SiN Reloaded demo launches on Steam Next Fest

Nightdive Studios released a playable demo of SiN Reloaded on Steam as part of Steam Next Fest. The remaster of the 1998 shooter SiN was first announced in 2020 and the demo arrives ahead of a planned full release this year.

The demo lets players try updated levels and mechanics while Nightdive continues work on the full build. It highlights KEX Engine improvements, higher-resolution textures, support for 4K and 144 FPS, and a modernized user interface.

Nightdive says the remaster focuses on visual and control refreshes rather than a full redesign. The build includes an overhauled control scheme, improved maps and collision, and a set of new achievements. The studio intends to retain the original levels and core game design while applying contemporary rendering and interface updates.

Development of SiN Reloaded was interrupted after an initial co-development arrangement with 3D Realms ended following 3D Realms’ acquisition by Embracer Group. Nightdive studio head Stephen Kick recalled that “there just wasn’t enough bandwidth” on either side, and the partners “called it quits on that particular iteration of the game.”

The project entered a period of limited activity while Nightdive prioritized completing its System Shock remake. Nightdive formally re-announced SiN Reloaded in March and returned to active development afterward. The studio has not posted a firm release date or retail price but says it expects to ship the full game before the end of the year.

SiN originally shipped in 1998 and casts players as John Blade, an operative trying to stop CEO Elexis Sinclair, who is transforming people into mutants with experimental drugs. Nightdive’s KEX Engine is designed to preserve the original game logic while enabling modern features and higher-resolution assets; the studio describes the result as a clearer, higher-resolution version of the original visuals rather than a photorealistic overhaul.

Players can download and play the demo for free from Steam during Steam Next Fest. Nightdive has indicated further updates will follow as development on the full release continues.