Delayed with almost no updates in sight, we finally got to see more of Pragmata during the Sony State of Play. Capcom has been quietly working on the game, and now we know more about it after a new trailer unveiled over the past weekend.

During Summer Game Fest 2025, I got to spend hands-on time with Pragmata, taking me through an explainer of the base concept and loop of the game, along with how Hugh and Diana can take on the robotic threats along the way. While brief, 30 minutes was all it took for the game to pique my interest, but I still need to see more to bring my hype levels up.

Pragmata Hands-on Preview

Set in a vision of the near future, the playable demo opens with Hugh in critical condition, tended to by an android named Diana. As they attempt to escape, they quickly become the targets of a rogue AI that has seized control of the facility.

Pragmata’s combat embraces a third-person shooter framework, evoking parallels to Dead Space, minus the creepy xenomorphs, due to its space station setting. As the first rogue robot emerges, players are guided through a combat tutorial, learning to counter these mechanical threats.

Hugh wields an energy pistol with a self-replenishing ammo system, with direct attacks dealing minimal damage against armored enemies. To overcome this, Diana plays a crucial role. As an android, she can hack into enemy systems, overloading them to expose weak points.

Players initiate hacking by pressing L2, revealing a board where nodes must be connected using face buttons (Circle moves left, Triangle goes up, Square shifts left, X moves down). Traversing special nodes along the way will provide various buffs. In this case, passing by a blue node increased the damage I dealt from less than 20 per shot during their armored phase to more than 100 when they were unarmored.

While the mechanic may seem complex, it is surprisingly intuitive. The boards featured in the demo were rather straightforward, leaving room for Capcom to introduce complexities as the game progresses. Further on in the demo, we also encountered a defense up node that increased defense per node passed by.

Despite its simplicity, hacking occurs in real-time, forcing players to juggle this task while weaving through enemy fire. The tension escalates when multiple enemies appear, demanding fast decision-making. Alongside standard robots, the demo introduced a heavily-armored robot resembling a compact metal sphere and a flying variant equipped with persistent laser attacks, requiring constant movement.

Fortunately, Hugh and Diana possess tools to shift the battle in their favor. In addition to his pistol, Hugh can obtain a shotgun, which is ideal for dispatching armored foes at close range, though ammo is limited and best reserved for critical encounters.

A stasis device is also available as it aids in briefly immobilizing enemies within its radius. Weapon switching via the D-pad is something players will have to learn quickly, particularly when juggling stuns, dodging aerial lasers, and hacking incoming threats.

The level I played during the Pragmata demo was simple and straightforward, comprised of a locked door where I had to deal with 5 separate nodes to get it open, and some traversal mechanics where Hugh can jump and hover for a limited amount of time. Throughout the level, there are the usual collectibles, ammo and health packs, and some chests to open along the way for extra resources. Typical third-person action adventure stuff.

Even within a short play session, it’s clear that Pragmata’s core tension lies in balancing hacking with combat, requiring players to multitask under pressure. While the experience is engaging, it would be interesting to see how this would all play out without being too repetitive early on. The demo ended just before a boss encounter, leaving me curious about potential additional mechanics beyond hacking.

Overall, Pragmata presents an intriguing blend of puzzle-solving and action, challenging players’ ability to think strategically while executing evasive maneuvers. It remains to be seen what else the game has up its sleeves because the novelty could wear off pretty quickly after a few levels. However, it’s hard to doubt Capcom and their capabilities, and the initial delay may have further helped Pragmata reach its full potential.

Pragmata will be available for PS5, Xbox Series, and PC via Steam in 2026.