Otherside Entertainment redesigns Thick As Thieves as a singleplayer experience

Warren Spector's (Deus Ex director) latest venture into the immersive sim genre is undergoing a major overhaul. OtherSide Entertainment officially announced this week that Thick As Thieves is abandoning its original asymmetrical PvPvE design. Instead of the competitive “thief-on-thief” action that was first teased at The Game Awards 2024, the studio has decided to pivot the project into a dedicated single-player and two-player cooperative experience.

The game is set in the fictional Scottish city of Kilcairn, a metropolis in an alternate 1910s where steam-era technology and arcane magic coexist. In its original form, Thick As Thieves challenged players to pull off heists while competing against three other human-controlled thieves for the same prize. However, Otherside stated in a recent update that as the world of Kilcairn came to life, they found the core gameplay was more engaging when played solo or with a partner. This redesign allows the team to “double down” on the dynamic stealth mechanics without the balancing issues of a PvP game.

This shift is expected to strengthen moment-to-moment action by enabling more varied environmental interactions and NPC behaviours. Players will still navigate the rooftops and shadows of Kilcairn, using a mix of gadgets and magic to incapacitate guards and supernatural security. By removing the pressure of rival players, the developers aim to provide a more methodical and rewarding stealth experience reminiscent of classics like Thief and Deus Ex. This redesign also moves the game away from the crowded “extraction” and PvPvE market, which has seen several high-profile struggles in early 2026.

The timing of this announcement comes just ahead of the Triple-i Initiative showcase on April 9th, where a brand-new gameplay trailer is scheduled to debut. Hopefully, we'll have a chance for fans to see how the cooperative heists function without the threat of player-controlled interference. Despite the radical design change, the game remains on track for release later this year across PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.

KitGuru says: This is a rare move for a modern studio, but likely the correct one. The PvPvE and extraction genres are oversaturated, making it extremely hard to stand out. By moving to a new genre, Thick As Thieves will have a better chance of being a success.

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