Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 was one of gaming's most notable success stories in 2024. Releasing roughly 13 years after its predecessor, Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 launched to critical acclaim and has reached 7 million players in less than a year on the market. It was also the recipient of several award nominations at the end of the year, including Best Action Game and Best Multiplayer at The Game Awards 2024, and its predecessor even saw a remastered release on PC and Xbox Series X/S this month.
Publisher Focus Entertainment has taken note of the game’s rousing success, and has recently announced that Warhammer 40:000: Space Marine 3 is in development. With its announcement so closely following the launch of Space Marine 2, fans may not have to wait another decade for the next installment to release. Still, Space Marine 3 will take its time to cook, and in the meantime, another Warhammer title should tide fans over.
The Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 1 Remaster May Be a Case of Wrong Place, Wrong Time
As great as it is that Warhammer 40K: Space Marine is getting a remaster, it feels like it could have been released at a more optimal time.
Warhammer 40,000 Fans Have Plenty To Look Forward To
Warhammer 40,000: Darktide Offers A Fresh Take Compared To Space Marine 2
Warhammer fans seeking a new fix alongside Space Marine 2 should consider Warhammer 40,000: Darktide. Released late in 2022, this spiritual successor to the Warhammer: Vermintide sub-series offers co-op, horde-based first-person shooter gameplay with elements akin to a live-service title. This gives the game some fresh flavor from Space Marine 2, which features third-person gameplay with hack-and-slash elements mixing melee and ranged combat.
Warhammer 40,000: Darktide also differentiates itself from Space Marine 2 in that it’s a multiplayer-focused game. While the latter does feature co-op gameplay, Space Marine 2’s main campaign can also be played entirely in single-player. Darktide, meanwhile, offers no solo play option whatsoever, which makes it a great choice for players looking for a new first-person shooter to enjoy with their friends.
Warhammer 40,000: Darktide’s Latest Update Gives Plenty Of Incentive To Jump In
Now is the perfect time to jump back into Warhammer 40,000: Darktide, as developer Fatshark has just released a major new update to the title. Dubbed the “Battle for Terbium” update, this release adds an entirely new class, the Arbites, complete with its own set of new weapons and a support pet known as the Cyber-Mastiff. The new update also features major overhauls to the narrative progression with a new linear campaign, along with a notable reworking of the mission board system, where missions are no longer tethered to certain difficulty levels.
This update has also caused a recent surge in the game’s player count, which reached upwards of 40,000 players on Steam immediately following its release. While those numbers have slowly tailed off, Warhammer 40,000: Darktide still maintains a steady player count of over 20,000 concurrent players, well above the 5,000–10,000 the game had sat at over the last few months. With the game being as populated as it currently is (even without accounting for console players), now feels like the perfect time for newcomers to jump into Darktide.
Now is the perfect time to jump back into Warhammer 40,000: Darktide, as developer Fatshark has just released a major new update to the title.
Warhammer 40,000 Darktide Features Cross-Play For All Platforms
Warhammer 40,000: Darktide also has no platform boundaries, allowing players from different devices to play alongside each other. As the game has expanded to consoles following its initial PC release, Fatshark has added cross-platform play across PC, Xbox, and PlayStation systems. This means Warhammer fans of all kinds will be able to enjoy the game with their friends regardless of their preferred device, and can experience all the update’s new content right out of the gate.
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 has gotten plenty of attention, but Warhammer fans have plenty of options on the market; for example, titles like Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun and Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader showcase the franchise’s ability to cast a wide net and allow different developers to experiment with the property. Warhammer 40,000: Darktide should not be forgotten among the pack, and its new update offers plenty of incentive for new and returning players to jump in.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 81 /100 Critics Rec: 86%
- Released
- September 9, 2024
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood and Gore, Intense Violence
- Developer(s)
- Saber Interactive
- Publisher(s)
- Focus Entertainment
- Engine
- Swarm Engine
- Multiplayer
- Online Co-Op, Online Multiplayer
- Cross-Platform Play
- PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S
- Franchise
- Warhammer 40K
- Number of Players
- 1-6
- Genre(s)
- Third-Person Shooter, Hack and Slash
- Platform(s)
- PC, PS5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S