The year is 1972. The world is locked in the tense twilight of the Cold War, but the real conflict is happening in the shadows. A new organization, known only as "The Syndicate," has emerged from the ashes of H.A.R.M. and other defeated criminal networks. Unlike its predecessors, The Syndicate is composed of rogue agents from every major intelligence agency—CIA, KGB, MI6, even remnants of UNITY and H.A.R.M. They believe nationalism is obsolete and seek to orchestrate global chaos to usher in a new world order under their control.