The news follows the release of the game’s Purgation Update, which brought the very welcome addition of the Battle Simulator to accompany combat squad Veridian’s investigation into a mysterious facility. Speaking of welcome news, we now know that Year 3 of the popular shooter is bringing a new Class to the table. It’s the source of all the excitement over at Focus and Saber, and we’re not surprised that the identity of the said Class has been under wraps. Perhaps it’s better that way, as it builds the scope for more excitement and reveals in the run-up to Year 3’s beginning.”

“Lots of exciting things are coming in Year 3, and today we’re too excited to keep them under wraps, so here are a few spoilers!… a new Class is on the way, planned for the first half of 2027!”

Of course, the developers always hinted at exciting additions to the game, and this recent class is no exception. The rest of the update focused on all the new additions to the game in the wake of Purgation’s release, and a lot of it is probably stuff you already know. It’s still worth a look to see if there’s anything you might have missed.

We can’t wait to learn more about the new Class, which is apparently one that the lot of you have been quite emphatic about. “We can’t reveal which one just yet, but we can say it’s been highly requested by the community. As we did with the Techmarine, this new Class will receive its own special Champion Skin after its release.”

Year 3 will have five major updates, adding new weapons, missions, and more with bug fixes and other improvements. You’ll have to wait until the Second Anniversary Update is revealed to see the roadmap, so stay tuned for updates.

Starting things off is a new Operation. Aptly titled Purgation, it involves Combat Squad Veridian investigating the mysterious cessation of communications from the Mechanicus facility, which houses key research and must hence be reclaimed at all costs.

Next up is the Battle Simulator, which lets you train and become a Marine like no other, with options to configure enemy combinations and weapon loadouts so you learn to get the most out of gear no matter the situation. That training is probably going to work well with a new approach to perk loadouts on your weapons, letting you switch things up freely depending on what you’re trying to deal with in the moment. Of course, perk loadouts are tied to weapon loadouts, so you might want to check all your gear before you head out to battle.

There’s also the new Wargear feature, which lets you equip several of them at once, with further additions promised in the near future. New Siege content and a bunch of different weapons and heroic items round out the list of additions, and we’re particularly interested in the One-Handed Bolt Carbine.

This one’s quite the update in our book, and the trailer below is a good indication of why. It makes it easy to see why Space Marine 2 has 12 million players, and why it continues to be a very potent shooter.

Patch 13 will include a new PvE mission, a rework of the Siege mode, a new secondary weapon, 3 Heroic weapons, 6 Heroic cosmetics, new equipment, new ordeals, a practice arena, and an update to the Wargear system. Players who own Season Pass 2 will also get their hands on the Iron Hands Chapter Pack alongside the patch’s release. It will be followed up by Patch 14 in Q3, which will bring in 2 new PvP arenas, a new Terminus enemy, 6 Heroic weapons, new Heroic cosmetics, and another update to the Wargear system. Season Pass 2 owners will then get the Raptors Cosmetic Pack and the Salamanders Champion Pack 2.

Going into more detail about the Wargear rework, after Patch 13, players will be able to use Class-specific Wargear on other classes. This includes things like equipping Iron Halos on the Tactical class. However, players will still have to go through the effort of unlocking the ability in the game. While Patch 13 will focus on Capes and Iron Halos, Patch 14 will add Tabards and Robes.

Patch 14 will also mark the end of the original 2-year post-launch support plan, and Focus Entertainment has confirmed that “everything that didn’t make it into the updated Year 2 roadmap will now roll over into Year 3.” While the company isn’t yet ready to reveal more details about it, postponed content will continue to be part of free updates.

The new PvE map coming with Patch 13 takes place on Kadaku, where players are tasked with investigating Chaos activity near a Cadian base. Things will escalate, and players will also have to ensure that they are able to stop an unholy ritual from being completed.

As for the rework to the Siege mode, it includes adding new items to the Siege shop, and players will also be able to earn Accolades for doing a complete run through the mode. There are also going to be new modifiers that include both Blessings and Atonements, leaving it up to players to figure out the ideal option. One Blessing can be picked between every 5 waves, while one Atonement is applied at the same frequency.

Players keen on testing out their loadouts before heading out into a mission can make use of the new Practice Arena. Available only in single-player, the mode lets players test out their weapons against their choice of enemies at the difficulty of their choosing. It will also show interesting stats, like how much damage the player has dealt.

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 is available on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.

Aside from its addition to Game Pass last January, it helps that the third-person shooter continues to receive significant content updates. Patch 13 is next, focusing primarily on Siege Mode. Players can expect more items for purchase, shorter sessions courtesy of a revamped difficulty, and accolades.

