Ghost in the Shell is making its first major move into licensed tabletop roleplaying with a new game from Mantic Games, and the campaign is now live on BackerKit. The project gives players a chance to create their own Section 9 operatives while offering collectors a new range of official miniatures, a limited-edition Shirow Masamune art print, and several physical and digital pledge options.
The campaign is scheduled to run through August 13, 2026. Pledges begin at £15 for the digital rulebook PDF, while the standard hardback edition is available for £35. More elaborate bundles add the official dice set, a GM screen, character sheets, the Collector’s Edition book, and other extras.
For fans outside the United Kingdom, Mantic is also offering digital-only options and regional shipping hubs for the UK, EU, Australia and New Zealand, and the United States and Canada. The company says this setup is intended to reduce the risk of unexpected import charges when physical rewards are eventually dispatched.
Create Your Own Section 9 Agent
The Ghost in the Shell: Tabletop Roleplaying Game is based on Shirow Masamune’s original manga rather than a separate anime continuity. Players take on the roles of trainee agents working with Public Security Section 9, investigating cases involving cybercrime, terrorism, corruption, corporate espionage and rogue artificial intelligences.
The game uses a bespoke system designed by Alessio Cavatore and Zak Barouh. Character creation is built around skills, traits, motivations, morality, cybernetic upgrades and personal conflicts instead of locking players into traditional classes. That means a group could include a heavily armed soldier, a specialist hacker, a sharp investigator or a former criminal working toward a new life inside Section 9.
Mantic has also highlighted systems for hacking, lethal combat, advanced equipment and mission planning. The first featured scenario is titled Lost Patriot, with the rulebook also including profiles for familiar characters from the manga and artwork drawn from the original source material.
New Shirow Masamune Artwork and Official Miniatures
The bigger surprise for collectors is a brand-new illustration by Shirow Masamune created specifically for the campaign. The limited-edition print measures 250mm by 250mm and is produced on 350gsm stock. It features Major Motoko Kusanagi and Batou alongside imagery connected to the tabletop game, and is available through the Collector’s Bundle or as an add-on.
The campaign also introduces what Mantic describes as the first official Ghost in the Shell tabletop miniature range. The Section 9 collection includes six 40mm figures: Major Motoko Kusanagi, Batou, Aramaki, Togusa, Saito and a Fuchikoma. The models are offered as MasterCraft™ Resin miniatures, with a separate STL bundle available for players who want to print and paint the figures themselves.
A semi-transparent “Ghost Edition” Major Kusanagi miniature is included with the full Section 9 Miniature Collection. Individual figures can also be purchased separately, making it possible for fans to pick up a favourite character without committing to the larger bundle.
Early Digital Access for Backers
Backers will not have to wait for the physical book before seeing how the game plays. Campaign materials promise access to the complete digital rulebook ahead of physical fulfilment, with Mantic previously indicating that supporters would be able to start playing during the development and fulfilment period. The PDF covers character creation, cybernetics, combat, hacking, equipment, character profiles and the introductory mission.
Every backer is also set to receive three additional missions as they are completed. One sends Section 9 to an isolated island caught between rival factions, another follows a cybernetic breach that pushes civilians toward dangerous behaviour, and the third traps undercover agents inside a luxury hotel during a rapidly worsening lockdown.
The physical rewards are currently scheduled to move into manufacturing in February 2027, with fulfilment expected to begin in May 2027. As with any crowdfunding campaign, those dates are estimates rather than guaranteed retail release dates, so prospective backers should review the shipping and pledge information before committing.
For longtime fans, the appeal is clear: this is a chance to explore the world of the manga from inside a new Section 9 team, while the art print and miniature range give collectors material tied directly to Shirow Masamune’s vision. The campaign remains open until August 13, 2026, so that deadline is the main date to keep an eye on before the project moves into its pledge-manager and production stages.
Sources
backerkit.com
manticgames.com
kodansha.us
