SYNCED, the third-person shooter game in development at Tencent's NexT Studios, has resurfaced three years after its debut at Gamescom 2019. A PC Open Beta is set to begin on December 10th, when players will get the chance to download the game on Steam or directly from the SYNCED website. The testing phase will continue until January 15th, 2023.

　　The game is now described by the developers as a rogue-looter shooter, though much of the previously announced features, including PvPvE mechanics, remain the same.

　　In the wake of a cataclysm known as the Collapse, the nanomachines have turned against their creators, consuming humans to propagate themselves and transforming into the deadly Nanos. In this apocalypse, players take on the role of a Runner, brave fortune-seekers who scour the Meridian for the valuable nano-energy substance known as Nerva. Players will team up in squads of three to encounter intense PvE and PvP battles.

　　SYNCED delivers a totally new take on the third-person looter-shooter gameplay by giving players the ability to synchronise with deadly Nanos, effectively turning foe to friend. With different Nano classes to sync with – Crusher, Seer, Guardian and Suppressor – combined with the individual loadout and unique skill each Runner brings, this allows for a broad variety of combinations and tactical approaches.

　　Similar to classic looter shooters, Runners can loot resources in PvE and PvP matches to build up their character, while also unlocking powerful weapons and mods. Consequently, each match plays out as a unique run - leaning into the "rogue-lite" influence and distinguishing SYNCED from its peers.

　　In late 2019, the developers of SYNCED predicted ray tracing would be the new standard in two to three years. Fast forward to late 2022 and ray tracing is still a long way from that goal, although its presence is slowly becoming more common. As a reminder, SYNCED is one of the games in the official DLSS 3 support list.