Thick As Thieves, A PvPvE Stealth Action Game From The Thief Creators, Is Coming in 2026

Thick As Thieves has been officially unveiled during tonight's Game Awards, with the upcoming PvPvE stealth action game releasing on PC and consoles sometime in 2026.

Developed by OtherSide Entertainment, a studio founded by the developers behind Deus Ex and Thief, Thick As Thieves takes those immersive sim features pioneered by Warren Spector, Greg LoPiccolo, and Paul Neurath, and applying them to a multiplayer setting. As Spector told it in a meeting ahead of today's trailer showcase during The Game Awards, multiplayer was the next evolution in what the team could do in the immersive sim genre.

"[W]e pioneered the immersion sim genre with games like Underworld, System Shock, Thief, Deus Ex and Epic Mickey," Spector explained. He continued, "And we wanted to make sure that genre continued, but that we took it to the next level. And for years, I've been thinking that next obvious step for the genre was multiplayer."

Enter ˆThick As Thieves, a 4-player free-for-all immersive sim that sees four thieves all angling to pull off a grand heist while eluding or confounding each rival thief in the match. Set in an alternative history in a living city inspired by real-world places like Glasgow and Liverpool set in the 1910s, players will have to navigate this large metropolis using stealth, cunning, and more to capture the prize.

During the meeting, the team showcased some early gameplay highlighting this, and I have to say, as someone who loves emergent gameplay systems in my multiplayer, it feels like the different approaches to a target could be endless. Greg LoPiccolo walked through the demo, highlighting that while the goal might be an expensive item in a nearby mansion, everything from travesing rooftops, the streets themselves, or even the sewers underneath were fair game. 

I put hundreds of hours into the original Thief on my PC as a teenager - it's one of the games that made me a PC gamer in fact. I remember exploring every nook and cranny of a map, hugging the shadows and using a level of patience unheard of by Gods and Men before making my move. I love this style of game, and so the idea of the people who made one of my formative gaming experiences building another thieving-based immersive sim was already compelling enough to make me interested. 

Multiplayer is a layer I'm largely excited about as well. Having to beat out rivals to the same objective, but also escape unscathed is its own challenge, especially depending on how you build you Thief (there are four archetypes to start, each with their own unique tool such as one who has a grappling gun to reach high places quickly). But even as you upgrade your gear and your character, it sounds like player skill and cunning will matter most from moment to moment.

This isn't going to be a game where you can just wait it out as well like you could with older, single player immersive sims. The rival Thieves all searching for the same item will create a clock all its own, forcing you into action. However, each match is meant to be more session-based, with around 20-30 minutes to complete, making it easy to pick up and play versus spending hours discovering the best route to your objective while only using the shadows.

OtherSide also mentions that while Thick As Thieves is a stealth immersive sim, they are also quick to mention that it's specifically a stealth action immersive sim, with the action part a big piece of the puzzle. Sure, you can have the perfect run where you aren't spotted by another thief or NPC and get away cleanly, but chances are you might have to drop traps such as gas grenades to take care of other thieves on your trail, or simply go toe to toe with one or a guard to get through to the objective. 

I personally appreciate that there seem to be other avenues if stealth goes bottoms up. I have become horrific at pure stealth in games since my level of patience as gone down with age, so knowing that even if I'm spotted it's not going to be game over is appreciated. 

The world on offer also looks pretty interesting, this gaslamp fantasy setting where technology meets magic, but the magic feels more utilitarian than anything else sounds interesting. The team describes it as a living world as well, whose NPCs have their own daily habits to use to your advantage for example. There will also be a personal storyline to explore as your character as you move through the game, making your mark on the city you've come to explore.

Thick As Thieves will release sometime in 2026 on PC, Xbox Series S|X and PlayStation 5.