Pragmata Hands-On: Capcom’s 2026 Shooter Makes Hacking a Weapon
Capcom’s upcoming sci-fi game Pragmata mixes third-person shooting with a small, on-the-fly hacking puzzle. I played an extended Gamescom demo this summer and report on the concrete mechanics, the demo’s boss encounter, and where the game will appear when it launches in 2026.
- What Pragmata’s demo showed about combat, hacking, and resource management
- Key systems: weapons, the Hacking Matrix, Overdrive Protocol, and Hack Nodes
- The demo boss fight and how the two protagonists work together
- Confirmed platforms and release window
Context and brief note on Capcom’s 2026 slate
Capcom has at least three major sequels planned for 2026: Resident Evil Requiem, Onimusha: Way of the Sword, and Monster Hunter Stories 3. Meanwhile, Pragmata is a separate, original sci-fi project that combines action shooting with a puzzle-like hacking system.
Core setup: two protagonists and a space station
Pragmata centers on two controllable characters: Hugh Williams, a human spaceman who handles firearms and movement, and Diana, a small girl android who performs hacking. The demo takes place on a space station called the Cradle, where hostile robots are active and must be neutralized by using both shooting and hacking in tandem.
Weapons and resource rules
Hugh carries multiple weapon types. The demo included a standard rifle that slowly recharges ammo, a close-range Shockwave Gun that functions like a futuristic shotgun, and a Stasis Net that slows or hinders enemy movement. Most guns have limited ammo. Importantly, when a weapon’s ammo is fully depleted it self-destructs, encouraging players to switch to or scavenge other fully loaded guns during encounters.
Combat flow
Encounters are often a mix of quick decisions: hack one enemy, stasis another, then use a Shockwave Gun up close on a hacked target. Movement tools such as boosters are used to dodge large attacks and reposition. Because ammo and weapon availability change during fights, the demo emphasized on-the-fly resource management rather than long reload cycles.
Hacking: the Hacking Matrix, Hack Nodes, and Overdrive
Diana’s hacking is presented as a small puzzle played in real time. The system is a grid called the Hacking Matrix where the player moves a line through squares: cross blue squares, avoid red squares, and finish on a green square. There are consumable power-ups called Hack Nodes that add yellow squares to the Matrix and increase the strength of a successful hack.
During fights a gauge builds and, when full, allows Diana to trigger an Overdrive Protocol. Overdrive enables simultaneous hacks of multiple enemies, briefly opening armor and stopping movement. The demo showed that saving Overdrive and Hack Nodes for critical moments can change the outcome of tougher encounters.
Demo climax: the SectorGuard boss
The demo ended with a boss fight against a large security unit named SectorGuard. The encounter required using multiple systems: dodging a charge with boosters, hacking to open weak points, applying a Stasis Net to halt movement, and repeatedly switching to fully loaded guns to deal damage to an exposed dorsal weak spot. The fight also involved searching the arena for power-ups and fresh weapons as ammo depleted and weapons self-destructed.
Release platforms and timing
Capcom lists Pragmata for PlayStation 5, Windows PC, and Xbox Series X, with a release window of sometime in 2026.
Notable external note
Polygon’s executive editor Matt Patches published a preview earlier this year and used phrases such as “a blast” and “fluid, frictionless demo,” reflecting his impressions of a demo shown prior to Gamescom.
