PHANTOM TAG: MANIFEST Reveals 4v4 Thief vs Ghost Multiplayer Battles
Creek & River Co., Ltd. has announced PHANTOM TAG: MANIFEST (ファントム タグ マニフェスト), a strategic 4v4 asymmetric multiplayer game developed by its C&R Creative Studios game division in partnership with subsidiary Claytech Works. The game pits two opposing factions against each other: players either take on the role of a Thief attempting to steal hidden treasures, or a Ghost tasked with catching intruders. The PC version is scheduled to launch this summer, while the Nintendo Switch 2 version is planned for release within 2026. The title carries a suggested retail price of ¥1,800 (~$12), and a playable demo has been announced for an upcoming event.
Matches run for eight minutes, with Thieves playing from a third-person perspective while Ghost players experience the action in first person. The setting is a ruined mansion filled with treasures, where Thieves infiltrate using profession-based special skills and a range of items, while Ghosts — who draw abilities tied to their former lives — hunt them down. Although Ghosts are supernatural beings, they do not hold overwhelming power over Thieves, making coordination between teammates the key to achieving victory for both sides in this cat-and-mouse showdown.
Thieves must gather ten treasures scattered across the map to transform them into a single secret treasure, then escape with the entire team through a window to secure victory. Ghosts will pursue them along the way, so stealth is essential. Teammates who get caught can be rescued from the jail known as “Hitokago.” For Ghosts, the goal is to capture Thieves and imprison them in Hitokago before the treasure is stolen; imprisoning all four Thieves simultaneously or protecting five treasures until time runs out secures a Ghost victory.
The game will be playable at the GG Fest 2026 offline event at Tokyo Big Sight on August 11, where attendees can try the pre-release build. A private match feature will allow streamers to host rooms for fellow creators and viewers. Development is split between Claytech Works (PC version) and C&R (Switch 2 version), with the game supporting Japanese and English, carrying a CERO B rating, and accommodating eight players. With its tight eight-minute rounds and clearly defined asymmetric objectives, PHANTOM TAG: MANIFEST looks like a promising addition to the genre when it arrives this summer.
