Sony Online Entertainment has announced "The Agency," an upcoming fast-paced online shooter by SOE Seattle

"The Agency is a pick-up-and-play experience where players assume the role of elite agents in a modern-day world. Both solo players and groups will enjoy a wide variety of cooperative and competitive story-driven missions set in exotic locales across the globe.

“The inspiration for The Agency came from the spy and espionage genre. We want to put players in the heart of the action to experience what it’s really like to live the life of an elite agent,” said Hal Milton, Lead Designer, Sony Online Entertainment. “Players will jet set around this virtual world to exotic locales, infiltrate enemy organizations to steal secrets and perpetrate sabotage, all the while building their own agency with an eye towards global domination.”

Persistent character development allows players to supplement their gear with exotic and powerful skills that make them feel like the elite agents they’ve always dreamt of becoming. Additionally, in lieu of the typical class systems in many other games, The Agency’s approach is simply, “You Are What You Wear.” Players will customize their character’s attire based on the mission at hand, emphasizing combat, support, stealth, or even cover identities.

Players begin their experience by choosing to be a slick UNITE spy or a gritty ParaGON mercenary. Both factions will have players tangling in illicit activities such as drug smuggling, assassinations, espionage and counter intelligence. As they gain ranks within their chosen agency, players will increase their influence over the world while experiencing a deep story of action and intrigue. Along the way players will be able to build their own agencies, team with others to create joint agencies, and recruit a roster of useful Operatives.

Operatives are “living loot” characters that wait in the wings for orders to build that new sports car, gather intel for the next mission, or provide that satellite scan to expose the enemy. As players advance through the game, they will collect more powerful Operatives that will better assist them with missions. Players can use their roster to help themselves or their team and even trade Operatives with other players."