New Syndicate In The Works?

Maybe wishes really do come true: Word on the street is that EA is set to revive Bullfrog's classic strategy-slaughterfest Syndicate.

CVG apparently has an inside track on the news, thus far unconfirmed, that Electronic Arts has made a deal with Starbreeze Studios to bring back the Bullfrog favorite on the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC. Starbreeze is best known for developing FPS titles The Darkness and The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape From Butcher Bay.

EA originally announced a deal with Starbreeze to bring back a "classic EA franchise" in February, although the franchise in question remained unknown. "We're already deep in development on Project RedLime [the game's internal code name] and the team at EA is giving us the time we need to perfect our vision," Starbreeze CEO Johan Kristiansson said at the time. "We're excited to bring a new perspective and gameplay innovation to this beloved fiction."

Speculation at the time suggested either System Shock or Syndicate would be making a comeback as a result of the deal. While System Shock received a facelift in 1999 with the sequel System Shock 2, which eventually grew into a cult classic in its own right, Syndicate hasn't been touched since the 1996 release of Syndicate Wars, which was not nearly as well received as the original.

We've contacted EA about the rumor and are anxiously awaiting a response.