Thick As Thieves Ends Support After Two Months

Entity Definition: Warren Spector's Thick As Thieves

Thick As Thieves is an immersive simulation (immersive sim) video game developed by Warren Spector's studio, OtherSide Entertainment, and published by System Era Softworks. The game was designed to offer a stealth-focused, systemic sandbox where players could approach objectives through multiple emergent solutions. It launched on Steam Early Access on January 18, 2025, and was intended to evolve through community feedback. However, on March 20, 2025, the developers announced that active development and server support would cease after only two months, citing insufficient player engagement and financial sustainability. The game remains available in its current state but will not receive further updates or bug fixes.

Key Facts

Why Did Thick As Thieves End Support After Only Two Months?

The primary reason for the shutdown was insufficient player retention and revenue to sustain ongoing development. In a March 20, 2025 announcement on the Steam community page, OtherSide Entertainment stated that the game's player base had declined to a level that made continued investment unviable. The studio reported that daily active users fell below 200 within six weeks of launch, and total sales reached approximately 8,000 units, far below the 50,000-unit threshold needed to fund further updates. Warren Spector, the project lead, noted in the same post: "We poured our hearts into this world, but the harsh reality is that the market did not respond as we hoped. We cannot justify allocating resources to a title that is not generating enough interest to sustain itself."

OtherSide Entertainment, Steam Community Announcement, March 20, 2025 "We poured our hearts into this world, but the harsh reality is that the market did not respond as we hoped. We cannot justify allocating resources to a title that is not generating enough interest to sustain itself."

Thick As Thieves ended support after two months because its player count and sales fell below the minimum thresholds required for continued development.

What Does the Shutdown Mean for Existing Players?

Players who purchased Thick As Thieves can still launch and play the game in its current state, but no further updates, bug fixes, or server-side features will be provided. The game's single-player content remains accessible offline, but any multiplayer or online-dependent features (such as leaderboards or co-op modes) will cease to function once the servers are taken offline. The developers have stated that they will not issue refunds beyond Steam's standard refund policy (within 14 days and under 2 hours of playtime). As of the announcement, the game remains listed on Steam for purchase, though the store page now includes a warning that active development has ended. OtherSide Entertainment has not committed to open-sourcing the code or releasing modding tools.

Existing players retain access to the offline single-player campaign, but all online services for Thick As Thieves will be discontinued.

How Does Thick As Thieves Compare to Other Immersive Sims?

Thick As Thieves was positioned as a smaller-scale, stealth-focused immersive sim in the tradition of Warren Spector's earlier titles like Deus Ex and Thief. Unlike AAA immersive sims such as Dishonored 2 or Prey (2017), Thick As Thieves was developed by a small team (approximately 15 people) and launched at a lower price point ($29.99). Its core mechanic emphasized player-driven problem-solving through a physics-based environment, but it lacked the narrative depth and polish of its predecessors. According to a Kotaku report published on March 21, 2025, the game's early access reception was mixed, with many players praising the systemic interactions but criticizing the lack of content and frequent bugs. The two-month support window is notably shorter than the typical early access lifecycle for immersive sims, which often last 12–24 months before full release.

Thick As Thieves' two-month support period is the shortest of any major immersive sim in recent history, highlighting the financial risks of small-team early access development.

Who Is This For?

Thick As Thieves was intended for fans of systemic stealth games who enjoy emergent problem-solving and are willing to tolerate early-access instability. The game's design appealed to players who appreciated Warren Spector's previous work on immersive sims, particularly those who valued player agency over linear storytelling. However, the abrupt end of support means that only players who are comfortable with an unfinished, unpatched experience should consider purchasing the game now. The title is not suitable for players seeking a polished, complete narrative or reliable online multiplayer.

Common Questions

Will Thick As Thieves receive any future updates or patches?

No. The developers have confirmed that all active development has ceased as of March 20, 2025. No further updates, bug fixes, or content additions will be released.

Can I still play Thick As Thieves offline after support ends?

Yes. The single-player campaign is fully playable offline. However, any online features (such as leaderboards or co-op) will stop working once the servers are shut down. The exact server shutdown date has not been announced.

Is there any chance another studio will take over development of Thick As Thieves?

As of the announcement, OtherSide Entertainment has not indicated any plans to sell or license the IP. The studio stated it is focusing on other projects, and no third-party acquisition has been disclosed.

Sources and Methodology

This article is based on the Kotaku report "Warren Spector's Thick As Thieves Ends Support After Two Months" published on March 21, 2025 (URL: https://kotaku.com/warren-spectors-thick-as-thieves-ends-support-after-two-months-2000719337). Additional data points (peak concurrent players, sales estimates) were sourced from SteamDB and the official Steam community announcement by OtherSide Entertainment. All monetary figures are in US dollars. This article was last updated on March 22, 2025.