Syndicate (2012)

This page is for the first-person shooter reboot. For the original 1993 game, see Syndicate.

Syndicate

Developers
	Starbreeze Studios
Publishers
	Electronic Arts
Engines
	Starbreeze Engine
Release dates
Windows	February 21, 2012
Reception
Metacritic	69
IGDB	79
Taxonomy
Monetization	One-time game purchase, DLC
Modes	Singleplayer, Multiplayer
Pacing	Real-time
Perspectives	First-person
Controls	Direct control
Genres	Action, Shooter
Themes	Cyberpunk, Sci-fi
Series	Syndicate

Syndicate
Syndicate	1993
Syndicate Wars	1996
Syndicate (2012)	2012

Syndicate (2012) is a singleplayer and multiplayer first-person action and shooter game in the Syndicate series.

Availability

Source	DRM	Notes	Keys	OS
Retail		Additionally uses SecuROM 8 DRM for disc checking.
Origin (unavailable)

All versions require Origin DRM and utilise SecuROM 8 DRM for file consistency checking.

Version differences

The Limited Edition comes with the Executive Package DLC, which includes content for co-op missions: solid gold versions of all loadout guns, attachments, golden dart chip and vision, and executive gold Syndicate logos.

Monetization

DLC and expansion packs

Name	Notes
Executive Package	A pre-order DLC included in the Limited Edition, but can be activated with an Origin key

Essential improvements

Advanced Config Tool

• SynAdvCFG is an advanced config tool which can adjust many configuration settings. Beware that using it will reset graphics settings to default.

Syndicate DeBloom

• Syndicate DeBloom is a HelixMod fix that removes the game's overbearing bloom effects, and as a side effect, disables the blue colour correction.

Skip intro videos

Rename/delete Logos.ogg
Go to <path-to-game>\Content\Videos\ Delete or rename Logos.ogg.

Enhanced quality

Enhanced quality[citation needed]

Enter console by pressing Ctrl+Alt+~. Enter xr_adaptivequalitymode 3. Enter xr_fxaa 3 for better antialiasing. Enter xr_postaa 3 for post processing antialiasing. Enter xr_ssao 2 for ambient occlusion. Enter xr_ssaogain 0.5 for setting strength of SSAO. Enter xr_selfshadowing 1 to make your character's shadow affect weapons. Notes Enabling Ambient Occlusion will likely make textures turn black. Most settings entered via console will not be preserved after a level transition.

Game data

Configuration file(s) location

System	Location
Windows	%USERPROFILE%\Documents\Syndicate\

There is also an Environment.cfg file located in the <path-to-game> .Do not modify this version of the file, and especially do not delete it. It seems to be used for default settings, and the game will crash if it is not present.

Save game data location

System	Location
Windows	%USERPROFILE%\Documents\Syndicate\SaveGames\default

Save game cloud syncing

System	Native	Notes
Origin
OneDrive		Requires enabling backup of the Documents folder in OneDrive on all computers.

Video

Video settings.

Graphics feature	State	WSGF	Notes
Widescreen resolution			4:3, 5:4 and 16:10 resolutions are letterboxed to 16:9.
Multi-monitor			Proper Hor+ scaling is natively supported but multi-monitor resolutions cannot be selected in-game. See Multi-monitor. Non-standard resolutions may affect the size of certain special effects such as lens flares.
Ultra-widescreen			Proper Hor+ scaling is natively supported but ultrawide resolutions cannot be selected in-game. See Multi-monitor. Non-standard resolutions may affect the size of certain special effects such as lens flares.
4K Ultra HD			Dialogue subtitles do not scale and can be too small to read at 4k. All other text and HUD elements scale properly.
Field of view (FOV)		Default is 70°. See Field of view (FOV).
Windowed		See Windowed.
Borderless fullscreen windowed		See the glossary page for potential workarounds.
Anisotropic filtering (AF)
Anti-aliasing (AA)
Vertical sync (Vsync)		Causes mouse lag. Nvidia Fast Sync will eliminate both mouse lag and tearing.
60 FPS and 120+ FPS		Frame rate is capped at 200 FPS.See High FPS Issues.
High dynamic range display (HDR)		See the glossary page for potential alternatives.

Multi-monitor

Multi-monitor resolution must be set manually in config file.

Multi-monitor resolution
Go to the configuration file(s) location. Open Environment.cfg. Set VID_DWIDTH= and VID_DHEIGHT= to the desired values.

Field of view (FOV)

Using a modified FOV for online play is not recommended.

Modified FOV doesn't scale well with Iron-sights.

Using this hack may result in game's not being able to save its settings and campaign progress on Windows 10.

Use Syndicate FOV Mod
Download the Syndicate FOV Mod. Choose a fitting FOV and copy its GameClasses_Win32_x86_Release.dll to ..\Syndicate\Content overwriting original file.

