The new game from Tripwire Interactive is having an open beta this weekend

YouTube

Deceive Inc., the new game from Sweet Bandits Studios and Killing Floor studio Tripwire Interactive, is holding a cross-platform open beta this weekend, giving everyone a chance to see what it's all about ahead of its full release on March 21.

As we saw at the PC Gaming Show in 2022, Deceive Inc. is an extraction shooter that looks something like a cross between Deathloop and Prop Hunt, with a strong faux-'70s spy thriller vibe. The goal is simple enough—infiltrate a location, steal the objective, and get out—but the process is complicated by the presence of 11 other agents, working solo or in teams of three, all trying to do the same thing.

Each agent in Deceive Inc. has a unique weapon and skillset, along with various abilities and gadgets, like a bulletproof umbrella or giant inflatable mat. They're also all equipped with a "high-tech holographic watch" that enables them to disguise themselves as other people or objects and blend into a room or crowd until such time as they're ready to make a move.

We said last year that "you'll have to keep a low profile" in order to get the job done, but based on the video above I get the impression that's not entirely true: Keeping things cool is obviously a good idea, but it's probably more important to be ready for when things inevitably go sideways.

The Deceive Inc. open beta will include all eight agents that will be in the game at launch, and two "distinctive" maps, Hard Sell and Fragrant Shore. It's set to go live at 11 am PT/2 pm ET on Steam and the Epic Games Store (it's also coming to PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X-S, if that's your thing) and will run until the same time on March 13.

Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill.