“We will not lock new agents behind paywalls“ Deceive Inc.’s Philippe Pelletier-Baribault talks monetization, inspiration, and more

Deceive Inc. is an upcoming spy/heist title from Sweet Bandit Studios and Tripwire Interactive that is presently in its alpha state. In a recent interaction with Sportskeeda, Philippe Pelletier-Baribault spoke to Jason Parker about what inspired the game, how it’s going to be monetized, and ideal updates to the game they’d like to make going forward.

There is no known release date for the game at this time, but in addition to speaking to the co-head and designer of the studio and game, Jason Parker also got his hands on the game as part of a preview event.

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Deceive Inc.’s Philippe Pelletier-Baribault discusses the inspiration behind the game

Q. What inspired Deceive Inc.'s bright, retro art design?

Philippe: We wanted to create a universe that felt distinctive while also providing lots of freedom on the gameplay side. By going with the wackier side of the ‘70s, we felt very free to fit our wildest gameplay concepts into the universe without breaking the logic of the world.

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Q: Is there a penalty for killing non-player characters?

Philippe: Not in the most direct sense, but from a systemic standpoint, there are a few. Blowing your cover first by making a wrong guess puts you in a very vulnerable position. PvE guards will come after you, and you lose the damage reduction that your cover gives you on an opening shot.

This means that continually making wrong guesses leaves you extremely vulnerable (and visible) to sneaky players that lurk in the vicinity.

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Q: Is it going to be obvious when a player that isn’t on your team changes disguises near you?

Philippe: We do have specific feedback for enemy players changing cover. Currently, they glow in a holographic red sheen and leave behind a red holographic orb that lingers for a short period of time.

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Q: Are there any plans for single-player content going forward, or is this a co-op-only title?

Philippe: We built Deceive Inc. from the ground up to be a multiplayer title and are focusing all our energies into that experience. That being said, we will have a single-player tutorial and training mode for players to experiment with different spies, gadgets, and loadouts.

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Q: I understand it might be a little too early to tell, but what are your plans for monetization for the game?

Philippe: While we can’t go into immediate details about our future plans, you can expect continued support for the title post-launch. Some of it will be free (gameplay-related additions), and some will be monetized (cosmetics).

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Q: In addition to the characters we’ve seen today, are others in the works?

Philippe: The current plan is to launch with eight playable spies. You can expect this roster to grow over time as the game evolves.

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Q: Speaking of characters, will players have access to everyone when the game launches, or will it require future characters to be unlocked via gameplay/real money?

Philippe: We have plans for a progression system that allows players to unlock new agents as they play. However, we will not lock new agents behind paywalls.

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Q: Have there been any thoughts on adding proximity voice chat to make the game a little more challenging?

Philippe: While we do not have plans for this right now, it is an interesting idea that could bring very fun encounters in the spirit of the game.

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Q: Will the game have other styles of heists at launch?

Philippe: Yes, we will have different operations that will bring their very own assets to steal with fresh themes and layouts.

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Q: Are there any features in the game that have not been developed yet, but the team would love to find a way to add to Deceive Inc.?

Philippe: Ranked play is a big one. We’d love to be able to create a more competitive environment for our most dedicated players and teams. This might be something we revisit if the community is excited about this type of content.

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In Deceive Inc., players can group or go solo and try their hand at a variety of heist missions, changing into costumes and defeating other players. The goal is to get in, grab the item in question, and get out without being bested by other players.