It is the year 2045; Tokyo, Japan. You fight on the rooftops of demolished buildings, in tunnels near Shibuya Crossing, through bamboo gardens, and within tight alleyways. You are a MEF Operator on a mission to collect, extract, and live to fight again.

Ready?! Gameplay begins on February 8th, 2024 with SHRAPNEL’s STX1 Early Access available exclusively for Extraction Pack Holders!

STX Early Access Events

SHRAPNEL Training Exercises, also known as STX, is a series of exclusive work-in-progress gameplay events available worldwide for players with Extraction Packs via the Epic Game Store.

Each of the SHRAPNEL STX events offers unique rewards for active involvement and the only way to obtain all of these exclusive STX rewards is by participating in all SHRAPNEL STX events. Please note: STX event rewards are separate from those granted through Extraction Packs.

The New STX Naming System

Recently, the STX naming system has been updated to help users easily recognize the scale of updates and new features. Bigger updates are indicated by a change in the whole number. For example, moving from STX1 to STX2 would indicate a big update. In contrast, minor updates are reflected by decimal number changes. For example, moving from STX1.1 to STX1.2 would indicate a minor change.

Major updates will include introductions of new weapons, attachments, throwables, inventory persistence, skin fragments as loot, teamplay (duos), and more. Additionally, the team will release FAQs/notes to inform players of the build features before each STX.

What is STX1?

First of the STX Early Access release events, STX1 offers Extraction Pack holders opportunities to jump in and play SHRAPNEL pre-release while also earning exciting mission rewards!

Additionally, STX1 will provide players exclusive opportunities to share ideas and feedback that will help shape the game’s development.

How is the STX different from MPX.1?

MPX.1 or Multi-player Experiment One was an early experimental build that the SHRAPNEL team took to GDC and Consensus in 2023. The MPX.1 build was used to create our first map and build-out core mechanics such dynamic storms and extraction. Learn more about MPX.1 here.

Unlike MPX.1, STX is a full extraction shooter with combat loops and Sigma Abilities. STX also contains attachments, loot, and a significantly larger and more robust map.

tl;dr STX builds are capable of change, development, and polish that fit the bigger vision for the full SHRAPNEL game.

What is The Ultimate Competition?

The Ultimate Competition, a leaderboard-based competition with a total prize pool of $3M in SHRAP, is part of Early Access thanks to Radon Network Guidance.

Leaderboards will reset after each STX event and monthly during the “Always-On” Early Access phase. The Total Prize Pool for the entirety of Early Access is USD $3,000,000 in SHRAP. Exact allocations for each STX event or the monthly allocation (during the “Always-On” Early Access phase) will be announced a week in advance. Terms and Conditions apply and can be reviewed on the Sigma Extraction Leaderboards page which will be visible on Shrapnel.com.

Keep an eye on the SHRAPNEL X/Twitter for details on the leaderboards as announced.

What About Gameplay in STX1?

STX1 will include three weapon types with individual ballistic models, reload times, accuracy and distance capabilities:

• Pistol: “HGS1 Leo”
• Assault Rifle: “MR84 Special”
• Shotgun: “CSG5 Doorbreaker”

STX1 also features a throwable Sigma Grenade and players will be able find medkits, ammo, and attachments that can be used in battle.

Sigma Abilities

Collecting Sigma powers up your in-game Sigma Abilities and the more Sigma you carry, the stronger your Sigma Abilities become. There are levels to Sigma Abilities, enhancing their impact and reducing cooldowns, but using a Sigma Ability doesn’t consume the Sigma a player has collected!

The initial Sigma Ability in STX1, Sigma Wave, is just the beginning. We have a big list of Sigma Abilities to prototype and we’ll share more about those soon.

Sigma Wave

The first SHRAPNEL Sigma Ability, Sigma Wave, will be part of gameplay during STX1!

Powered by the Sigma an Operator collects, Sigma Wave is an energy blast that projects from a player and travels towards a potential target. This blast possesses a massive amount of impulse and anything hit by a Sigma Wave can be sent flying through the air.

In STX1, Sigma Wave has a number of fun gameplay uses. It can be used to tactically create distance between a player and their target or as a navigation tool enabling players to reach rooftops and other areas that would otherwise be inaccessible.

Sigma Wave can also effect damage. If an Operator is thrown by a Sigma Wave into a surface, such as a wall or car, they receive extra damage. But when used with precision, Sigma Wave can also be used to lessen a player’s fall damage.

Additionally, activating Sigma Wave while looking at the ground or other another surface allows a player to launch from their current position or Sigma Wave Jump.

We looking forward to seeing how players use Sigma Wave in game and we’re expecting some surprises!

What About Playable Operators in STX1?

For over a year, SHRAPNEL’s community has been asking, “Will the PFP Operator characters be playable?” Because of this ongoing enthusiasm for Aniki, M, Hassan, Alyxandra, and Alek, the SHRAPNEL team is thrilled to finally say, “YES”!

Thanks to the power of Unreal Engine’s MetaHuman technology, SHRAPNEL will have more than a dozen playable Operator characters, including the beloved original five.

As we tune gameplay in STX1, all players will use fully-powered-up maximum-strength Aniki.

More information on the Operator progression system is coming soon.

When is STX1 Available?

Starting February 8th, 2024, the studio is targeting SHRAPNEL’s STX1 game play opportunities for Extraction Pack Holders twice a month with access available from 2–3 days during these sessions. This frequency/format is subject to change depending on alterations made to the game, many of which will be inspired by the community feedback from these play sessions.

Peeling Back the Curtain on the Game Design

Players of STX1 will notice that some areas of the STX map look polished with high-fidelity and artistic details (aka “The Beautiful Corner”) while other areas will remain unpolished with simple gray geometry.

“The Beautiful Corner” high-fidelity area displays a more completed picture of what the rest of the level will look like later in development.

On the other hand, some areas remains in greybox because adding art too early can limit the ability to efficiently change gameplay elements. As these elements are among what we hope to evolve based on STX community feedback, SHRAPNEL has elected to share this normal part of the game development process with our community.

While usually kept from players this early on, SHRAPNEL hopes our community will enjoy experiencing the evolution of the map’s development with increased high-fidelity visuals and environments that elevate the fun of play within on each successive STX release.

After STX1

“Always On” Early Access Release

Later this year, SHRAPNEL gameplay will transition to “Always-On” for Extraction Pack holders. “Always On” means the game servers will be available continuously for play sessions instead the shorter predetermined windows of time previously available. Additionally, SHRAPNEL’s “Always On” release will have new Operator missions, the addition of persistent and progressive operators and gear, and a wider variety of weapons, attachments, throwables, and game modes.

“Free-To-Play” Release

After “Always On”, SHRAPNEL will remove the Early Access criteria of Extraction Packs to play, becoming a truly free-to-play game. Stay tuned for all future launch details.

Pick up an Extraction Pack. Be Part of Early Access. See You In The Zone!

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