It also adds a new PvE mission, weapon, Techmarine customization options, the Iron Hands Chapter Pack and equipment. A new customization feature is also teased, and you can also play with three new Heroic weapon variants. There’s even more to look forward to with Patch 14 in Q2 2026 as it adds two new PvP arenas, PvP Stratagems, the Redacted Champion Pack and Raptors Cosmetic Pack.

Space Marine 2 hasn’t been completely devoid of controversy, though. The Chapter Voice Pack DLC, sold for $5 and promising 450 re-recorded lines, received significant backlash for misleading advertising. Saber and Focus would apologize for the same, refunding purchasers and making it free going forward.

As for even further into the future, Saber confirmed that Space Marine 3 is in the works, though it won’t be out any time soon.

However, the game has been at the center of a storm surrounding its latest voice pack DLC, a $5 pack advertised as including 450 re-recorded voice lines, which had fans quite excited to dive back into Demetrian Titus’s explosive adventure. However, things haven’t really gone according to plan, with the pack’s implementation drawing fans’ ire since the number of re-recorded lines applies across all available languages, which comes across as false advertising.

Saber and Focus have clearly recognized that they’ve dropped the ball on this one and have put out a tweet promising refunds to those who purchased the pack while making its content free for affected players and those interested in checking it out.

“We heard your feedback regarding the Chapter Voice Pack DLC and wanted to address it. It’s obvious this DLC has failed to meet your expectations, and we are sorry about that. Delivering quality content – free or not – is a priority for us. This is why we’ve decided to offer a refund to all owners of the DLC, and to make it free from now on. We are currently setting up the refund with platform owners and will come back soon with more info. Always grateful for your dedication to our game.”

That’s a step in the right direction towards earning back the goodwill the game has lost, and is probably going to be helped along by the recent addition of the Techmarine as a playable class. Of course, there’s even more content coming to Space Marine 2, so here’s hoping it can remain on the straight and narrow, perhaps even carrying these lessons into Space Marine 3.

https://x.com/Focus_entmt/status/2034678665632436501

With almost 1.5 years’ worth of free updates and content additions, it stands out as one of the best third-person shooters and Warhammer titles available, either solo or with friends. If you prefer other less stressful co-op titles, there’s Astroneer for PS4 and PS5 and The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria (PS5 only) that offer some survival crafting fun.

EA Sports Madden NFL 26 on PS5 is for the sports fans, while Metal Eden may suit those looking for more fast-paced, first-person shooter action. If that wasn’t enough, PS4 and PS5 players can dive into Persona 5 Royal, which features new additions to the battle system, numerous quality of life improvements and an entire new story act over the original, complete with a new ending (with previous-gen players getting the Ultimate Edition).

Meanwhile, Premium subscribers get exclusive access to none other than Tekken: Dark Resurrection from the PSP era.

While Saber Interactive has continued its post-launch support for Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 well into its second year, the studio also doesn’t really plan to “nickel-and-dime” its players.

“So one thing that I think that Saber’s done well is that we respect our players, we support our games through amazing free updates, and then also big paid updates,” said Willits. “But we don’t nickel-and-dime people to death. And I think that they’re like, ‘Multiplayer games that are supported over the long…’ I don’t know if there’s really a term for that.”

“So I don’t want to say live service game, because when you think of a live service game, you think about buying individual items. But we do support our games as long as they’re feasible to support.”

When asked about the negative reception to the Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 Chapter Voice Pack 1, Willits didn’t really offer much. “I don’t know. I thought it was cool,” he said. “We’ll see how it is. I mean, I don’t really have much to say on that.”

It is worth noting that the Chapter Voice Pack 1 DLC currently sits at an aggregate of “Overwhelmingly Negative” on Steam, with many players accusing the studio of releasing a shoddy DLC because it is still missing out on quite a few voice lines.

Willits has gone on to note that, while the studio is working on Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 3, continued support of Space Marine 2 remains a priority. He also pointed out how Saber Interactive has a history of supporting its multiplayer-focused shooters, like World War Z.

“No, we actually just released a big update and it’s still going strong,” he said. “Were we at number four on the top sales? So it’s still doing great for us. And we just released a big update. And like World War Z, we’re still making content for that, while the team obviously works on Space Marine 3.”

Warhammer 40,000 IP owner Games Workshop and Saber Interactive, along with publisher Focus Entertainment, had announced Space Marine 3 back in March. While few details have been revealed, the title is confirmed to have an entirely new campaign that continues the story of Ultramarine protagonist Titus, as well as new multiplayer game modes. Creative director Oliver Hollis-Leick had also confirmed back in November that it will have the same development cycle as Space Marine 2.

