After the huge success of Resident Evil Requiem and the third instalment of the increasingly popular RPG sub-series Monster Hunter Stories, Capcom is bringing a new IP to market in April 2026, albeit with some delay: Pragmata.
Pragmata was initially scheduled for release in 2022, but has been postponed several times. The game is set in the near future on the Moon. One day, Earth suddenly lost contact with a lunar research station dedicated to a fictitious material called Lunafilament. The player character, Hugh Williams, is sent to investigate. Following a moonquake, he becomes separated from his team and is injured. He is then rescued by Pragmata, an enigmatic android made from Lunafilament and designed to look like a young girl named Diana. Together, they must combat a bot threat at the station and find a way back to Earth - and for the most part, the video game dad and daughter duo is very likeable.
Pragmata © Capcom
Hugh and Diana are controlled simultaneously. Diana uses her hacking skills to weaken enemies or make them vulnerable, which gives Hugh the chance to defeat them with his weapons. Hacking is not a passive element, but rather a central real-time combat mechanic. During these battles, a grid-based minigame similar to Snake appears, in which players must guide a cursor to the green target node. They can pass through optional nodes along the way to trigger additional effects, such as freezing or damage boosts. Hacking can take place in the middle of combat, even when an enemy is storming towards the player or they are dodging attacks. Hugh can also use his weapons to inflict crowd control effects on enemies, which gives him more time to weaken them. This system challenges players to adapt to different situations in the heat of battle.
Teamwork is important when exploring the lunar research station. Hugh's suit has thrusters that allow him to move quickly and vertically around the base, while Diana can hack the security systems to unlock doors and clear the way forward. The more the player explores, the more weapons and hacking nodes they unlock, enabling them to customise their playstyle and combat approach. Additionally, any materials collected during combat and exploration can be used to upgrade equipment in order to take on stronger opponents.
Pragmata © Capcom
Blending action with another gameplay element — hacking, in this case — gives the game a nostalgic feel reminiscent of the PS3/360 era; think Vanquish, but with modern technology and AAA-level production values. This combat system adds an extra dimension of multitasking and works exceptionally well. It offers a surprisingly substantial amount of depth in terms of mods, weapons, enemies and bosses, and motivates players to enhance the unlikely duo's effectiveness with various upgrades. Furthermore, hit feedback, aiming and shooting are excellent, as is the overall feel of the gameplay. However, the space scenario could have been fleshed out more in places. There is scope to make the world more interesting, or even more threatening.
While at the base of operations, Hugh and Diana encounter Cabin, an autonomous support robot that assists with various functions in the safe room. These include the Cabin Stamp Club, where Cabin Coins can be exchanged for rewards from the stamp board. Players receive additional bonuses for completing rows. Cabin also enables players to select background music for the safe room via its jukebox, with more tracks becoming available as the game progresses. In this safe haven, players can equip the cosmetic items found in the Deluxe Edition and Safe House Variety Pack. These include additional costumes, a weapon skin, Diana emotes, extra safe house music and a collection of artwork. However, there are some signs that the game took a long time to develop. For example, there are quite a few loading screens, particularly when players spawn in the hub, and some backtracking, which does not feel like it belongs in this day and age.
Pragmata has a fairly linear structure and focuses on the interaction between the characters Hugh and Diana, as well as its unique combat system, which takes some getting used to at first, but becomes smooth with a few upgrades. It takes around 10–12 hours to complete the game, although those who want to explore the lunar base further and collect everything will need a little more time. After that, players can continue in New Game Plus mode.
Pragmata © Capcom
Pragmata is set to launch on 17 April 2026 for the PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam, with a physical boxed version available on all platforms. Alongside the Standard Edition, a Deluxe Edition will be available, which includes the Variety Pack: Shelter. This bundle offers alternative cosmetic outfits for Hugh and Diana, an additional weapon skin, Diana emotes, background music for Shelter and an in-game library containing 75 pieces of digital artwork. Additionally, a Diana amiibo figure will be released on the same day, compatible with the Nintendo Switch 2 version.
Pragmata combines hacking and action in a new way. It's a charming, old-school experience that's also surprisingly innovative and motivating. Hopefully, this will be the start of a new franchise ...
