This is my opinion regarding this issue, this is not an official EB2 position though, just like Sylons.

Something like Thorakitai Hoplitai very likely existed given that the Aspis was almost completly abandoned for the Thureos as time progressed. At the same time, it is not like with the fading of the Aspis armour disappeared as well. So it is quite logical that the Hippeis hoplites, richer citizens or merchants, mercenaries and Epilektoi who used to fight with armour and Aspis later fought with armour and Thureos.

We also know that some Thureophoroi and Thorakitai fought in closer order. So that is another way at looking at Thorakitia Hoplitai:
Thorakitai and Thureophoroi fighting in the Phalanx (shield wall), discarding their javelins to do so but otherwise fighting with their usual equipment.

Ancient soldiers, just like today, fought in different formations and with different weapons according to the circumstances. In a PC game with hardcoded limits like Medieval 2 or Rome this diversity of tactics can only be portrayed by making different units.

One thing we could do in EB2 would be to make them a late variant of the Epilektoi. Late unit upgrades were not a possibility in Rome.