Pragmata

Last updated

Pragmata
Pragmata cover.jpg
Developer Capcom
Publisher Capcom
Director Cho Yonghee
Producers Naoto Oyama
Edvin Edsö
Masachika Kawata
Composer Yasumasa Kitagawa
Engine RE Engine
Platforms
ReleaseApril 24, 2026
Genre Action-adventure
Mode Single-player

Pragmata [a] is an upcoming action-adventure game developed and published by Capcom. Set on a lunar research station, the game follows spacefarer Hugh and android Diana as they work together to fight the hostile AI controlling the station and return to Earth. The game is scheduled to be released on April 24, 2026 for PlayStation 5, Windows, Nintendo Switch 2 and Xbox Series X/S. [1]

Contents

Gameplay

Pragmata is an action-adventure video game played from a third-person perspective. The player controls both Hugh and Diana at the same time, as they look for a way to escape a lunar research station infested with hostile AI robots. Hugh is equipped with a number of firearms, and a jetpack that allows him to dodge hostile attacks and reach distant areas. Bullets cannot penetrate through a robot's armor, though Diana can hack into a robot's defense system, disabling it and revealing its weak point for Hugh to attack. [2] In each puzzle, the player must guide the cursor across the grid to reach the target tile, evading obstacles and toggling optional bonus nodes which may bring additional combat advantages such as increased weapon damage for Hugh. [3] The puzzles are solved in real-time, meaning that Hugh needs to dodge and evade hostile attacks during each hacking sequence. [4]

Plot

On a seemingly lifeless research station located on the moon, spacefarer Hugh and android Diana find themselves targeted by the hostile AI governing the station. The two must work together to defeat the AI and return to Earth.

Development

Pragmata is being developed by Capcom. The game was originally announced on June 11, 2020, during Sony Interactive Entertainment's PlayStation 5 reveal stream, as Capcom's first original franchise in eight years. [5] Based on Capcom's 2021 annual report, Brian Ashcraft of Kotaku wrote, "One reason why the game looks so different from other Capcom titles is that it's the brainchild of new development staff". [6]

Design

Capcom struggled when creating Diana's visual design, originally wanting Diana to look like a full android. Creating a fully android character, however, brings challenges in character expression. Director Cho Yonghee cited Arale Norimaki from Dr. Slump as an android character with "cartoonish expressions", such as screwing her head off her body, that they could not recreate. [7] As they had to contend with certain restrictions such as cultural aspects and sensitivities for the game's worldwide release, Capcom decided to translate Diana's roboticism into something more understated. [8] Diana visually appears human but some of her machine-like mannerisms and voice venture into the uncanny valley. [7]

Graphics technology

Hugh carrying Diana. To ensure Diana's hair looked realistic, it was rendered with RE Engine's physics-based hair simulation system. Pragmata - Hugh and Diana.jpg
Hugh carrying Diana. To ensure Diana's hair looked realistic, it was rendered with RE Engine's physics-based hair simulation system.

Pragmata was developed in Capcom's RE Engine. [9] It supports ray traced global illumination for indirect lighting and ray traced reflections. On PC, the game supports path tracing to enable multi-bounce lighting and higher quality ray traced reflections. [10] Engine development support manager Masaru Ijuin said that path tracing "fundamentally transforms game visuals". [11] On PlayStation 5 Pro, Pragmata has a single graphical mode that runs at 4K resolution at 60 frames per second. Xbox Series X uses a native 1080p resolution to upscale to 4K while Series S renders at a native 720p resolution upscaled to 1440p. [12] The Switch 2 version runs at 540p upscaled to a 1080p output resolution. [13]

For hair rendering, Pragmata uses RE Engine's strand hair system which first appeared on shorter hair in titles such as Resident Evil 4 (2023). RE Engine's hair strand system is a physics-based hair simulation system that aims to make hair look more natural and realistic compared to the traditional rasterized hair cards technique. Further development on the hair strand system to better simulate long hair was prompted by Diana's long hair in Pragmata that needed to accurately move. The team working on the game had to ask the RE Engine development team to make such additions to the engine's hair system. [14] This work on Diana's hair rendering in Pragmata was later transferred to Resident Evil Requiem for Grace Ashcroft's hair. [15]

Release

Initially, Pragmata was announced for 2022, however in January 2021, Capcom announced that the game was delayed to 2023. [6] In June 2023, Capcom released a trailer stating that the game had been delayed indefinitely. [16] In the June 2025 installment of State of Play, Capcom announced that the game would be coming out in 2026. [17]

