The Ghost in the Shell tabletop RPG hits BackerKit this July, with Mantic Games bringing the original manga’s Section 9 to your table.
Mantic has finally put a launch window on the Ghost in the Shell tabletop RPG, and the BackerKit page is already taking follows ahead of its July launch. This one is based on Shirow Masamune’s original manga for Kodansha, so it’s not a movie tie-in or another license slapped onto a generic rules engine.
Mantic Games has picked up big IPs before, so this shouldn’t be a total surprise to anyone, but a custom cyberpunk RPG is a bigger swing than another square-based skirmish box, and Ghost in the Shell gives them a setting with real weight behind it. If your shelf already has room for outside of Matnic’s alternatives to Warhammer, Section 9 is probably worth keeping on your pre-launch radar.
Cyberpunk tabletop games have been getting plenty of attention lately, especially with the Cyberpunk 2077 board game in the mix now, too. Ghost in the Shell is one of the names that helped define the genre in the first place, so this one should be pretty popular.
Mantic Handed the Rules to People Who Have Made Great Games Before
Updated on July 7th, 2026, by Rob Baer, with the latest campaign information
- Publisher: Mantic Games is bringing the manga-based Ghost in the Shell to the tabletop as a full RPG, launching on BackerKit in July.
- Design team: Alessio Cavatore and Zak Barouh are building a bespoke system, not a reskin of an off-the-shelf engine.
- In the box: a digital and hardback rulebook plus Section 9 miniatures, with free and one-pound pre-launch extras tied to physical pledges.
The byline is the first reason to get excited for this project. Veteran Alessio Cavatore and Zak Barouh are writing a custom system for this, and Cavatore has worked on more tabletop rulebooks than most hobbyists can rattle off without looking.
That’s pretty important for a licensed RPG. These games usually live or die based on whether the rules feel like they were built for the setting or bolted on after the logo was approved.
Mantic is also pitching fast, narrative-driven mechanics that still maintain the manga’s tone, too. So no, this isn’t being sold as a dice-heavy wargame wearing a trenchcoat. The theme is still Section 9, Major Kusanagi, cybernetic bodies, hacked minds, and all the near-future paranoia that comes with it.
Mantic also has the production pipeline to support a full line, with projects like Epic Warpath under its belt. So this definitely doesn’t look like a one-book-and-done project.
No, This Is Not the Ghost in the Shell RPG You Already Saw
This is where some hobby confusion is almost guaranteed. There is already a Ghost in the Shell TTRPG out there, the Arise game from Mana Project Studio that ran as a Forged in the Dark crowdfunder.
This Mantic version is a different game from another studio, and it’s built on the original manga rather than the Arise continuity.
So if you saw the first one and skipped it, that doesn’t really tell you much about this one. And, if you backed the other version, congrats, now you get to compare which game handles the setting better.
What You Actually Get in the Ghost in the Shell Tabletop RPG
The campaign is built around a digital and hardback rulebook packed with art from the original manga. It also includes a range of Section 9 tabletop miniatures, which is where Mantic’s plastic side tends to shine.
Licensed miniatures are familiar territory for the studio, with the same kind of approach showing up in the Umbrella Academy board game, among others.
The bespoke system from Alessio Cavatore and Zak Barouh covers the core components you’d expect from a Section 9 game:
- Character creation, so you build your own rookie Section 9 agent instead of just playing Kusanagi.
- A synthesis system that adds depth to your character as they develop.
- Detailed and highly lethal combat rules, plus a real hacking system.
- An armory of weapons, gear, tech, and cybernetic upgrades to kit out with.
- Profiles for the famous characters, so the icons are on the table.
- A first mission called Lost Patriot to get a group rolling.
Mantic also has a free Rulebook Teaser up on DriveThruRPG right now that lets people read some of the rules before backing the campaign.
How to Get In Before the Ghost in the Shell Tabletop RPG Launches
The pre-launch bonuses are simple, but you’ll want to check the fine print before July. Follow the page, and you get a free Bookmark with your pledge. Reserve for one pound and you lock in an exclusive hardback Dust Jacket. Back the campaign at launch, and the Digital Rulebook PDF unlocks once you clear the pledge manager.
The catch is that those extras only apply to physical pledges. Digital-only backers miss the Bookmark and the Dust Jacket, so if you were only planning to grab the PDF, that’s the trade-off to sort out before launch day.
Final Thoughts on the Ghost in the Shell Tabletop RPG
Mantic has the scale and pipeline to keep a line going after launch, and a manga-based cyberpunk RPG with Cavatore on the rules is exactly the kind of release that could earn follow-up waves if the first campaign lands well.
What’s worth watching now is how deep the miniatures range goes and whether the pledge tiers give solo readers a fair path in, not just the full physical-package crowd.
Follow it now here, grab the free teaser from DriveThruRPG, and see whether the system looks like it can carry Ghost in the Shell before launch day makes the decision for you. Plus, look for the new Ghost in the Shell anime TV show launching worldwide on Amazon Prime this month as well.
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Are you backing the Ghost in the Shell tabletop RPG, or waiting to see how Mantic’s campaign shapes up first?
