Tripwire Presents and Sweet Bandits Studios Enter Strategic Partnership to Release DECEIVE INC.

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Tripwire Presents and Sweet Bandits Studios Enter Strategic Partnership to Release DECEIVE INC.

Publishing Division Continues to Expand Portfolio with Ingenuitive Multiplayer Espionage Game from AAA Developer Pedigree

ROSWELL, Ga. – March 16, 2022 – Tripwire Presents, the publishing division of Tripwire Interactive that focuses on releasing great games from other independent studios, including Chivalry 2, Espire 1: VR Operative, and Road Redemption, today announced a publishing partnership with Sweet Bandits Studios to release the upcoming multiplayer espionage title, DECEIVE INC. Formed in 2016, Sweet Bandits Studios is an independent development studio based in Quebec, Canada and is comprised of developers from AAA studios including Beenox, Ubisoft, Gearbox Software and Frima. DECEIVE INC. will be Sweet Bandits’ second game following the 2018 release of Coffence, the caffeine-fueled fighter, and will mark Tripwire Presents’ fourth release as a global publisher. DECEIVE INC. is currently planned for release on PC (via Steam and Epic Games Store), the PlayStation®5 computer entertainment system, and the Xbox Series X|S console system in early 2023. Additional details about DECEIVE INC. will be revealed soon.

“Working with Tripwire Presents has been an absolute treat. They’ve supported our vision for what DECEIVE INC. could be from day one and have been pushing us to make the game the best it can be constantly. We are very excited to share more information about the game in the coming months,” said Philippe Pelletier Baribault, Co-Studio Head at Sweet Bandits Studio.

True to the spirit of Tripwire Presents’ collaborative approach, the two teams are fostering an open and engaging partnership that respects both parties’ strengths. Doing so will best leverage the capabilities and expertise of the combined groups with the shared goal of delivering the best game experience for players around the world. Sweet Bandits Studios will retain creative control over the development of DECEIVE INC., along with general project and studio operations. Tripwire Presents will leverage their extensive experience and expanded resources to support and complement the development process, while overseeing all global marketing, communications and efforts to bring the game to market.

“From the first moment I played DECEIVE INC., I knew that Sweet Bandits were on to something. It had tons of style, it had character, and most importantly, it was fun! As a publisher, you’re always looking for that game you can’t stop playing and we found that with DECEIVE INC,” said Brian Etheridge, Publishing Director at Tripwire Presents. “Tripwire was a developer first and we aim to bring that mentality to all our publishing endeavors. We love when developers like Sweet Bandits trust us with the thing that they pour their hearts into. We know they have a lot of choices for who to work with and they deserve fair deals, constant support, and to be in control of their IP.”

About DECEIVE INC.

Blend in. Break out. Go undercover as the world’s greatest spies in DECEIVE INC., a tense multiplayer game of subterfuge, deduction, and ingenuity set in the groovy world of international espionage. Disguise as anyone, deploy an arsenal of high-tech gadgets or neutralize the competition. As long as you extract with the objective, no trick is too dirty when you work for DECEIVE INC. 

Tripwire Presents is a developer-first publisher and has helped many talented independent studios bring their creative visions to players worldwide, including Espire 1: VR Operative, the gold standard for the virtual reality stealth genre – and Road Redemption, a vehicular combat road rage adventure and spiritual successor to the popular Road Rash series. Most recently, Tripwire Presents partnered with Torn Banner Studios to help bring the ultimate medieval battlefield to PC and console players with the first-person slasher Chivalry 2, which has sold over one million units globally and has received praise from players and critics alike, including awards for Best Multiplayer Game of 2021 from PC Gamer, Windows Central, and more. Tripwire Presents will be present in-person at this year’s annual Game Developer’s Conference (GDC) in San Francisco, California and are accepting game pitches from independent developers. Independent studios working on projects of all sizes and genres are encouraged to reach out to publishing@tripwireinteractive.com to submit pitches for consideration or to arrange a meeting.

For further information on Sweet Bandits Studios please visit their official website and follow them on Twitter, Instagram, Discord and Facebook.

For more information about Tripwire please visit their official website and follow them on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

About Sweet Bandits Studios
Sweet Bandits Studios is an indie studio based in Quebec, Canada. The studio was created in 2016 by game developers from AAA studios who were tired of the profit-first mentality and dishonest work ethics they had experienced. Their belief is that to create the best games possible openness and transparency are keys. Therefore, in their studio, everyone can partake in the decision-making. Sweet Bandits Studios have been the recipient of prices and grants notably the Catapulte Program, Canada Media Fund, and Quebec City grant.

Fun fact, they are one of the very few studios to have shipped a title, Coffence, an online multiplayer game, using Amazon Lumberyard (and the talent of only 5 persons). Now 17 team members strong, they plan on leveraging what they’ve learned to create a solid user experience for Deceive Inc, a game focusing on subterfuge, deduction, and ingenuity set in the groovy world of international espionage.

About Tripwire Interactive
Formed in 2005 as a humble independent developer founded by gamers who found success in the video game modding community, Tripwire Interactive has developed and self-published multiple critically acclaimed titles in the wildly popular Killing Floor and Rising Storm franchises, which have collectively sold over 20 million units to date. The studio’s latest project, Maneater, breaks new ground in the popular action RPG genre and finds players taking on the role of a deadly shark with the uncanny ability to evolve as it feeds.

Since then, Tripwire Interactive has expanded its business with the publishing division, Tripwire Presents, turning its experience and resources to include publishing titles spanning multiple platforms and genres from other talented independent studios. Tripwire Presents aims to help like-minded independent studios bring their titles to market, including Chivalry 2 developed by Torn Banner Studios, Espire 1: VR Operative developed by Digital Lode, and Road Redemption developed by EQ Games and Pixel Dash Studios. Tripwire Presents continues to grow their portfolio, and are always on the lookout for the next great team and game. Inquiries and pitches can be directed to publishing@tripwireinteractive.com, or submitted through their publishing application form.

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