Dev Update Week 3

Shrapnel Early Access – Week 3 Steam post image

Thank you to everyone who jumped into Week 2 of Early Access. With new Operators, a new weapon, and expanded progression, we saw a wider range of playstyles begin to take shape across matches.

It’s hard to believe we’re entering our third week of Early Access already. We’ve had a lot of battles and quite a few discord conversations about the game. We’ve been listening to the feedback and if you want to check out the survey results from Week 1.

Week 1 established the foundation. Week 2 expanded how you play. Week 3 is about completing that foundation and refining how it all comes together.

Our goal remains the same: bring players closer to the heart of Shrapnel and the decisions that define every session.

Kicking off Week 3, we’re adding an initial version of Team Matchmaking, a new Operator, a new long-range weapon and a host of fixes Let’s dive in!

Team Matchmaking

You asked for it louder than anything else — in the survey, in Discord, and internally. Team Matchmaking is here.

Starting today, you can invite your Steam friends to your Squad. Don't have a full Squad? Matchmaking will fill the gaps. Just queue up and go.

We'll be expanding team play features over the coming weeks, but getting this in your hands was the priority. Now go find out who on your friends list actually knows how to play.

Welcome to the ‘Zone – Mother

With Week 3, we’re introducing Mother, completing our initial set of Operators.

Each Operator represents a different way to approach the battlefield — how you move, how you fight, and how your team controls Sigma.

Mother

A grizzled leader from the Draig Vanguard, marked by years of frontline command and battlefield triage; Mother directs the fight with precise marksmanship, stabilizing squads and preserving momentum under pressure.

Mother represents the Specialist class — built for disruption, mobility, and unpredictable pressure.

Sigma Ability – Overdrive Flood your body with energy, increasing movement speed and jump height for a short duration.

Mother is designed to break patterns in combat — quickly repositioning, collapsing on opportunities, and forcing enemies to react to sudden shifts in pressure.

With Index, Swan, Phantom, Stonewall, and now Mother, we now have a full range of playstyles in the game: • Speed and disruption • Control and survivability • Force and displacement • Tactical disruption and unpredictability

Remember, Operators are not just characters — they are different ways to solve the same battlefield.

New Weapon – M7 Longshot DMR Steam post image

Week 3 introduces a new weapon class to the arsenal: the M7 Longshot DMR.

A long-range, semi-automatic, scoped rifle, the Longshot is built for precision engagements and controlled pressure across open sightlines.

The Longshot brings a different pacing to combat: • Slower, more deliberate engagements • High accuracy with strong single-shot impact • Rewards positioning, timing, and shot discipline

Unlike the CL7 MK II introduced last week, which thrives in sustained engagements, the Longshot is designed to control space.

This creates new dynamics across the map — teams must now account for long-range threats when collecting, depositing, and securing their Grav Syncs.

As the weapon pool expands, range becomes a defining factor in how matches play. The Longshot adds a new layer of control to the battlefield — one that rewards patience, positioning, and precision.

Disruptor Grenades

We’ve previewed these weapons with some Operators who were able to make it into our earlier playtests and you may have seen their impact in The Zone. This week, they’re open for everyone to use. Don’t forget to edit your loadouts!

The Disruptor Grenade is an area denial weapon dealing high damage over a short period of time. Much like lower-tech incendiary-type weapons, deploying the Disruptor Grenade can take away paths of attack or even slow teams from being able to safely approach their own Grav Syncs.

Team Matchmaking

Everybody wants to play with their friends, and now they can. This week see the addition of Team Matchmaking, so grab some friends and try to dominate!

This feature was the most requested across the survey, discord, and internally, the developers wanted to get this in the game quickly. We will be expanding features over the next few weeks, but once we’re live you’ve be able to invite Friends to your Squad from the Main Menu.

Don’t worry if you don’t have a full Squad, Matchmaking will take care of it.

Refining the Experience

With the full Operator roster now in play and expanded weapon options, Week 3 is focused on refinement.

We now have a clearer picture of how systems interact across real matches, and we’re using that to improve how the game feels moment to moment.

This includes: • Combat feel and responsiveness • Weapon balance and engagement consistency • Core player attributes (health, speed, stamina, recovery, jump height) • Clarity around objectives, depositing, and match flow

These systems define how the game feels in your hands, and they are our top priority.

Weapons and Balance

With the addition of the Longshot and expanded Operator playstyles, we’re beginning our first broader tuning pass.

The goal is not just balance, but clarity.

Weapons and abilities should feel distinct, predictable, and reliable across all engagement ranges. As we continue tuning, we’re looking at: • Damage consistency and time-to-kill • Weapon roles across close, mid, and long-range combat • How weapons and abilities interact across Operator matchups

This is an ongoing process, and you should expect continued adjustments as the game evolves.

Progression

As more players engage with Perk selection and Operator progression, we’re continuing to evaluate how these systems shape gameplay.

Progression is about giving players control but over their playstyle, not just a power increase.

We’re reviewing: • Perk clarity and usefulness • Impact of progression choices on gameplay • Long-term pacing and unlock structure

This is still early, and your feedback here will directly shape how these systems evolve.

Week 2 Learnings

Week 2 gave us a better understanding of how expanded systems affect the core loop.

As the game expands, clarity becomes more important.

We’re continuing to focus on: • Training and onboarding across all systems • Reducing friction in interactions (especially pickups and swaps) • Improving consistency across matches

We’re also beginning to see early patterns in preferred Operators, weapons, and playstyles, which will guide upcoming tuning and balance work.

Looking Ahead

Over the coming weeks, we’ll continue refining while preparing the next layer of systems:

• Continued Operator and weapon tuning

• Attribute balancing across the full roster

• Improvements to matchmaking and session flow

• Progression expansion and long-term systems

• New Weapon – LMG

• Operator Reconditioning System – Similar to “prestiging” max level Operators.

• Map Variants

• Ongoing bug fixing and performance improvements

Most importantly, we’ll keep listening to what feels good, what feels unclear, and what needs to improve.

Week 2 expanded the battlefield. Week 3 completes the roster and extends the range of combat.

We appreciate everyone continuing to play, test, and share feedback as we shape the experience together.

• See you in the Zone.

Community

Every piece of feedback shapes what comes next. Keep playing, keep sharing it — we're reading all of it.

Stay connected and follow development: • Wishlist Shrapnel on Steam • Join the Discord • Follow updates on social channels • Track the Early Access roadmap