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.

Last week, I received an invite to check out Wyldheart, a soon-to-be-announced co-op fantasy action RPG in development by Wayfinder Studios. The team is small and independent, but also filled with industry veterans, like co-founders Dennis Brännvall (formerly Creative Director of Star Wars Battlefront II) and Fia Tjernberg (formerly Studio Director of Technical Design at EA DICE). In this article: First Impressions: Dungeons, Hexes, and a Legendary Mace I was introduced to Wyldheart by Brännvall himself, then played a brief multiplayer session with him and the studio's Marketing Director, Erin Bower, and finally asked Brännvall several questions to learn even […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/wyldheart-multiplayer-rpg-preview-interview/

Polish developer Reikon Games has unveiled Ruiner 2, the sequel to its 2017 cult-classic twin-stick shooter. While the original was a focused, brutal blast of cyber-violence, the sequel is aiming for a broader scope, shifting into a cyberpunk action RPG.

Returning players will find themselves back in Rengkok, but this time the gameplay is built around the Shell System. Rather than being locked into a single class, you play as a hacker capable of hijacking the bodies of fallen heroes. These bodies, also known as Shells, allow you to swap between different combat styles on the go, adapting to every situation.

The depth of the RPG systems in Ruiner 2 appears to be a love letter to theory-crafters. Each Shell comes with four unique skills, each featuring branching progression nodes that fundamentally alter how the ability functions. Balancing your build is a game of logistics, as every piece of equipment draws from a dedicated resource pool of power, CPU, and memory. With no “free” gear slots, every upgrade is a direct trade-off. This is further supported by the Neural Network, a persistent hacker-level passive tree that provides buffs across your entire roster of Shells.

Combat has been redesigned to favour high-speed synergies, whether you are playing solo or with friends. In single-player, you control a team of three Shells simultaneously, switching between them to chain abilities into devastating loops. The sequel also introduces three-player online co-op, where a full team can bring up to six Shells into the fray, creating screen-clearing combos that wouldn't be possible alone. For those who live for the grind, Reikon has confirmed an “endless endgame” featuring escalating tiers of difficulty and loot, ensuring that the only ceiling on your progression is the efficiency of your build.

The minimum system requirements have already been published and can be found below:

• OS: Windows 10 64-bit
• Processor: AMD Ryzen 5 2600 / Intel Core i5-8400
• Memory: 8 GB RAM
• Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 (6GB) / AMD Radeon RX 580 (8GB)
• DirectX: Version 12
• Network: Broadband Internet connection
• Storage: 10 GB available space

KitGuru says: Reikon Games is taking a bit of a gamble by pivoting from a twin-stick shooter to an ARPG, but the Shell System looks like a good fit for the franchise. Have you played the original Ruiner? Were you hoping it would get a sequel?

This afternoon, independent Polish developer Reikon Games announced that RUINER 2 is in development for PC. As suggested by the title, it will be a sequel to 2017's twin-stick shooter, which was well-received by fans and critics. RUINER earned an 8 out of 10 score on Wccftech: RUINER is a no-brainer if you are interested in fast-paced action games that require real skill to truly perfect. However, RUINER 2 will be greatly expanded: it will support co-op gameplay and shift its genre to "cyberpunk action RPG". Marek Roefler, Game Director of the sequel at Reikon, said in a statement: We […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/ruiner-2-announced-pc-co-op-cyberpunk-action-rpg/