Torch City’s past comes into focus as TiGames expands the Animal Punk universe with a larger third-person adventure.
TiGames, the developer of the Metroidvania F.I.S.T.: Forged in Shadow Torch, is going much bigger with its next project, taking its Animal Punk universe into a full third-person action RPG with a broader world and multiple playable characters. That game is ZOOPUNK, which made its Gamescom Opening Night Live debut with a new trailer offering the clearest look yet at how the game actually plays.
The new trailer also gives a broader look at the world surrounding Torch City, moving between forests, settlements and airborne machinery as the different characters fight their way through animal and machine enemies.
ZOOPUNK was initially revealed during an NVIDIA presentation in January 2025. TiGames later brought the game to the Xbox Partner Preview in November, where its PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC versions were confirmed.
ZOOPUNK
Release date: TBD
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC
Developer: TiGames
What is ZOOPUNK?
ZOOPUNK is a third-person action RPG set in TiGames' Animal Punk universe, decades before the events of F.I.S.T. The earlier game was a Metroidvania centred on Torch City, while ZOOPUNK heads back into the city's history and the conflicts that helped shape it. Although the two share the same universe, ZOOPUNK is being built around third-person action RPG combat rather than F.I.S.T.'s Metroidvania structure.
Its world is being transformed by the Spark, a mysterious source of power connected to its technology and civilisations. The Machine Legion has emerged as one of the forces driving the conflict, but animals are not fighting on a single side either. Rival factions and changing alliances will also play a role, with TiGames tying the wider story to different ideas surrounding life, consciousness and the soul.
ZOOPUNK's playable characters and combat styles
Three playable heroes have been introduced so far, and each approaches combat differently:
- Rayton the Rabbit specialises in fast melee attacks and aerial combos. Building energy through those attacks allows him to follow up with electrically charged moves.
- Braton the Rhino is the heavy hitter of the group. Armed with a massive chainsaw, he combines close-range attacks with defensive abilities that allow him to withstand enemy pressure.
- Trixie the Chipmunk fights with considerably more mobility, using acrobatics, firearms and hit-and-run attacks. Her combat also incorporates ammunition management.
The Gamescom footage puts all three styles into action across several encounters rather than simply introducing the characters individually, showing how differently they move and fight.
ZOOPUNK introduces animal bosses and a mysterious serval
The new footage also shows ZOOPUNK's first animal bosses, expanding the enemies players will encounter beyond the Machine Legion. TiGames then ends the trailer with another surprise: an unidentified serval who appears to be another protagonist. The studio has not revealed the character's name, abilities or role in the story yet.
There will be another look at the game very soon, with TiGames set to release an additional five-minute gameplay video during the IGN Show on 26 August. ZOOPUNK is also being shown behind closed doors to media at Gamescom 2026 in Cologne.
Want to find out what Gamescom Opening Night Live 2026 had in store? Read our article rounding up the biggest announcements and trailers from Gamescom Opening Night Live 2026.
