diff --git a/scripts/sign-manifest.py b/scripts/sign-manifest.py
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..63948a6d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/sign-manifest.py
@@ -0,0 +1,102 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+"""Sign a manifest.json with the launcher's Ed25519 private key.
+
+Produces a detached signature at the same path with a ``.sig`` suffix. The
+signature is over the **literal bytes** of the manifest file — do not
+re-serialize the JSON before signing, or the launcher will refuse the result.
+
+Usage:
+    sign-manifest.py --manifest /path/to/manifest.json \\
+                     --key ~/.config/metin/launcher-signing-key \\
+                     [--out manifest.json.sig]
+
+The private key file is 32 raw bytes (no PEM header, no encryption). Create it
+with:
+
+    python3 -c 'from cryptography.hazmat.primitives.asymmetric.ed25519 import Ed25519PrivateKey; from cryptography.hazmat.primitives import serialization; p=Ed25519PrivateKey.generate(); open("key","wb").write(p.private_bytes(serialization.Encoding.Raw,serialization.PrivateFormat.Raw,serialization.NoEncryption())); print(p.public_key().public_bytes(serialization.Encoding.Raw,serialization.PublicFormat.Raw).hex())'
+
+Keep the file ``chmod 600`` on the release machine. Never commit it to any repo
+and never store it in CI secrets unless the release flow is moved off the CI
+runner entirely.
+"""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import argparse
+import os
+import sys
+from pathlib import Path
+
+try:
+    from cryptography.hazmat.primitives.asymmetric.ed25519 import Ed25519PrivateKey
+    from cryptography.hazmat.primitives import serialization
+except ImportError:
+    print("error: this script requires the 'cryptography' package "
+          "(pip install cryptography, or dnf install python3-cryptography)",
+          file=sys.stderr)
+    raise SystemExit(1)
+
+
+def load_private_key(key_path: Path) -> Ed25519PrivateKey:
+    raw = key_path.read_bytes()
+    if len(raw) != 32:
+        raise SystemExit(
+            f"error: private key at {key_path} is {len(raw)} bytes, expected 32 "
+            f"(a raw Ed25519 seed, not a PEM file)"
+        )
+    return Ed25519PrivateKey.from_private_bytes(raw)
+
+
+def main() -> int:
+    parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description=__doc__.splitlines()[0])
+    parser.add_argument("--manifest", required=True, type=Path,
+                        help="Path to manifest.json to sign")
+    parser.add_argument("--key", required=True, type=Path,
+                        help="Path to the raw 32-byte Ed25519 private key")
+    parser.add_argument("--out", type=Path,
+                        help="Signature output path (default: <manifest>.sig)")
+    args = parser.parse_args()
+
+    manifest_path: Path = args.manifest
+    if not manifest_path.is_file():
+        print(f"error: manifest not found: {manifest_path}", file=sys.stderr)
+        return 1
+
+    key_path: Path = args.key
+    if not key_path.is_file():
+        print(f"error: private key not found: {key_path}", file=sys.stderr)
+        return 1
+
+    key_mode = key_path.stat().st_mode & 0o777
+    if key_mode & 0o077:
+        print(
+            f"warning: private key {key_path} is readable by group or world "
+            f"(mode {oct(key_mode)}). chmod 600 recommended.",
+            file=sys.stderr,
+        )
+
+    private_key = load_private_key(key_path)
+
+    manifest_bytes = manifest_path.read_bytes()
+    signature = private_key.sign(manifest_bytes)
+    assert len(signature) == 64, "Ed25519 signatures are always 64 bytes"
+
+    out_path: Path = args.out or manifest_path.with_suffix(manifest_path.suffix + ".sig")
+    out_path.write_bytes(signature)
+    os.chmod(out_path, 0o644)
+
+    public_hex = private_key.public_key().public_bytes(
+        encoding=serialization.Encoding.Raw,
+        format=serialization.PublicFormat.Raw,
+    ).hex()
+
+    print(
+        f"signed {manifest_path} -> {out_path}  "
+        f"(64 bytes, verify with public key {public_hex})",
+        file=sys.stderr,
+    )
+    return 0
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    raise SystemExit(main())