Not part of the currently described enemy roster |
A major backstory event involves experimentation at a secret underground Soviet facility in the Urals. Something went wrong, teleporting a piece of Earth to the far side of the Moon. The reason for the event remains undisclosed. This explains why old Earth structures can appear in lunar environments.
Players are not expected to fight extraterrestrials. Current descriptions instead focus on humans, clones, drones, robots, and other artificial units. Civilian control systems may also extend to colony management, pilots, and hazardous industrial work.
The developers have indicated that much of the setting will remain concealed for players to uncover later. Do not treat unrevealed explanations as established canon.
Locations, factions, and mission structure
Mars is the first specifically described location, but the wider plan reaches across the solar system. Each environment is intended to have its own atmosphere, local history, and faction conflicts while remaining connected to the global lore.
On Mars, the PCF is presented as a rebel sub-faction that proclaimed itself the true Martian population. It has a long-standing conflict with the Core Colonial Structure, or CCS, which represents Core administration and colonization. This creates a persistent struggle between local independence and centralized control.
| Location or faction | Role in the setting | Expected atmosphere |
|---|---|---|
| Mars | First described location and home of the PCF–CCS conflict | Wild West survival |
| PCF | Rebel Martian sub-faction | Local resistance |
| CCS | Core colonial administration | Centralized authority |
| Moon | Site of displaced Earth terrain and active locations | Living abandonment |
| Space stations | Planned locations with distinct local lore | Isolated, tense, industrial |
| Ring worlds | Possible future environment concept | Structured megastructure society |
Mission structure is expected to vary by location. Large maps may support vehicles, broader movement, and more players, while smaller locations can create close-quarters battles. Team size is still under consideration, with four-person groups discussed as a likely direction.
Select a Location
Choose an environment based on its hazards, gravity, local factions, and intended combat distance.
Prepare for Infiltration
Select weapons, equipment, and protection suited to the location rather than relying on one universal setup.
Complete the Objective
Move through the area, manage hostile encounters, and respond to dynamic events or environmental risks.
Decide When to Exfiltrate
Weigh additional rewards against exposure, opposition, and the risk of losing progress during the operation.
The announced loop is infiltration and exfiltration, but extraction is not described as the only or dominant activity. Expect additional mission types and systems to be revealed later.
Combat, equipment, and survival systems
Fragmentary Order’s combat direction emphasizes physical explanations for advanced technology. Instead of magical wall vision or unexplained abilities, detection tools are expected to rely on thermal, electromagnetic, or other measurable information. Powerful sensors may also expose the user by increasing their electromagnetic signature.
Gravity is another planned consideration. Different locations may use different gravitational conditions, affecting gear and other attributes. Zero-gravity combat is considered unlikely because it would require a separate gameplay design, but gravity and environmental conditions should still influence preparation.
| Combat system | Development direction | Practical consideration |
|---|---|---|
| Weapon families | Kinetic, powder-based, railgun, and future technologies | Match equipment to range and mission demands |
| Customization | Detailed internal parts and broad customization | Build around function, not appearance alone |
| Detection | Thermal and electromagnetic information | Powerful scans may reveal the operator |
| Gravity | Different conditions across locations | Gear may need location-specific preparation |
| Hazards | Electromagnetic effects and other environmental threats | Monitor conditions during movement |
| Vehicles | Ground vehicles are planned | Large maps may increase their strategic value |
The weapon roster is intended to include familiar technologies that evolve over time as well as speculative systems. Powder-based weapons may remain useful because of their efficiency, while railguns and other advanced categories can expand the tactical sandbox.
Reconnaissance
Use information carefully. Sensors may identify threats, but active scanning can create a detectable signature.
Positioning
Use terrain, structures, gravity, and sightlines to control engagements instead of forcing every fight.
Adaptation
Prepare for electromagnetic effects, changing locations, dynamic events, and equipment requirements.
Preparation Checklist:
- Review the location’s gravity and environmental hazards
- Choose weapons for the expected engagement range
- Plan an infiltration route and at least one exfiltration option
- Consider whether sensor use could reveal your position
- Keep resources available for unexpected events
Build for information, positioning, and survival rather than chasing every encounter. The intended experience rewards careful decisions and meaningful risk.
Development status and key questions
Fragmentary Order entered production after a pre-production period focused on concept art, prototyping, and assembling the initial team. The project has been in active production for roughly a year, with total development time described as about 1.5 years at the time of the 2026 interview.
The team includes around 130 developers and operates internationally, with offices in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and other locations while relying heavily on remote work. The project is separate from Battlestate Games, whose team continues working on Escape from Tarkov.
| Development detail | Status reported in 2026 |
|---|---|
| Production timeline | About 1.5 years including pre-production |
| Active development | Approximately one year |
| Development team | Around 130 people |
| Engine | Unreal Engine |
| Testing | Closed alpha planned |
| Release date | Not announced |
| Early access details | Not disclosed |
| Post-launch structure | Not disclosed |
The move to Unreal Engine is intended to support more advanced visuals and a different technical foundation. Development priorities include polishing combat for a future gameplay presentation, expanding the lore, and testing how the project’s systems work together.
For ongoing announcements, follow the GamesBeat interview with Nikita Buyanov published April 22, 2026. It remains a useful reference for the project’s announced setting, development direction, and planned mechanics.
No public launch date, platform list, pricing details, or finalized early access structure has been confirmed in the available 2026 information.
Q: Is Fragmentary Order an extraction shooter?
It includes extraction mechanics, but its creators describe it primarily as a combat simulator. Infiltration and exfiltration are part of the design, while additional gameplay types are planned.
Q: Does Fragmentary Order take place only in space?
No. The setting spans the solar system and includes Mars, the Moon, space stations, and other planned locations. The Moon also contains a displaced piece of Earth.
Q: Are players fighting aliens?
Current descriptions say no. The known enemy concepts focus on humans, clones, drones, robots, and other artificial units.
Q: When will Fragmentary Order release?
A public release date has not been announced. Closed alpha testing was planned, but the final launch schedule and early access structure remain undisclosed.