Thievery has never been this much fun. Today atThe Game Awards 2024, OtherSide Entertainment and Megabit announced a new stealth-based multiplayer title calledThick as Thieves.
Set to release in 2026, the title will take players to a 1910s magical metropolis and into the silent shoes of a customizable thief. In tense PvPvE gameplay, you’ll stake out places, make preparations, and follow through with a heist. You won’t be the only thief after the treasures, however, as other player-controlled thieves will attempt to get to it first or take it from you, one way or another. Fortunately,we at Hardcore Gamer got to ‘sneak’ a peekat what the team at OtherSide Entertainment, led by industry icons Warren Spector (Deus Ex,Epic Mickey), Paul Neurath (Ultima Underworld,System Shock 2) and Greg LoPiccolo (Thief: The Dark Project), are up to.
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In attendance was Warren Spector alongside game director Greg LoPiccolo and lead designer David McDonough. We were able to see first-hand the gameplay ofThick as Thievesand what players can expect in a typical match. For starters, the pretty neon lights and industrial UK aesthetic always play well in gaming, especially now with stealth involved. The designs of the guards, thieves and buildings are simple yet effective, creating enough contrast to be noticeable when making your way through heavily-restricted areas.
The designs of the guards, thieves and buildings are simple yet effective, creating enough contrast to be noticeable when making your way through heavily-restricted areas.
Stealing the Spotlight
Much like Thief, which many, including the original game director Greg LoPiccolo, were on, the shadows are your friend. Use darkness to your advantage to sneak past guards and hide from other thieves. Of course, there are gadgets and traps for you to use. While we didn’t see all of them, there was knockout gas, which would temporarily knock out any people affected by the gas, via the air vents. Unlike other multiplayer titles, however, combat is not necessarily the best course of action. The game is built on stealth at the forefront and while you can engage in fighting, it’s not the most convenient way and not as effective.
Despite the stealth-action gameplay, there’s a bit of extraction shooter within it. Players will have a weight limit depending on what they carry. For example, while you may be after a sacred relic, you may come across some rare items that, if you desire, can be brought to a secure deposit to cash in once you make it back to the hub world. Regardless, you can choose to go full on thief and grab the treasure for yourself or you can stalk from the shadows. Players can leave clues, such as opened windows, footprints from sprinting, or knocked-out guards around that can be used to track where you may be. Furthermore, you can strike at any time, whether it’s stopping them prior to getting the treasure by alerting the guards or waiting by the exit to take them out and claim their rewards.
Players can leave clues, such as opened windows, footprints from sprinting, or knocked-out guards around that can be used to track where you may be.
You’ll also be able to customize your thief inThick as Thieveswith many skills, upgrades and abilities. We only saw a few, but you can equip yourself however you please depending on your playstyle. No two players will play the same and every person’s experience will be different. It’s important to note that the title, while it can be played with friends, isn’t a team project, but a competition. It’s every thief for themselves and you can be sure that each match will be just as intense as before.
Living The Thief Life
OtherSide Entertainment was keen on making it known thatThick as Thievesis a stealth-action title and an immersive sim, a genre Warren practically pioneered with Deus Ex. Every level is designed to have tons of replayability to it. We saw a few approaches to entering places, such as traversing the rooftops and breaking in via windows and lockpicking to going into the sewers and arriving within the place from the basement. Still, with magic and gadgets involved, there are plenty of ways to get to where you need to go. One of the key elements we did see was a grappling hook, which would zip you to distant locations with a button press a la Just Cause. It brought a lot of flair to its movement and that feeling of being a debonair Robin Hood of sorts.
Every level is designed to have tons of replayability to it.
A story is present withinThick as Thieves, though instead of a straight narrative, it’s one told through the environment and the hub world. For example, you may see political signs up and about the place or perhaps people chatting about a rich family beating down upon the poor. Of course, being a thief, those places are ripe for the picking. In that sense, it’s up to the player to decide if they themselves are good or bad or somewhere in-between.
Overall,Thick as Thievesis shaping up to be a multiplayer title that may very well be a smash hit with players. Despite the iconic talent at the helm of OtherSide Entertainment, the team is a mixture of old veterans and fresh faces. The project, which will be the studio’s first, is poised to be the ideal mix of the two generations and craft something that, if our preview was anything to go by, is a future cult classic.
Thick as Thieveswill launch onPC, PlayStation and Xbox Series X|Sin 2026.
