Space Marine 2 didn’t just rake in millions for Games Workshop, but it also helped other Warhammer 40,000 games like Darktide and Rogue Trader see a noticeable bump in sales. That’s pretty cool. When players like a game, they tend to look around for something similar, and the 40K universe just happens to be full of options.
Mike Knight, the narrative lead at Fatshark for Darktide, said, “We definitely saw a boost in player numbers after Space Marine 2. It makes sense, people play a game and like it, so they look around for something else that’s similar.” Meanwhile, Anton Emelianov, brand manager at Owlcat Games (the folks behind Rogue Trader), agreed that Space Marine 2’s success lifted interest in their title as well. “People wanted to look at the setting further, often in different genres,” he said.
Now, these games are pretty different beasts. Space Marine 2 is a multiplayer third-person shooter, Darktide is a co-op FPS, and Rogue Trader is a single-player CRPG. Yet, they all share the same universe, which seems to be a big draw for players wanting more stories and experiences within Warhammer 40,000. If you like blasting through enemies as Ultramarine Demetrian Titus, you might also be curious about the grimdark worlds that Darktide and Rogue Trader offer.
I remember when I first got into Warhammer games; it was a bit of a rabbit hole. You start with one title, and suddenly you’re hooked on the lore and want to see it from different angles. Knight summed it up well: “We’ve been making games set in the Warhammer/Warhammer 40,000 IPs for a while now and know that its lore is ripe for the kind of games we like to make. Space Marine 2’s success is great, but only reinforces what we already know to be true. Warhammer is great and makes a great setting for games!”
Emelianov echoed that enthusiasm, saying, “Warhammer has a huge and ever-growing audience, and there’s plenty of room for new stories within the setting. While our games are very different—and CRPGs are often seen as more of a niche genre—the success of Space Marine 2 is motivating and motivates us to keep raising the bar.” Wow, it’s nice to see different styles of games thriving under the same banner.
As a neat bonus, during the recent Warhammer Skulls event, Darktide and Rogue Trader had a crossover. Darktide’s sapper shovel appeared as a weapon in Rogue Trader, and the Rogue Trader’s compass inspired a new weapon trinket in Darktide. Both games are currently available in a discounted bundle on Steam for a limited time, which might be a good chance to check them out if you haven’t already.
What do you think? Have you jumped into any of these Warhammer 40K games lately, or maybe all three? Feel free to share your experiences and opinions in the comments below—I’m curious to hear if Space Marine 2 got you interested in the other titles too.
