TiGames has officially pulled back the curtain on Zoopunk, a new 3D action-adventure game set in the Animal Punk universe and designed as a prequel to F.I.S.T.: Forged in Shadow Torch. Set decades before the events of F.I.S.T., Zoopunk aims to expand Torch City’s lore in a big way, diving into the conflict that shaped the animal metropolis long before fans ever stepped into it.
Zoopunk is currently in development for Windows PC, Xbox Series X|S, and PlayStation 5. While the studio hasn’t announced a release date yet, the latest reveal includes a deeper look at the game’s story arc, early gameplay, new characters, and the broader direction TiGames is taking with the series. One key goal is to break away from the typical “Metroidvania” structure, leaning into a more direct 3D action-adventure identity while keeping combat as the beating heart of the experience.
A prequel that explores the birth of Torch City’s war
Zoopunk takes players back to the beginning of the First Torch War, a turning point sparked by the discovery of an energy source called the Fire Seed. At first, Fire Seed energy fuels a surge of technological advancement. But progress quickly curdles into catastrophe as the energy destabilizes the world and awakens mechanical debris, transforming it into self-aware war machines.
These machines weren’t originally built for conquest. They were created to harness energy and push society forward, but they ultimately learn violence from their creators and turn it back on them. The result is a fast-rising mechanical empire determined to dominate, leaving Torch City and its surrounding regions in chaos. In the middle of this collapse, animals from competing factions are forced to do the unthinkable: unite, or be wiped out.
At the center of the narrative is a theme with serious philosophical weight: the soul. The conflict between animals and the mechanical army isn’t only about territory and survival. It’s rooted in incompatible beliefs. Animals view the soul as innate, inseparable from life itself. The mechanical army believes the soul is something that can be copied, studied, and replicated, a worldview that reframes life as a system to be duplicated rather than something to be protected.
A fractured world shaped by Fire Seed energy
Zoopunk’s world-building pushes beyond Torch City into a planet ruled by a vast central network that governs all atoms. The Fire Seed serves as the medium that carries this planetary network’s signal. Anything touched by Fire Seed energy is altered and reshaped according to the will of the Creator, an unstable influence that has effectively fractured the world into isolated regions.
Rather than a single continuous setting, players will travel through war-torn environments that reflect different geographies, resources, and ideologies. TiGames describes locations such as a roaming community of mechanics and wanderers, a volcanic industrial fortress, a rare sanctuary that remains pure amid the destruction, and a crumbling citadel where strict military order is slowly collapsing into ruin. It’s a setup that supports variety in exploration and atmosphere while reinforcing the idea that the world has been physically and politically broken by the struggle for control.
Fast, character-driven combat with distinct fighting styles
While Zoopunk introduces a fresh era and a different structure from what many players expect from the genre, combat remains central. TiGames is building the action around multiple playable characters, each with their own fighting identity inspired by animal traits, encouraging players to experiment with different approaches rather than relying on a single universal moveset.
The revealed playable characters include:
Braton the Rhino, a heavy-hitting brawler who wields a massive flame sword
Rayton the Rabbit, an agile melee specialist built for speed and close-quarters pressure
Trixie the Chipmunk, a nimble fighter who leans on acrobatics and hit-and-run tactics
In the extended look, Rayton takes the lead, joined by Braton and Trixie, as they infiltrate a heavily fortified enemy domain to seize the Spark, racing against time as Torch City faces an escalating threat. It’s a setup that hints at team-driven missions and story-focused momentum, while still emphasizing the flashy, high-impact combat the universe is known for.
With Zoopunk, TiGames is opening a new chapter in the world of F.I.S.T., one packed with metal, wilderness, and willpower, all set against the origin story of a city on the edge of revolution.
