A lot of single-player games are getting the multiplayer treatment these days. Tomb Raider is probably the most recent example, and its multiplayer was developed by Eidos Montreal, the same team currently working on Thief. Could this mean there might be a competitive multiplayer component in Thief?
No.
Eurogamer is reporting that the upcoming rendition of Thief will have “no competitive multiplayer.”
“Right now, let’s say competitive multiplayer, like the example you just gave us – Tomb Raider – there is no plan for that,” said producer Stéphane Roy. “We are looking to see if there is maybe a challenge mode with some online component, but I’m going to be very honest with you – our main goal with this team is to give you the best single-player experience, just to bring back this franchise, to convince you we’re part of the future and not something holding on to the past. It’s really demanding, so I don’t want to see my team wasting any energy. I want to see them focusing on that.”
Did you hear that? Eidos is focusing on creating the best single-player experience possible. That’s what Irrational Games did with BioShock Infinite, and it was a very good decision. Hopefully Eidos Montreal can deliver on the expectations Thief has.