Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 may have been released back in September, but it shows no indication of slowing the flow of content. Keeping near-constant communication with players, the teams behind the game recently shared what would be in store for players in the near future. That includes a new weapon to play with and some more general balance changes to weapons overall. Aside from the preview, Space Marine 2’s developer, Saber Interactive, took some timཧe to respond to frequent player suggestions the studio has already received.
Space Marine 2 outlined its plans for live service even before it was released, promising additional content, new weapons, and more cosmetic options. So far, the title has made good on those promises, first adding a sparring ♊arena and taking care of some quality-of-li🔴fe fixes before turning to a more substantive new Operation. While there was a brief period of community upset after some nerfs, the team quickly pivoted to retract the changes and announced test servers to avoid similar mistakes in the future. With the most recent communication about the game, players have even more context about where Space Marine 2 will go next.
The Neo-Volkite Pistol is inbound
In an , the Space Marine 2 team formally introduced players to the Neo-Volkite Pistol. This weapon will be available as a Secondary option for Assault, Bulwark, and Vanguard players. The Neo-Volkite Pistol looks like a ray gun in action, emitting a super-heated orange beam to melt through foes. The team described the weapon, saying, “The Neo-Volkite Pistol is a thermal weapon with accumulative damage. Its heat rays have a deadly impact on organic matter, incinerating flesh into ash with explosive force and jets of flame. A weapon of choice against Tyranids!” Alongside the Neo-Volkite Pistol, the team promised that other firearms would also see some buffs, though more specifics weren’t given.
Volkite technology in the Warhammer 40,000 universe is old, dating well back before the Horus Heresy, during the Age of Strife. The weaponry used to be pretty commonplace, but a combination of its complexity to produce and barbarity when used on organics led to the weapons eventually falling out of favor. It was primarily replaced by Bolt weaponry, and by the 41st millennium, original Volkite weaponry is exceedingly rare. That said, the Neo-Volkite Pistol is the first attempt to bring the devastating weapon into the franchise’s modern age.
The October communication simply noted that the Neo-Volkite Pistol and the other firearms buff would arrive soon. However, the team then detailed that Dark Angel co🐟smetics woul🎃d arrive afterward in an update targeted for early December. With that info in tow, it stands to reason that players will be getting their hands on the Neo-Volkite Pistol and retuned weapons sometime this month.
Saber Interactive responds to player suggestions
Aside from the exciting news that players will soon have a new toy to play with, the Community Update also puts some focus on the community. Namely, it listed some of the frequent questions or suggestions the team receives about Space Marine 2 and set to answer them. The first suggestion tackled was players’ constant ask for more melee weapons. Saber responded by acknowledging that new melee weapons would indeed be nice and that it’s something the studio will consider when the time is right. That said, the work is time and resource-intensive, so it’s not currently planned.
More campaign missions were the next ask from fans, which is no surprise considering the stellar outing already within the base game of Space Marine 2. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem like this is a priority for Saber Interactive. Responding to the suggestion, the studio noted, “We’re currently not thinking about adding new campaign missions in Space Marine 2. We rather focus on creating new Operations and Eternal War content.”
PvP players have been clamoring for more options, specifically for larger party sizes. Saber notes that it’s actively working on customer PvP lobbies that will support tinkering with features like Class limit, score, time, and more. Also on the side of multiplayer, fans have asked for some kind of incentive for queuing up for quickmatch. The studio responded that it was already considering it for a future update.
Due to lore and IP preservation concerns, Saber Interaction is unwilling to make PvP’s Chaos-driven Heretic Astartes available in PvE Operations. On the bright side, the team has heard players’ desire to experience the game’s prologue again. While Saber notes that it’s not a priority, it may add a way to replay the opening.
Customization is its own game
In addition to tackling players’ questions about the game itself, the Community Update had a whole section dedicated to responding to queries about Space Marine 2‘s customization options. Leading the discussion was an update about colored lens options for helmets. The minor details are incredibly important to the Warhammer 40K community, so Saber reports that the feature i꧒s ready to be deployed alongside the upcoming Dark Angels Chapter Pack.
The studio also confirmed a few other customization tweaks are in development, including skin color customization. Deathwatch iconography will also be able to be placed on the right shoulder, eventually. Lieutenant helmet customization is coming, and Saber notes that it wants to make helmet customization a more robust feature but that it will take some time over the life of Space Marine 2. Generall꧙y speaking, the studio also noted that it wants to continue to add more customization options, likely as DLC.
Outside of what Saber has been able to confirm is either being worked on or considered, there are a few things that the studio notes might be outside the expected scope of post-launch support. Namely, adding more customization slots isn’t something Saber intends to work on, as the team would rather build out more impactful features. Players have also called for the option to recolor and customize cloth and tabards. While it’s something Saber might consider later on, the work required to produce a worthwhile version of the feature would impede the development of existing plans.
Published: Nov 8, 2024 09:25 am