Warren Spector Sees Multiplayer as the Future of Immersive Sims with Thick as Thieves

Warren Spector, the legendary director behind Deus Ex, is venturing into new territory with Thick as Thieves, a multiplayer "thief versus thief" sim that pushes the boundaries of the immersive simulator genre. Some question whether the immersive sim genre is suited for multiplayer-style gameplay, but in an interview with Game Developer at the 2024 Game Developers Conference, Spector confirmed that he thinks otherwise. In fact, he says that multiplayer is the "next logical step" for the genre.

"We'd like to give players agency to approach other humans in different ways," he said. This would include ways to not just fight other players, but also cooperate, or even choose to ignore them. It would also include new, unique ways to interact with NPCs, making the world feel much more alive.

"Part of the simulation is the human interactions in the world," Spector added. "We're experimenting with tools to let [players] communicate in simple ways back and forth."

Spector’s ambitions stem from his lifelong passion for tabletop RPGs. Deus Ex itself, in fact, started out with a DnD tabletop campaign, and Thick as Thieves will likely seek to recreate the feeling of a traditional tabletop game. Players will be able to shape their own stories, unlock playstyles that fit their preferences, and interact with others creatively much like one would when playing through a Dungeons & Dragons campaign with friends.

Creative developer Greg LoPiccolo elaborated on how the game's approach to the immersive sim genre involves unique social aspects.

"What we're pursuing here is a little bit more social," LoPiccolo said, comparing the game to other, more traditional immersive sims that involve interacting with tangible things in-game. "A lot of the gameplay is about collecting information and using it to your advantage in this social world where there are a lot of NPCs and a lot of information flying around."

Spector's vision shows that there is still much to discover within the immersive simulator genre, and fans likely have a lot to look forward to with Thick as Thieves. Thick as Thieves is set for a 2026 release for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.