Opia Games on Sydless – Interview Series

The Lone Blade developer Opia Games has announced Sydless, a fast-paced first-person shooter in which players’ primary weapon is a deadly bouncing ball. Yes — a bouncing ball. In an attempt to reinforce its mission statement of creating “peculiar” games for the masses, the team behind the upcoming FPS title, which is currently due to launch in 2026, is working to mesh the signature clippings of “classic movement shooters with a unique bouncing ball weapon.” An odd concept, but we’ll roll with it, nonetheless.

“Reality is breaking. Trapped in an anomaly, you are Diego, an employee of Rundy’s Burger, a fast-food chain at the end of the ‘90s,” the game’s description reads in part. “But something is wrong. The restaurant keeps shifting, twisting into increasingly distorted versions of itself.”

“Use your agility and mastery of movement to navigate the chaos and avoid relentless attacks from the customers, twisted by the shifting reality of the restaurant. Destroy them with your only weapon—a high-speed bouncing ball that gains more power the faster it moves. Punch it, control it and turn every room into a deadly playground.”

In an effort to snowball these details into a more comprehensive talking point, we recently decided to speak with the team behind Sydless to discuss the details. Here’s everything we were able to learn from the studio…

A deadly bouncing ball; a burger joint; and a time capsule from the nineties? You’ve certainly caught our attention with all of these moving pieces. First and foremost, there’s the storyline. What’s the deal here, guys?

You play as Diego, a fast-food worker at Randy’s Burger in the late ’90s, who suddenly gets caught in an anomaly.

As you fight your way through each level using a deadly bouncing ball, you’ll face former customers now twisted by the anomaly. The deeper you go, the more unstable and anomalic the world becomes.

Throughout the journey, Diego tries to understand what’s happening and how to escape this nightmare. Along the way, you’ll encounter other lost employees… and a mysterious organization watching your every move, trying to uncover the true nature of the anomaly and your implication in it.

We’re interested to hear more about the gameplay and how it all works. You’ve described it as a fast-paced first-person shooter that is “built around momentum, skill, and a deadly bouncing ball.” Would you mind elaborating on that?

The game draws inspiration from fast-paced shooters like Quake and Ultrakill, but flips the formula on its head. You’re always in motion, wall-jumping, dashing, sliding, ground-slamming. Movement isn’t just how you get around but your weapon is a deadly bouncing ball. It damages enemies based on how fast it’s moving. 

But here’s the twist: each time the ball bounces, it slows down. To keep it deadly, you need to stop it, chase it and punch it, each punch gives it a massive burst of speed.

Combat becomes a high-speed loop of stop, chase, punch, an aggressive, rhythmic dance. And as you progress, you’ll unlock powers and combos that enhance your movement and amplify the ball’s speed, letting you pull off even more devastating plays.

And then there are these “powers” that you’ve briefly spoken about. How will these evolutionary abilities affect the game as time progresses?

In Sydless, each power is represented by a tattoo on your arm and it fundamentally shifts how you approach the game. Some players might stick to mastering one signature ability, while others may push for full mastery by learning them all and combine them. The idea is to give you as many tools as possible so you can adapt your gameplay to each level or your own playstyle,each power will increase your punch and add more possibility and synergy.

Do you have any words of advice for those who might be interested in going toe to toe with this viscous bouncing ball? Is there a secret to escaping this loop that you wouldn’t mind sharing with future players?

For anyone ready to go toe to toe with the vicious bouncing ball in Sydless, my biggest advice is: master your momentum and timing. The game is all about rhythm, knowing when to stop the ball, when to chase it, and when to strike hard. Precision in movement is just as important as precision in your punches.

As for escaping the loop… Some say it’s about breaking the cycle, others that it’s about surrendering to it. But the truth? It’s hidden deep within the shifting walls of Randy’s Burger. Keep your eyes open, and the answers will come when you’re ready.

What’s the next step for the game, if you don’t mind me asking? As a team, what are your goals for the next two quarters?

Right now, we’re hard at work on a playable demo.

The plan is to start with closed playtests to gather focused feedback, then open it up to the public.

We’re also preparing to bring Sydless to more events and showcases, with new trailers and gameplay reveals that dive deeper into the game’s world, mechanics and chaos.

This next phase is all about sharing more of the game’s identity, and finally letting players get a first taste of the game. 

Please could you let us know where the best places for sourcing fresh updates on Sydless are? Are there any social channels, newsletters, or other forms of media that you wouldn’t mind sharing with our readers?

Yes! You can follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok at @opiagames to check out Sydless content, from gameplay clips to behind the scenes dev moments.

For updates and announcements, we’re building up our Discord to be the main hub for the community (even if it’s still small for now).

But don’t worry any major news will always be shared on Twitter and Instagram too, so you won’t miss anything.

Is there anything else you would like to add to this story before we bring it to its final chapter?

We’re excited for players to dive deeper into Diego’s world, uncover its mysteries, and experience the chaos firsthand. There’s still so much to explore, and we can’t wait to share what’s coming next.

Stay tuned, stay fast, and get ready, Sydless is just getting started!

Thank you so much for speaking with us about Sydless. We’re excited to see what else comes of it in the near future!

For additional information and pre-launch updates on the game, be sure to add it to your wishlist on Steam here.