It was announced at The Game Awards 2025 that a demo was available on Steam. [18] It was also announced that the game would be coming to the Nintendo Switch 2 and it would also get an Amiibo based on Diana. [1] [19] The Pragmata: Sketchbook demo was released on consoles, including Switch 2, on February 5, 2026. [20]

Notes

  1. Japanese: プラグマタ, Hepburn: Puragumata

References

  1. 1 2 Romano, Sal (December 11, 2025). "PRAGMATA adds Switch 2 version, launches April 24, 2026". Gematsu. Retrieved December 12, 2025.
  2. Fenlon, Wes (June 5, 2025). "Almost exactly 5 years after it was announced, Capcom's astronaut action game Pragmata finally has a release date: 'It's real'". PC Gamer. Archived from the original on June 4, 2025. Retrieved June 5, 2025.
  3. Cuevas, Zachery (June 11, 2025). "I Demoed Pragmata, Capcom's Upcoming Space Shooter, and It's Unlike Anything I've Played". PCMag. Retrieved August 10, 2025.
  4. Mercante, Alyssa (June 17, 2025). "Pragmata, the quirky science-fiction game that's back from the dead". The Guardian. Retrieved August 10, 2025.
  5. Ivan, Tom (June 11, 2020). "Capcom announces Pragmata, its first original franchise in 8 years". Video Games Chronicle. Retrieved December 15, 2023.
  6. 1 2 Ashcraft, Brian (November 18, 2021). "Capcom Delays Cool-Looking Sci-Fi Game Pragmata To 2023". Kotaku. Retrieved December 15, 2023.
  7. 1 2 "Pragmata devs struggled with conveying Diana's "android-like" vibes in a global cultural context. Screwing her head off like Arale-chan "would've been difficult to achieve," says director". Automaton. February 18, 2026. Retrieved February 19, 2026.
  8. "Pragmata devs talk about the sci-fi approach, Diana's android features and using retro aesthetics". GoNintendo. February 18, 2026. Retrieved February 19, 2026.
  9. Hilliard, Kyle (July 3, 2023). "How Is Capcom's RE Engine So Versatile?". Game Informer . Retrieved August 10, 2025.
  10. Machkovech, Sam (January 6, 2026). "Nvidia Hands-On at CES: DLSS 4.5, Path-Traced Pragmata". Digital Foundry. Retrieved February 16, 2026.
  11. Sinha, Ravi (January 6, 2026). "Pragmata's Path Tracing Enables "Cinematic Visuals" Akin to "High-End Sci-Fi Films," per Capcom". GamingBolt. Retrieved February 16, 2026.
  12. Gilbert, Fraser (February 6, 2026). "Pragmata Demo Comparison Shows Difference Between Xbox Series X, Series S & Switch 2". Pure Xbox. Retrieved February 16, 2026.
  13. Doolan, Liam (February 7, 2026). "Video: Pragmata Demo Side-By-Side Graphics Comparison (Switch 2, Xbox Series S, PS5)". Nintendo Life. Retrieved February 16, 2026.
  14. Scullion, Chris (August 28, 2025). "Future Capcom games will have better hair, thanks to Pragmata". Video Games Chronicle. Retrieved February 16, 2026.
  15. Sinha, Ravi (June 30, 2025). "Resident Evil Requiem – 10 New Things You Must Know". GamingBolt. Retrieved February 19, 2026.
  16. Gerblick, Jordan (June 13, 2023). "Capcom's mysterious sci-fi game has been delayed again, this time indefinitely". GamesRadar+. Archived from the original on June 5, 2025. Retrieved June 5, 2025.
  17. Benfell, Grace (June 4, 2025). "Capcom's Long-Delayed Pragmata Gets 2026 Release Window". GameSpot. Archived from the original on June 5, 2025. Retrieved June 5, 2025.
  18. Burdette, David (December 12, 2025). "Pragmata demo is now live!". GamingTrend. Retrieved February 12, 2025.
  19. Doolan, Liam (December 12, 2025). "Surprise! Capcom Is Bringing Pragmata To Switch 2, amiibo And Demo Also Confirmed". Nintendo Life. Retrieved February 12, 2025.
  20. Romano, Sal (February 5, 2026). "PRAGMATA Sketchbook demo now available for PS5, Xbox Series, and Switch 2". Gematsu. Retrieved February 12, 2026.