FragPunk launches $200,000 global esports event

Free-to-play hero shooter title FragPunk has unveiled plans to host its first esports tournament.

The FragPunk Global Invitational will take place from April 28th to June 7th, 2025, with participating teams competing for a share of a $200,000 (~£150,373) prize pool.

The Global Invitational marks FragPunk’s first foray into the esports industry and will include seven teams representing seven regions. The regions eligible to compete in the tournament are as follows:

Each region will be represented by a captain who will lead the player recruitment process for their team. So far, five of the seven captains have been revealed and includes the likes of content creator and former VALORANT player Tyson ‘TenZ’ Ngo and Russian battle royale streamer Dmitrii ‘Recrent’ Osintsev.

Beginning on April 28th, 2025, captains will lead open qualifiers to determine the best teams from their respective regions.

Following the qualifiers, regional finals will take place from May 3rd to 11th, allowing captains to finalise their teams before the event heads to Hangzhou, China for the Grand Finals from June 5th to 7th.

The best teams from the regional finals will compete for a $10,000 (~£7,522) prize pool while the Grand Final will feature $150,000 (~£112,809) up for grabs.

Alongside the prize money, the eventual winners will receive the World Clash Championship Trophy, which has been exclusively crafted to mark the inaugural FragPunk esports event.

Depending on the success of the Global Invitational, FragPunk has several elements that make it viable for esports competition. These include a more vibrant style than existing shooters in the genre, a competitively viable buy system, and balanced gunplay.

FragPunk has also featured in events such as Twitch Rivals, showcasing the game’s potential to foster an esports ecosystem.

Publisher NetEase Games is no stranger to the esports scene, having operated circuits for other games such as Honor of Kings and Marvel Rivals.

The title’s accessibility also opens the door for events taking place across several platforms. On April 29th, FragPunk will release on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series consoles.