diff --git a/app/graphql/types/project_type.rb b/app/graphql/types/project_type.rb
index 9afe31d083abf636b1313b8798107884aaa6c9ff..f06fe55922e5cdb51ddf97a913089ac6781d87ff 100644
--- a/app/graphql/types/project_type.rb
+++ b/app/graphql/types/project_type.rb
@@ -30,8 +30,12 @@ class ProjectType < BaseObject
     markdown_field :description_html, null: true
 
     field :tag_list, GraphQL::STRING_TYPE, null: true,
+          deprecated: { reason: 'Use `topics`', milestone: '13.12' },
           description: 'List of project topics (not Git tags).'
 
+    field :topics, [GraphQL::STRING_TYPE], null: true,
+          description: 'List of project topics.'
+
     field :ssh_url_to_repo, GraphQL::STRING_TYPE, null: true,
           description: 'URL to connect to the project via SSH.'
     field :http_url_to_repo, GraphQL::STRING_TYPE, null: true,
diff --git a/changelogs/unreleased/project-topics-graphql-migration.yml b/changelogs/unreleased/project-topics-graphql-migration.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..c1b108563ceaedac7506d8b6f60b38f4d8677340
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelogs/unreleased/project-topics-graphql-migration.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+title: Add GraphQL field 'Project.topics' and deprecate 'Project.tag_list'
+merge_request: 61250
+author: Jonas Wälter @wwwjon
+type: deprecated
diff --git a/doc/api/graphql/reference/index.md b/doc/api/graphql/reference/index.md
index a1c397890ef7eab581a4d3c6ffffa1c7ceaca0eb..9c02401fcae9648bb1d7957c6aefaaffcca7549b 100644
--- a/doc/api/graphql/reference/index.md
+++ b/doc/api/graphql/reference/index.md
@@ -10756,8 +10756,9 @@ Represents vulnerability finding of a security report on the pipeline.
 | <a id="projectstarcount"></a>`starCount` | [`Int!`](#int) | Number of times the project has been starred. |
 | <a id="projectstatistics"></a>`statistics` | [`ProjectStatistics`](#projectstatistics) | Statistics of the project. |
 | <a id="projectsuggestioncommitmessage"></a>`suggestionCommitMessage` | [`String`](#string) | The commit message used to apply merge request suggestions. |
-| <a id="projecttaglist"></a>`tagList` | [`String`](#string) | List of project topics (not Git tags). |
+| <a id="projecttaglist"></a>`tagList` **{warning-solid}** | [`String`](#string) | **Deprecated** in 13.12. Use `topics`. |
 | <a id="projectterraformstates"></a>`terraformStates` | [`TerraformStateConnection`](#terraformstateconnection) | Terraform states associated with the project. (see [Connections](#connections)) |
+| <a id="projecttopics"></a>`topics` | [`[String!]`](#string) | List of project topics. |
 | <a id="projectuserpermissions"></a>`userPermissions` | [`ProjectPermissions!`](#projectpermissions) | Permissions for the current user on the resource. |
 | <a id="projectvisibility"></a>`visibility` | [`String`](#string) | Visibility of the project. |
 | <a id="projectvulnerabilityscanners"></a>`vulnerabilityScanners` | [`VulnerabilityScannerConnection`](#vulnerabilityscannerconnection) | Vulnerability scanners reported on the project vulnerabilities. (see [Connections](#connections)) |
diff --git a/spec/graphql/types/project_type_spec.rb b/spec/graphql/types/project_type_spec.rb
index 3ef2fbba002fa4cd090880bafc9f81bb10a568db..0f7cadbd4a7f57575e95bd554a3fac74a9b85c8f 100644
--- a/spec/graphql/types/project_type_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/graphql/types/project_type_spec.rb
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
   it 'has the expected fields' do
     expected_fields = %w[
       user_permissions id full_path path name_with_namespace
-      name description description_html tag_list ssh_url_to_repo
+      name description description_html tag_list topics ssh_url_to_repo
       http_url_to_repo web_url star_count forks_count
       created_at last_activity_at archived visibility
       container_registry_enabled shared_runners_enabled
diff --git a/spec/requests/api/graphql/project_query_spec.rb b/spec/requests/api/graphql/project_query_spec.rb
index 2cdd7273b18a0deedc44da8c50afbe9b049eda9b..b367bbaaf436b2850e38b279dff3a84c2b4e1708 100644
--- a/spec/requests/api/graphql/project_query_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/requests/api/graphql/project_query_spec.rb
@@ -57,6 +57,22 @@
       end
     end
 
+    context 'topics' do
+      it 'includes empty topics array if no topics set' do
+        post_graphql(query, current_user: current_user)
+
+        expect(graphql_data_at(:project, :topics)).to match([])
+      end
+
+      it 'includes topics array' do
+        project.update!(tag_list: 'topic1, topic2, topic3')
+
+        post_graphql(query, current_user: current_user)
+
+        expect(graphql_data_at(:project, :topics)).to match(%w[topic1 topic2 topic3])
+      end
+    end
+
     it 'includes inherited members in project_members' do
       group_member = create(:group_member, group: group)
       project_member = create(:project_member, project: project)