In the meantime, Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 is available on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. Take a look at our review of its launch version for more details. Also check out our thoughts on why Space Marine 2 continues to feel like a brutal masterpiece even now.

The Techmarine headlines this update. Developer Saber Interactive has described its specialty as revolving around crowd control and area defense. The class is also capable of handling multiple combat tasks at the same time thanks to the Servo-Gun. The ability has different uses, from automatically locking on and firing at enemies in its line of sight, to using Gun Strikes without interrupting other actions.

The new class is equipped with a brand new signature weapon – the Omnissian Axe. The weapon is capable of handling single-target and multiple-target encounters, thanks to its combination of standard and heavy attacks. The latter involves a powerful charge attack capable of hitting all enemies in its path.

The Techmarine is also capable of finding and activating Sentry Turrets in PvE missions, which can help the group out by providing suppressing fire. However, these turrets have limited ammo and go into standby mode until a Techmarine can re-awaken them and restore their supplies.

The brand new Disruption map revolves around the Hive City of Avarax, with the Marines tasked with reinforcing the Cadian defense against a Tyranid swarm. Over time, a Dreadnought will join the players as things start getting out of hand with the arrival of the Thousand Sons’ forces in the city’s lower levels.

The update has also brought with it a variety of quality-of-life and behind-the-scenes upgrades, like a host migration feature for Siege mode in case of a server crash, and the ability to set up private PvE sessions with any combination of Battlefield Conditions. Speaking of which, daily and weekly Stratagems have been expanded with 21 new Battlefield Conditions.

As for the smaller gameplay and balancing tweaks, check out the full patch notes below. Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 is available on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. Check out our review of its launch version, as well as our more recent thoughts.

Gameplay and Balancing Tweaks

PvE Perks

Tactical

• Balanced Distribution: Both negative and positive effects are increased from 10% to 15%.
• Kraken Penetrator Rounds: All bolter weapons now deal 50% more damage with body shots.

Sniper

• Efficient Readiness: Now the effect lasts 5 seconds after deactivation.
• Ambush: Now forces stagger to the enemies.
• Vantage Point: Added an indication when ready.

Assault

• Squad Cohesion: Effect is increased from 10% to 15%.
• Hammer of Wrath: Is now a Prestige Perk replacing “Commendation”.
• Commendation: Removed.
• Strong Strike: New perk, taking the original place of “Hammer of Wrath”: “Hitting an enemy with an attack after a Jump Pack Dash restores Jump Pack Ability Charge by 1. Cooldown 10 seconds.”
• Winged Fury: Now works with all stances of Power Sword.

Firearms in PvE

Bolt Rifle

• Base damage is increased by 10% for versions:
• Drogos Reclamation – Beta (Artificer)
• Ophelian Liberation – Beta (Relic)

Bolt Carbine (Marksman Version)

• Base damage is increased by 11% for versions:
• Drogos Reclamation Marksman (Artificer)
• Ophelian Liberation Marksman (Relic)

Inferno Pistol

• Gunstrike damage is increased by 22%.

Volkite Pistol

• Gunstrike damage is increased by 9%.

Sanctified Wrath Reliquary

• Bonus to Melee Damage is increased from 25% to 35%.
• Effect duration is increased from 15 to 20 seconds.

Melee in PvE

• Damage of all Artificer and Relic Balanced type melee weapons was increased by about 15% on average.

PvP

• Fixed restoring armour by hitting an enemy for Power Axe.
• Fixed issue with 3rd attack in Power Sword combo dealing too much damage.
• Blindness effect from Shock Grenade is decreased from 2 sec to 1,5 sec.

Rewards

• Siege Mode: Rebalanced rewards for waves completion first 5 waves grant less XP, while later waves grant more XP.
• Stratagems: Hard difficulty Stratagems no longer grant XP.

Gameplay QoL

• Contested health no longer fades away during grab animations
• Rebalanced melee attacks that have multiple attacks: Now they restore contested health with each strike instead of just the first one.
• Slightly adjusted hitboxes of a few melee attacks so they would connect more easily against large enemies.
• Fixed an issue where Bolt Sniper Rifle and Las Fusil would miss their targets at extremely long range. Aim Assist at such distances has also been slightly increased.
• Improved properties of bullet magnetism for Chaos enemy NPC: Chaos Spawns , Rubric Marines, Tzaangors, Terminators. Making them slightly easier to headshot at medium and long ranges.

