Deus Ex Creator Retires After Latest Game's Failure

Warren Spector, creator of Deus Ex and System Shock, announced his retirement from the gaming industry after the mixed reception of his latest game, Thick As Thieves, and the de facto closure of OtherSide studio.

Warren Spector, creator of Deus Ex and System Shock, announced his retirement from the gaming industry. He had been working in it since 1983 and participated in the creation of Ultima Underworld, Wing Commander, Thief: The Dark Project, and Epic Mickey.

Spector's last project, Thick As Thieves, was released on May 20, 2026, and received mixed reviews – currently, the game has 67% positive ratings on Steam.

On July 23, OtherSide studio, which had already laid off most of its employees, announced that it would no longer release updates for the game. In their message, the developers noted that "a very small number of employees" remained at the company.

Without further ado. I am stepping away from making games. Or, at least, I think I am. I've been through this before and changed my mind once, but this time I'm sure it's the end.
(...) I feel like I've done what I set out to do in my career. Now it's time to write some books, read a lot, give some lectures, and maybe do some consulting. Also, the keys are waiting – it's time to finally play the piano.

Spector admitted that he would like to create three more games, but the industry no longer brings him the same pleasure.