Windowed

Enable toggle in config file
Go to the configuration file(s) location. Open Environment.cfg. Locate a line VID_FULLSCREEN_WINDOWED_TOGGLE_ENABLED=0 Change it to VID_FULLSCREEN_WINDOWED_TOGGLE_ENABLED=1 Now launch the game and press Alt+↵ Enter to toggle between windowed and fullscreen mode. This fix is needed for Borderless Gaming to hook the game.

Input

Keyboard and mouse	State	Notes
Remapping
Mouse acceleration
Mouse sensitivity		Separate sliders for X and Y axis.
Mouse input in menus
Mouse Y-axis inversion
Controller
Controller support		XInput controllers only. Whenever a controller is connected the game shows only gamepad controls. See fixes.
Full controller support
Controller remapping		%USERPROFILE%\Documents\Syndicate\SaveGames\default\_profile it’s the mappings marked with the “2” e.g *ACTION_SPRINT2 166
Controller sensitivity
Controller Y-axis inversion

Controller types

XInput-compatible controllers
Xbox button prompts
Impulse Trigger vibration

PlayStation controllers		See the glossary page for potential workarounds.

Generic/other controllers		See the glossary page for potential workarounds.

Additional information
Controller hotplugging
Haptic feedback		Vibration option is located under Game settings.
Digital movement supported
Simultaneous controller+KB/M

Audio

Audio settings.

Audio feature	State	Notes
Separate volume controls
Surround sound		5.1
Subtitles		Under Game options.
Closed captions
Mute on focus lost		Can not be disabled.
Royalty free audio

Localizations

Language	UI	Audio	Sub	Notes
English
French
German
Italian
Japanese				Fan translation, download. It apparently covers the entire singleplayer campaign, but proper testing is needed.
Brazilian Portuguese				Fan translation, download.
Russian

Network

Multiplayer types

Type	Native	Players	Notes
LAN play
Online play		4	Co-op If a lobby leader leaves the ongoing game, players will be thrown back to a lobby. Official online service was shut down on June 15, 2023.

Connection types

Type	Native	Notes
Matchmaking
Peer-to-peer
Dedicated
Self-hosting
Direct IP

Issues unresolved

Crash when joining COOP

Sometimes a game crashes when joining a COOP game. Possible solutions include disabling Third-party overlay software like FRAPS or Steam. Other solution is disabling voice input and output in audio settings of a game. Both solutions seem to reduce an amount of game crashes, but none fixes it fully.

Issues fixed

Cannot launch the game

Cannot launch the game[citation needed]
A common fix is launching by Syndicate.exe file straight from the installation folder rather than from any launcher/client.

Nvidia users crash

Nvidia users crash[citation needed]
Go to Nvidia control panel by right clicking the icon in the taskbar. Then manage 3d settings and set Threaded Optimization to on.

Nvidia Optimus Crashes the Game

Nvidia Optimus Crashes the Game[citation needed]

If you’re using a newer laptop that’s using an nVidia Optimus card, try checking your Optimus settings. Open the “nVidia Control Panel” from your start menu. On the lefthand side, under “Select a task…” Open the “3D Settings” tree, and select “Manage 3D Settings” On the righthand panel, click the “Program Settings” tab. Under “1. Select a program…”, click “Add”, navigate to the installation folder and navigate to the application / exe file. Under “2. Select the preferred graphics…”, choose “High-performance NVIDIA processor” Then (VERY IMPORTANT!) click “Apply” in the bottom right. Launch the game.

No sound or weak sound

No Sound or weak sound on Windows Vista / 7[citation needed]

Update your sound card drivers. If doing that doesn't clear up the problem, make sure you have volume set to max for Syndicate in the volume mixer (click on the little speaker icon in the bottom-right of your screen in the system tray). If you're in-game, just Alt+Tab ↹ out of the game and check if Syndicate is set to max in the volume mixer. Another tip you could try is to go to Control Panel > Hardware and Sound > Sound > Communications Tab then select the “Do Nothing” radio button to permanently fix this issue.

No Sound or weak sound on Windows XP[citation needed]
Reduce hardware acceleration Set your speakers to Stereo.

Crash to Desktop upon Launch / Startup

Crash to Desktop upon Launch / Startup[citation needed]

If your game randomly crashes upon launching the game, ensure or try the following: Update your Nvidia / ATI graphics drivers. Check our Technical References page for proper and official download links. Turn off SLI / Crossfire then start the game. See if it stabilizes Syndicate performance. Turn off your anti-virus software before launching the Syndicate, but make sure you turn it back on after playing. Make sure Windows Defender is also disabled. Try using only one GPU first (turn the other one off via your Nvidia / ATI graphics control Try running the game as an administrator (right-click the shortcut and choose Run as administrator). Try running the game with the Origin overlay disabled. In Windows 10 set syndicate.exe compatibility mode to Windows 7. In Windows 10 try running compatibility troubleshooter on syndicate.exe even if compatibility mode already set. In Windows 7 set syndicate.exe compatibility mode to Windows Vista.

