Forget The Witcher—Zoopunk Is Gamescom’s Wildest Surprise (Trailer)
A giant mechanical-fisted rabbit was already iconic in 2D. But now TiGames is diving back into the world of F.I.S.T. for a 3D action RPG, and Torch City just got a whole new dimension—literally.
Nobody had their money on Zoopunk being the breakout star of the Gamescom Opening Night Live 2026. While fans were glued to the big names—The Witcher 4 didn’t even bother to show up—TiGames dropped a dieselpunk trailer packed with anthropomorphic warriors, three playable heroes, and a mysterious serval that’s already got the community theorizing.
Image credit: TiGames
A prequel that throws out everything that made F.I.S.T. a hit
F.I.S.T.: Forged In Shadow Torch made waves back in October 2021 as a razor-sharp 2D metroidvania, famous for its tight level design and punchy combat. Nearly five years later, TiGames is wiping the slate clean. Zoopunk ditches side-scrolling corridors for a fully 3D, third-person action RPG. It’s a radical shift, and the trailer shown at Opening Night Live leaves zero room for doubt.
Where F.I.S.T. thrived on platforming precision, Zoopunk unleashes sprawling environments, massive boss fights, and cinematic flair that channels the best of Japanese action RPGs. The story jumps back decades before the original, exploring the turbulent origins of Torch City—an animal metropolis teetering on the edge of revolution.
As for platforms, the game’s coming to PlayStation 5 (with PS5 Pro support), Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam, Epic Games Store, and Microsoft Store. Sandwiched between other Gamescom megatons and the remaster of The Witcher 3, Zoopunk is carving its own path—as an indie studio that refuses to coast on a proven formula.
Three playable heroes (and a mysterious fourth that’s already fueling speculation)
The trailer isn’t just a perspective shift—it introduces three distinct playable heroes, each with their own combat style and signature weapons. There’s a sword-swinging rhino, and what looks like a nimbler fighter, all caught up in a dieselpunk dance of steel and gears. But it’s the fourth character that’s got everyone buzzing: a serval whose true identity is still under wraps. Ally, narrator, or secret fourth hero? TiGames is keeping those cards close to the chest.
The official tagline—“Machines advance; the animal folk endure”—sets the stage for a multi-front conflict. Early trailer footage hints that each hero will embody a different side of the resistance. Here’s what we know about the cast so far:
- Three confirmed playable heroes, each with unique fighting styles
- A sword-wielding rhino featured in several combat scenes
- A mysterious serval whose exact role is still unknown
- A dieselpunk world packed with animal warriors facing off against machines
Forums and social media are already ablaze with theories about the serval’s identity. Some think it’s tied to a character from F.I.S.T. lore, others are betting on a brand-new figure meant to anchor this prequel’s story. TiGames, for now, is just teasing fans to “discover what awaits beyond the reveal.”
The AI controversy still looms over the project
As hyped as the trailer is, Zoopunk can’t shake a lingering controversy. Back in November 2025, during its Xbox Partner Preview debut, the game was linked to a demo of asset generation using Stable Diffusion. The community’s backlash was instant and fierce. TiGames quickly issued a statement: “All our works are original creations, the result of our artists’ hard work and dedication. AI will only be used to help players create user-generated content (UGC) at lower cost.”
On paper, it’s clear: the game itself is entirely crafted by humans, and only the community creation tools will use generative AI. But not everyone’s buying it. Just yesterday, forum users were calling out certain trailer visuals as suspicious. Others pointed to the inZOI fiasco, where Steam listed a similar disclaimer—until AI-generated textures were found in the game itself. Suspicion lingers, and today’s freshly published list of Opening Night Live games using generative AI includes Zoopunk—though it specifies the usage is limited to UGC tools.
TiGames is playing with fire here. Transparency about AI use is now a dealbreaker for a big chunk of the audience. The studio will have to prove, with actions, that its artists are steering the creative ship. Promises alone won’t cut it.
No release date has been announced for Zoopunk, but TiGames is showing the game behind closed doors all week at Gamescom in Cologne’s business area, backed by Tencent Games. Early hands-on impressions from journalists on site might finally reveal just how big this project really is—one that, in a single trailer, managed to steal the spotlight from the industry’s heavyweights.
Gamescom, PC, PlayStation 5, Steampunk games, Xbox Series X|S