Customization

• Added and updated a few Champion parts to the Custom Armour Set pieces:
• Added Ultramarine Champion Tabard to Tactical
• Added Imperial Fist Champion Tabard to Tactical
• Added robes to Dark Angels Champion Bulwark’s chest
• Added Dark Angels Champion shoulder pads to Heavy
• Updated White Scars Champion chest on Tactical to include belt accessories
• Added Black Templars Champion shoulder pads to Heavy
• Added Blood Angels Champion shoulder pads and backpack to Bulwark
• Added the option to switch and apply Heroic Weapons skins to other weapons (not applicable to special weapons i.e combi-weapon).
• Lots of minor customisation fixes for both Loyalists and Chaos.

Levels

• Lots of minor fixes with level geometry.

Enemies

• Lots of minor fixes with animations.

General Fixes

• Fixed: The plasma weapon perk “Fast venting” reduced the cooling by ~7.5% instead of 15% as announced in the tooltip.
• Fixed a bug with the Heroic Heavy Bolt Pistol not interrupting enemy reinforcements with body shots.
• Fixed a bug with the Controller Aim Assist strength depending on camera FOV.
• Lots of minor bug fixes.
• Lots of minor localisation bug fixes.
• Lots of minor UI and sound fixes.

Tech

• Crash fixes and general stability improvements.
• Memory optimisations.
• Minor performance improvements.
• Minor loading times optimization.
• General connectivity improvements.

RoadCraft and Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound are also coming to the same tiers tomorrow, making for an already packed week. However, January 27th sees the arrival of The Talos Principle 2 for PC and Xbox Series X/S, followed by Anno: Mutationem and Drop Duchy on January 28th. All three titles will be available for Ultimate, PC and Premium subscribers.

On January 29th, you can look forward to another heavy hitter – MySims: Cozy Bundle. Oh, and a little something called Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2, one of the best third-person shooters available. Truly the Barbenheimer of our times.

February 2nd sees the addition of Indika for Ultimate and PC Game Pass, followed by Final Fantasy 2 on February 3rd. The latter follows the arrival of the first game in Squaresoft’s legendary series, so at this rate, we can probably experience Final Fantasy 16 by next year.

Unfortunately, as with every new Game Pass wave, some titles are being removed from the service’s library. From January 31st, you’ll no longer have access to the following:

• Shady Part of Me (Cloud, PC, and Console)
• Cataclismo (PC)
• Starbound (Cloud, PC, and Console)
• Lonely Mountains Snow Riders (Cloud, PC, and Console)
• Paw Patrol World (Cloud, PC, and Console)
• Citizen Sleeper 2 Starward Vector (Cloud, PC, and Console)
• Orcs Must Die! Deathtrap (Cloud, PC, and Console)

But the wait for it had been long. Although it was ultimately worth it overall, Space Marine 2 was not without its issues. Despite the Swarm Engine making you put the game’s combat system to good use against the Tyranid hordes and the Thousand Sons making life complicated, things did need improving. Why not make a great game even better, after all? It would be a great way to appreciate the legions of loyal Warhammer fans who waited so long for it.

Saber has been quite busy over the past year with making those improvements, but have they been enough? Is Space Marine 2 still worth visiting if you haven’t already played it, and have its updates earned enough value for a replay?

Let’s dive into what’s been happening over the past year with this one and find out.

The very first major update that came out for the game is a great example of how Saber managed to integrate player feedback via new features being added to the game, as well as fixes to problems that were immediately affecting gameplay. Moreover, there is a compelling argument in favor of the studio’s approach to problems that it couldn’t entirely resolve with the update.

Transparency and accountability were very significant traits in communications regarding future updates, a facet of the post-release update process that even the best studios sometimes get wrong. That’s definitely not been the case with Space Marine 2, and Saber takes a win on that front.

Update 5.0 brought a sweeping change to the game’s melee combat, which was criticized for being a tad repetitive thanks to an easy exploit with a well-timed parry followed by a gun attack. It kind of rendered using other attacks redundant since it was so easy to exploit enemy attacks and set up a damage loop that was quite handy in the field. It also made blocking weapons feel underpowered by comparison.

But with the perfect block system, all melee weapons and their abilities became viable options, making the process of getting up close and personal with tougher enemies feel as challenging as it could have been, with very enjoyable results.

A new enemy type also joined the Thousand Suns and was a great test subject for the new melee combat mechanics. Moreover, the Extermination Bonuses made a lot of sense for players who wanted to farm out some XP and rewards while having the option to skip those encounters and their objective entirely were welcome touches in addition to tweaks and balancing changes.

