Operation: Tango - What We Know So Far

Co-op adventure Operation: Tango made its debut back in June 2020, offering a taste of its asymmetrical, espionage-flavored dynamic. The second game from husband and wife founded indie studio Clever Plays, Operation: Tango requires two players, placing one in the shoes of a special agent and the other in the role of elite hacker. The duo must work together, using only their voices to complete high stakes missions in exotic locales around the globe.

Operation: Tango already won "Best Multiplayer Game" at Gamescom and was a finalist in the "Most Innovative Game" category. According to game director Mattieu Bégin, it will give friends the opportunity to "live out [their] most ambitious spy fantasies" while emphasizing real-life connection, genre innovation, and general badassery. All and all, Operation: Tango sounds like an experience co-op enthusiasts won't want to miss.

For those ready to grab a Player 2 and save the world in "classic 'Hollywood' spy" style, here's what you need to know about Operation: Tango.

Only a few months after Operation: Tango premiered with a 2021 launch window, Clever Plays revealed the official release date: June 1. The announcement also came with an expanded list of available platforms, which include Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store. You and your co-conspirator will even have the option to play on different systems thanks to cross-platform support.

Those who don't want to wait until summer to live out their spy fantasies can jump into the free Operation: Tango – Demo on Steam. The demo covers the game's introductory chapter, sending players on a mission to acquire a "virus genome" from a penthouse vault while its owner is out of town. You'll face a number of puzzles and obstacles along the way, including surveillance cameras, security systems, and data decryption challenges. 

If you'd prefer to watch someone else work through the demo, you can check out the official Let's Play featuring streamers BeeYooTV and Halios.

Clever Plays has released several trailers for Operation: Tango, including the Reveal Trailer, Gameplay Trailer, and PlayStation Announcement Trailer.

Operation: Tango also took the spotlight for a short but sweet 30-second segment during the Future Games Show Spring Showcase on March 25. The trailer shows a few different streaming duos attempting challenges in their respective agent and hacker roles — to varying degrees of success. The clip mostly offered an entertaining look at the importance of communication during the missions ... and how quickly things can go south when that communication breaks down.

The challenges on display during the Showcase trailer include "Battery Backup" and "Vault Door Operator." You also catch a glimpse of the mission failure screen after one of the pairs gets caught by a security drone while attempting to locate a server mainframe. The biggest takeaways are the June 1 release date reveal and the fact that you can invite a friend to play for free, meaning only one person needs to purchase a copy.

After starting a new game in Operation: Tango, teams have to decide who plays the agent and who plays the hacker. On the PlayStation Blog, Bégin compared this dual aspect to "building two games in one," as both characters offer different experiences. Angel, the Agent, works in the field, physically entering each location. Meanwhile, Alistair, the hacker, provides technical aid from a remote location. 

Though the perspectives differ, Bégin promised that there is no "support" role, with labor and impact divided equally between Angel and Alistair. "Your partner cannot succeed without you; nor can you succeed without them," he said. As you make your way through the unique challenges that come with each mission, communication remains crucial; don't expect any downtime as you and your partner work together to find new and sometimes surprising solutions.

Whether you need to make a quick escape or break into an office, Clever Plays has designed Operation: Tango to "disrupt expectations" in the asymmetrical co-op space. With it's June 1 launch on the horizon, Operation: Tango is already on track to become one of 2021's best co-op games.