The Syndicate: Classified Operations news & patch notes

Hey everyone!

Paul (the composer) and I have been working very hard on getting all the new soundtracks into the game. While he's working on more tracks, I've taken the liberty of using what he made so far and create a brand new trailer! Check it out!

We've also cooked up an incredible feature for The Syndicate, which is that music will actually escalate alongside gameplay, by dynamically adding more instruments and variations as you play. If you're getting bombarded with escalations the music will become more eratic. If you're just sitting back and relaxing, the music will calm down and chill right there with you!

That's all for today...

Back to work!

- Ignace

Hey everyone!

I know it’s been a while, but I have good news: The Syndicate is entering the final stages of development, and the demo has received a major new update.

While the overall structure remains the same, a lot has changed behind the scenes. The economy has been rebalanced to make progression feel faster, more satisfying, and much closer to the intended full-release experience.

I've also added a main menu, while it's mostly just the settings window that pops up, it enhances the initial starting segment slightly by adding a fun animation everytime we load into the game.

The upgrade system has also been completely redesigned. Upgrades are now divided more clearly between the different areas of your Syndicate, making it much easier to understand what each one affects. There are also far more choices, allowing players to take very different paths through the game. The full release will feature more than 400 upgrades, not including their additional ranks.

I’ve also added new mini-tutorials for events, reworked Post-its into optional short-term city bonuses, and completed a major animation pass across the game. Buttons, upgrades, interactions, and the command board should now feel more responsive and alive.

Finally, I’m excited to announce that I’ve been working with Paul Michael Harrison on a fully original soundtrack for The Syndicate. The first section of the soundtrack is included in this demo update, and I think it makes a massive difference. Let me know what you think!

Now I’m disappearing again for the next three weeks to send emails, add finishing touches and soundtrack, and play the game over and over until the remaining bugs are gone.

Thank you for sticking with the game.

- Ignace

​Hi everyone!

• Voice acting!

• More things to do! (Special operations, lockdown + advanced lockdown, Uprisings, Couriers + advanced Couriers, Extractions!)

  • And this is just a small taste of what's the come in full release...

• I've added Assets - they do the work for you, and make the automation a bit more visible.

• Telegram now gives reports from assets!

• A ton of new upgrades! (Though on full release they will feel quite different, these upgrades are demo-specific)

• A new Milestone system to give you direction in what is expected.

• ... many many more things

Hey everyone!

Thank you to everyone who has wishlisted The Syndicate, tried the demo, and shared feedback. It has been incredibly useful while I continue shaping both the demo and the full release.

This build expands the demo quite a bit.

As the game gets closer to full release, I wanted to re-evaluate what the demo should show. The goal is to give players a better sense of how The Syndicate escalates over time, without giving away everything that is waiting in the full game.

The biggest addition is Extraction.

Field operatives can now become compromised, forcing you to respond before the situation gets worse. Extraction also comes with its own upgrades, adding another layer of progression and another way for the board to demand your attention.

This update also adds improved versions of Courier and Lockdown later in the demo. These are meant to show more of what the full game is built around: a constant escalation through new systems, new threats, and expanded operations.

The Telegram has also been reintroduced.

Instead of only receiving messages from the Director, you will now also receive cryptic transmissions from field operatives as situations unfold. This should help guide players through new events while making the world feel more active beyond the command board.

Special Operations have also been updated. They are now handled as a right-click action, allowing you to reassign global assets to different cities more directly.

Alongside these additions, the build includes a lot of bug fixes, balance changes, upgrade cost adjustments, and visual improvements. There are too many small fixes to list cleanly, but hopefully you will notice the demo feels smoother overall.

I have also been hard at work on the full release: adding new features, finalizing achievements, and building the final escalation.

As you may have already guessed, the full game expands into world-level operations. But there are other threats beyond that. Some have already been exposed. Not all of them.

Thanks again to everyone who has been playing and supporting The Syndicate.

- Ignace

Hi everyone,

This update is a big one. The Syndicate: Classified Operations now includes voice acting.

This has been one of the most important atmosphere improvements for the game so far. Since The Syndicate is built around the feeling of operating from a Cold War intelligence board, voice acting helps give the Director and the overall presentation much more presence.

This patch is also part of the final preparation push for Steam Next Fest. I’ve been working on making the demo easier to understand, smoother to play, and better paced for new players.

I've also been working on a brand new Next Fest Trailer, check it out!

Changes

• Voice acting has been added.

• New upgrades have been added.

• A text size slider has been added.

• Costs have been slightly rebalanced.

• Local and global assets are now more clearly distinguished.

• Board and table visuals have received small improvements.