Things got hardcore with the next major update. The 6.0 Datavault update brought the Absolute difficulty to PvE mode, and it was a banger. Brutal, deadly, and suitably satisfying when you could scrape a win together, this was the perfect way to experience the game’s combat. The stakes felt real, and every bullet was a valuable tool that could mean a better chance of survival. The Tyranids and all the myriad threats Titus had to face down were suddenly all the more deadly.

The Biovore also made its way to the game, and if you haven’t faced one of those bad boys in battle, it’s a sight to behold. Effective at both melee and ranged combat, this one stands out with a design that oozes menace and a moveset that can test your knowledge of the game’s mechanics quite well. Emotes, FOV sliders, and new finishers, along with cosmetics and bug fixes, rounded out this one’s list of additions to the game.

As things moved into 2025, a bunch of major updates have continued to make changes to the game that you might find quite interesting if you dropped off after its release or perhaps moved on to other titles.

The 7.0 Trygon Update brought a new PvE Operation, Season Pass content, and a crucial change to multiplayer: the ability to form private PvP lobbies. This made it all the easier to dive into multiplayer with your buddies, making it a treat for Warhammer 40k fans who wanted to enjoy the game with specific groups.

There was also a solid choice of secondary weapons added in both PvP and PvE, making this one quite an important update from a gameplay perspective. That’s made even more significant since it finally brought around the next batch of changes to Weapon Perks, and ensured that any weapon you picked up would have a buff for it, as per the developers.

Once again, the team at Saber’s communications deserves a special mention, with an approach that simulated a conversation between the studio and its community of players, their feedback being acknowledged while a clear plan for the ultimate goal of perfection was laid out with clarity.

But an interesting detail that came to the surface in the next update was evident in the manner in which the studio handled feedback around the supposedly underpowered Assault Class. While acknowledging that it could be seen that way, Saber pointed out the problems it identified with it, respectfully standing its ground on how the problem wasn’t with the class itself.

It showed just how much passion the studio brought for the Warhammer 40k franchise was bringing to the table, while also being prudent enough to keep its fans on the same page through measured, carefully crafted messaging. We’d argue it’s a great approach that has helped the studio keep its title alive, and perhaps even earned goodwill for the sequel that’s coming along sometime in the future.

Along with Class Perks, the 9.0 Quality of Life update brought important changes to the Datavault, QOL changes to combat, a long list of improvements and balancing tweaks, and improvements to stability, performance, and matchmaking. Space Marine 2 began to feel quite different from the game we had played in 2024, and there was still more to come. It was time to celebrate the game’s anniversary.

The 10.0 Anniversary Update brought Strategems, a new operation with an outstanding boss, the Hellbrute Onslaught PvP game mode complete with a playable Hellbrute, new weapons and multiple variants of existing ones, more season pass content, and more fixes to the game.

Of course, it was the Stratagems that had our attention right from the get-go. Their modifiers have made the game’s combat system have many unique twists that had us scrambling to keep up, the changes they brought making us rethink our own approach on many occasions. And since they rotate out quite consistently, it’s made them our favorite part of the experience. They bring very interesting and unpredictable layers to the combat system and are a great way to test your ability to think on your feet in the field, which isn’t easy if you’re facing down the game’s Tyranid hordes.

As of November’s 11.0 patch, which brought one important change to the game’s multiplayer that merits comment, there has been such an extensive list of changes, along with new PvE Maps and Equipment, along with other additions that could make Space Marine 2 feel different from even the version that was in place earlier in the year.

But the removal of the netcode’s damage cap is the one we found most interesting. With many players making increasingly creative builds that brought some incredible damage output numbers to the table, Saber’s decision, and the accompanying announcement, showcase a confidence in its ability to sustain the balance of its combat enough to keep it interesting.

It was also nice that the studio pinpointed combinations it was looking to address, allowing players who relied on them to try switching things up ahead of a new patch. But the studio’s confidence and its resolve in constantly attempting to perfect the experience on offer in Space Marine 2 bodes well for the game’s second year. There’s already a roadmap of content in place from Saber.

While the second year of Space Marine 2 might be a different story from the first, it’s safe to say that this is a shooter that’s as potent as it was when it took the stage, and has perhaps picked up a few new tricks along the way to keep things interesting. With more to come as another year goes by, Space Marine 2 continues to be an easy recommendation to those of you who dig shooters, and a love letter to Warhammer fans that seeks to truly capture their hearts. For the rest of you, it’s still a lot of fun and worth a try. Let’s hope that the Ultramarines have another great year with us at their sides!

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.