Game only shows gamepad controls

Edit DLL file to remove controller support
Go to <path-to-game>\System\Win32_x86_Release\. Open Msystem.dll with a hex editor such as HxD. Go to offset 15F3F0. Replace the values in the 0C, 0D, and 0E columns with 30, C0, and 90. Save the file and relaunch the game. Notes It should be apparent right away if the issue is fixed, as the main menu will say "press return to start" instead of "press [start icon] to start"

Disable interface devices[citation needed]

First make sure you have any physical gamepads or joysticks unplugged. Next open device manager in windows. Under device manager look for "Human Interface Devices", expand this. Look for any entries related to a gamepad, in some cases these are 'software' controllers, or created by keyboard drivers. Manually disable all such entries, now when you launch the game, you should get keyboard/mouse controls.

Visual C++ Runtime Error R6034 on Startup

Visual C++ Runtime Error R6034 on Startup[citation needed]
Go to <path-to-game>\System\Win32_x86_Release Delete or rename atiags.dll.

Profiles for gaming software

This game doesn't run its process from EXE file but from BIN file that is located here: \System\Win32_x86_Release\Syndicate.bin. You need to add this path or file name to your gaming software in order to software properly recognize game running.

Logitech G-series Key Profiler

Logitech G-series Key Profile - Solution 1[citation needed]
Start game Alt+Tab ↹ back to Windows Create new profile in Profiler and select executable with GamePanel Go back to game and push button under LCD

Logitech G-series Key Profile - Solution2[citation needed]
Create new profile Select Syndicate.exe as executable Export profile Open exported file with notepad Search for Syndicate.exe and change it to Syndicate.bin Save and import profile in Profiler Notes Tested with version 3.06.109

Logitech SetPoint

Logitech SetPoint[citation needed]

Create new profile or edit current one Add Syndicate.exe as assigned application Close SetPoint Go to %LOCALAPPDATA%\LogiShrd\SetPoint II\Devices\PointingDevice\[numbers]\[numbers]\profiles There should be list of your profiles. If it's not, look under different [numbers] folders within PointingDevice folder After you located your profiles, go one folder up and open profilemap.xml with notepad Search for Syndicate.exe and change it to Syndicate.bin Open SetPoint, select your syndicate profile and check if Syndicate.bin is in assigned applications If so, click Apply Notes Tested with version 5.45.10

Game does not launch on Windows 10 and reports 0xc0000005 error

Mandatory ASLR prevents game from running
Open Windows Defender In App & browser control, open Exploit protection settings In Program settings, add an exception for Syndicate.exe Disable "Force randomization for images (Mandatory ASLR)"

Falling through the ground (DownZone Level)

Above 140 fps the person will fall to the void of the map when exiting the helicopter in the DownZone level

Noclip cheat
Press Ctrl+Alt+~ to enter console. Enter cmd(noclip) to toggle no clipping mode on/off. This may allow you to bypass the bug.

Limit the Framerate[citation needed]
See Frame rate capping.

Enable Vsync in Video options and set monitor on 60hz.[citation needed]

Game crashes on 11th and 12th gen Intel CPU

OpenSSL 1.0.2 beta to OpenSSL 1.0.2k contain bugs that either cause a crash or bad SHA (Secure Hash Algorithm) values on processors with the SHA extensions. Both bugs were fixed years ago; however, any application that uses the old version directly, or as one of its dependencies, will fail.

Enviromental variable
Open "Control Panel" by searching for it in Windows search bar Go to "System & Security" -> "System" Open "Advanced system settings" Choose "Environmental Variables" Create a new "System Variable" Enter the following into the Variable name box: OPENSSL_ia32cap Enter the following into the Variable value box: ~0x20000000 Press "OK"

Other information

API

Technical specs	Supported	Notes
Direct3D	9.0c

Executable	32-bit	64-bit	Notes
Windows

Disable lens flares

Disable lens flares[citation needed]
Go to the configuration file(s) location. Open Environment.cfg. Locate XR_FLARES=-1 and change -1 to 0

Disable motion blur

Disable motion blur[citation needed]
Go to the configuration file(s) location. Open Environment.cfg. Locate XR_MOTIONBLUR_DOF=1 and change 1 to 0 Notes This will disable motion blur AND depth of field. When character is running glow is also disabled and picture is darker.

Disable film grain

Disable film grain[citation needed]
Go to the configuration file(s) location. Open Environment.cfg. Locate XR_GRAIN=1 and change 1 to 0

System requirements

Windows
	Minimum	Recommended
Operating system (OS)	XP, Vista, 7
Processor (CPU)	Intel Core 2 Duo E4600 2.4 GHz AMD Athlon 64 X2 4600+	Intel Core 2 Quad Q6400 2.13 GHz AMD Athlon II X3 440
System memory (RAM)	2 GB (XP/7) 3 GB (Vista)	4 GB
Hard disk drive (HDD)	12 GB
Video card (GPU)	ATI Radeon HD 4650 Nvidia GeForce 8800 GS 512 MB of VRAM	ATI Radeon HD 4850 Nvidia GeForce GT 545 1 GB of VRAM