• Features are now introduced more gradually, so the early game should feel less overwhelming.

• General flow has been improved for clarity.

• Lingering assets after starting a new era are now cleaned up correctly.

• Missing localizations have been fixed.

• Too many bugfixes to note, but keep sending them!

There is still much more to come, and I hope everyone enjoys the new version. Thanks again for playing, giving feedback, and following the game as it gets closer to release!

- Ignace

Hi everyone,

A new demo update is live for The Syndicate: Classified Operations.

Assets are now visible directly on the board. They move around cities, support your operations, and cities that are upgrading will now gain additional assets as well. This should make automation feel more physical and easier to understand.

Couriers have also been updated. When you click a courier to completion, it now crashes instead of simply disappearing. Their visuals have also been adjusted so they are easier to notice during play.

This update also includes several new upgrades, milestone changes, balancing improvements, sound adjustments, and fixes for issues related to settings and starting a new era.

Main changes include:

• New board-based asset visuals and movement.

• Cities that are upgrading now gain assets.

• New upgrades added.

• Bug fixes related to starting a new era.

• Couriers now crash when completed by clicking.

• Courier visuals are now more noticeable.

• Milestones have been moved and expanded for a smoother experience.

• Major balancing changes to improve the overall demo flow.

• New sounds added and volume levels adjusted.

• Fixed settings not always loading correctly.

• Reworked upgrade and blacksite costs.

• Increased the size of all text where I could, but unfortunately haven't added the slider for text size yet since it doesn't always works. I did focus on gaining as much readability as possible!

Work on the game is still ongoing. Voiceover is being worked on, and as shown in the latest screenshots, the full game is also seeing major improvements, including blackout events, assassinate targets, and more late-game escalation.

As always, feedback is very welcome. The demo is still being actively improved, so comments, bug reports, and balance feedback are extremely useful.

Thanks for playing!

- Ignace

Hey everyone!

VGTimes has featured an exclusive new trailer for The Syndicate: Classified Operations.

The trailer includes unreleased footage from the full game, showing a broader look at the intelligence network, escalation, and some of the higher-stakes systems planned beyond the current demo.

You can read the VGTimes feature here:

https://vgtimes.com/gaming-news/156106-vgtimes-exclusive-the-syndicate-classified-operations-gets-new-trailer-about-building-an-intelligence-network.html

Thank you to VGTimes for covering the game and sharing the exclusive trailer.

The demo is available now on Steam, and more updates are on the way.

- Ignace

Hey everyone!

This update took a little longer than usual, but it turned into a pretty big demo overhaul.

Decryption has been removed from the demo. After a lot of iteration and feedback, I felt it was interrupting the main flow too much, so I’ve replaced it with new systems that fit the core gameplay better.

New in this update: Lockdowns and Riots.

Recovery has also been removed and replaced with Heat. Missions now generate heat in the city where they’re completed. Push a city too hard and it may lock down or break into riots. You can resolve these events manually, or let them pass over time while reducing heat.

This should make the game flow feel smoother, while adding more risk and decision-making around where you focus your operations.

I’ve also added new upgrades, reworked upgrade tracks, adjusted pricing around these new systems, and modified several talents to better support the new flow.

There’s also some cool stuff coming up soon, including voiceovers for the Director, which I’m really excited about.

Feedback is very welcome, especially since this changes the demo pacing quite a bit.

- Ignace

Patch Update: City UI, Heat, and Demo Changes

A new patch is currently in development, but it is taking a little longer than expected.

The main reason is that this update has grown into a larger overhaul of how cities, missions, and earnings are presented and managed. I’ve been reworking the city UI to make income, upgrades, and daily earnings much clearer, so players can better understand what each city is producing and what each upgrade actually improves.

I’m also replacing the current mission recovery system with a new Heat system. Instead of missions going into recovery after completion, each completed operation will now generate Heat in that city. Heat will decay over time, but if you push a city too hard, it may trigger a lockdown. The goal is to make missions feel more active and strategic, while keeping the pace smoother.

Because of this change, several upgrades and Director dialogs also need to be rewritten or added, so the system feels properly integrated rather than simply bolted on.

One other change coming with this patch is that Decryption will be removed from the demo. While the mechanic had some good ideas behind it, feedback on it has been mostly negative, and it often interrupted the main flow of the game. For the demo, I’d rather focus on mechanics that better support the core experience and fit the physical board-room style of The Syndicate.

I’m also working toward Steam Next Fest, so a lot of the current focus is on making the demo as clear, polished, and engaging as possible for new players discovering the game for the first time.

Thanks for your patience. The next patch should make the demo smoother, easier to understand, and much closer to the direction I want the full game to take.

- Ignace

Another day another update? YES!

The demo flow has been improved further to make progression clearer and easier to follow.

• Added additional Director dialog for better guidance

• These dialogs were added for the Courier / Decryption / Special operation

• Improved overall clarity during gameplay

• Adjusted several values within the milestones to the curve is a bit smoother.

Rewards have also been adjusted to feel more consistent and more rewarding over time:

• Courier rewards are now more predictable

• Decryption rewards adjusted

• Special Operations rewards improved

• Upgrade values for these systems increased

Bugfixes

• The Courier reward upgrade was not giving any additional reward - now it is

• Fixed several UI scaling issues for wide monitors

• Fixed a bug where you could get stuck unable to progress if you didn't take the new era option.

• Ensured the game now pauses during director dialog to ensure you don't lose out on rewards.

• Made talents clearly disable if they're not available.

Feature Improvements

• Added an interruption chance to Special Operations to make them more than just a click

• You now only see the Special Operations UI if you have a Special Operation Active

I also added a new feedback option in game which is completely anonymous and directs you to a google form where you can tell me anything about the game, what you enjoy / hate/ absolute love. Or anything that is completely broken or just not working as intended!

These changes should make progression feel smoother and more reliable.

As always, feedback is appreciated.

– Ignace

Major Demo Update

The demo has been reworked to better highlight escalation and improve overall flow.

Intro

Thank you to everyone who’s been playing the demo, the feedback has been incredibly helpful. This update is a direct result of that, and it’s a big one.

Core changes

The demo flow has been redesigned to better emphasize progression and escalation.

Instead of starting at the full world map, you now begin in the US and expand outward into larger regions. The full global scale is reserved for the full game. This improves pacing, makes progression clearer, and gives each promotion more impact.

A new Director system has also been added. The Director will guide and command your operations, helping clarify objectives while reinforcing the game’s tone.

Improvements summary

This update focuses on:

• clearer progression

• better onboarding

• less visual noise

• smoother interaction

Patch notes

• Fixed upgrades occasionally bugging out when closing the UI early

• Improved upgrade selection responsiveness

• Added Director system (fully localized)

• Added additional tooltips for clarity (Intel Board, Mail, etc.)

• Reduced visual noise (removed unnecessary city VFX)

• Overhauled Operator Manual for clearer upgrade direction

• Expanded automation tracks for Special Operations

• Fixed issue where newly unlocked cities could fail to register

• Fixed rare crash when changing languages

• Fixed milestone progression not updating correctly

• Fixed graphics settings not applying on load

Thanks again for playing, I’d love to hear what you think of the new flow and the Director system.

– Ignace

Improvements

• Directive flow has been improved for better clarity and progression

• Courier visuals updated

• City VFX refined and improved

• New Era flow cleaned up with visual improvements

• General balance adjustments to improve pacing

Audio

• Sound system overhaul to prevent audio from cutting out

Fixes

• Fixed cities not loading correctly in some cases

• Fixed talents not always working as intended

• Fixed VFX not being properly destroyed

• Fixed directives UI not responding correctly to completion and breaking animations

• Various smaller bugfixes across the game

Looking Ahead (Full Release Content)

A lot of development has also gone into upcoming features that are not part of the demo, but will be available in the full release:

• Blackout

• Kill Target

• Extract Agent

• City Lockdown

• Uprising

These additions expand the moment-to-moment gameplay on the map and introduce more active events and decision-making.

The new Directives system is now live. It clearly shows what unlocks next, and how to get there—making progression easier to follow.

Changes:

• Added Directives system (track upcoming unlocks and requirements)

• Fixed sound playing while muted

• Fixed issue where New Era could break missions

• Fixed visual issue in the Operator Manual UI (Left text field was slighly bigger, now it's all the same size)

• Fixed a bug where the vfx would break when you switch to the talent board.

• Fixed a bug that would cause input to go through multiple times in the talent board.

• Changed the "common" visual of talent nodes to be light grey for additional clarity, the "common" version of the upgrades is still yellow.

More improvements are on the way. Feedback is always welcome.

Thank you for playing The Syndicate!

The demo for The Syndicate is officially live.

You can jump in right now and start building your network, unlocking cities, and expanding your operations. This demo represents the core gameplay experience and is fully playable from start to finish.

The demo is already fully localized across all supported languages, so you can experience it in the language you prefer from day one.

This is just the beginning. More improvements, polish, and content updates are already planned. Your feedback will directly influence how the game evolves from here.

If you’d like to share thoughts, report issues, or suggest ideas, join the community here: Discord

Thanks for playing and helping shape The Syndicate.