Want to see Raider King content first? Add us as a preferred source.
The real reason that Space Marine 2 was delayed and why it was a blessing in disguise.
The first time you rip the head off of a hulking alien Tyrranid Warrior, ichor spurting all over your armour. Or when you eviscerate a swarm of pop-able critters with a giant hand cannon.
This is how to play Space Marine 2.
These are real gaming moments, the ones that you share with your grandkids.
Since the Space Marine 2 release date on 9th September, it has taken the gaming scene by storm.
Its gritty, melee-focused combat, beautiful asset design, and relatively bug-free environment have created a “Gears of War” type phenomenon for older gamers and the new generation alike.
So why has it taken more than a decade to finish?
So, What is Space Marine 2?
Californian studio THQ released the first installment in 2011, simply titled “Warhammer 40K: Space Marine”.
They’d had success with other Warhammer 40K games, including a First Person Shooter (FPS), Fire Warrior released in 2003, and the Dawn of War franchise in 2004, a 40K-themed Real Time Strategy (RTS) series that arguably redefined the genre.
The original Space Marine was to be the first in a trilogy, each boldly introducing new races and worlds as they went.
But before any of this could happen, THQ faced disaster. They made a series of terrible investments that would end the Space Marine series, as well as the company itself.
In 2013, with bad revenue and crippling debts, THQ filed for bankruptcy – taking the dreams of a Space Marine sequel down with them.
Space Marine 2 In Stasis
By 2021, Games Workshop, the company that owns the IP to the expansive Warhammer 40K universe, had a problem.
They had revamped their selection of Space Marine miniatures, the most popular faction in the tabletop game, utilizing brand new molding techniques, eyes set firmly on making more money.
But it didn’t land quite the way they’d hoped. They needed a way to attract more people.
It was the perfect time to resurrect the franchise.
Crossing Swords
Sabre Interactive had been around the block. Starting in 2001, they’d had a relatively quiet decade leading up to 2011.
Just as the first Space Marine was being released, Sabre Interactive got their big break.
They were asked to remaster a titan of the gaming world, Halo: Combat Evolved. It’s a game widely recognized as pioneering the FPS genre at the turn of the millennium.
A few years later, they would assist with the catastrophic release of Halo: The Master Chief Collection (more on that in a moment).
Games Workshops approached Sabre with a plan to resurrect the Space Marine franchise.
Here was the challenge: they needed to completely change any previous plans made by THQ. This included lore changes and remodeling all of the assets.
During COVID.
Oh, and they needed it done ASAP.
“Sure, we can do that” gulped Sabre.
They slated the game for release in winter 2023, despite a lukewarm response from the fan base after the first Space Marine 2 gameplay trailers were released.
All was not well. As the release date loomed, a loud silence was heard from the studio.
Eventually, in November 2023, they pushed the release date – by an entire year.
Naturally, fans were disappointed. “It’s just to perfect the gameplay,” said Sabre.
Suspicions were high.
Triple-A and QA
They made the right call.
The 2010s were plagued by shoddy releases. Anyone with thumbs and a console knows this.
Under enormous pressure to deliver to financially convenient deadlines, big triple-A titles like Star Wars: Battlefront, Black Ops: Cold War, Battlefield 2042 and Cyberpunk 2077 were being released with rafts of game-breaking bugs and frustrating, half-finished assets.
This “release now, patch later” mentality cornered developers.
Sabre was not immune to this disease and in 2014, they assisted in the development of Halo: The Master Chief Collection, an omnibus of the protagonist’s greatest hits (and also Halo 4).
It was a car crash. Bitter fans slammed the game’s ratings on Steam, impacting sales and Microsoft’s 343 Studio’s reputation.
Sabre was peeking out at their Space Marine 2 release date through thoroughly burnt fingers.
Resurrection
So, Sabre did something unthinkable and pushed the release date.
This gave them more time to create more beautiful assets, iron out wrinkles, and focus on something that made gaming in the early 2000s such a pleasure – the gameplay.
By taking the time to develop a structured Space Marine 2 roadmap, they were able to focus on a multiplayer experience that worked. This meant they could deliver future Space Marine 2 updates on time and fully formed.
The result was that the first update added a whole new game mode, rather than a big list of panicky bug-zapping.
It worked. Space Marine 2 sold 4.5 million copies in the first month and was the 3rd most purchased game in the US as of September 2024.
Quality Over Quantity
Sabre hit on something that the gaming community has been craving for years.
By giving their initial release date the finger, in the face of likely intense opposition from interested parties, Sabre gave themselves room to create something visually stunning, operationally functional, and most of all, fun to play.
Here’s a good example – look at the effort put into single-player and co-op modes. If you’re wondering how long the Space Marine 2 campaign is, it’s a whopping 12 hours. Compare this to recent Call of Duty titles coming in at 6 hours tops.
This is refreshing, taking us back to a time where games were more than just shopfronts for cosmetics.
Hopefully, the other studios will see the avalanche of positive Space Marine 2 reviews and act on it.
This has resonated with the wider tech world. Apple has recently announced that they’re scaling back their release timetable, meaning that new iPhones should be something to get excited about again.
After a decade of disappointment, Space Marine 2 has sparked a bit of hope for the gaming community.
Let’s hope other studios see this as a feature, not a bug. We want it to be an ethos that’s here to stay.
Want to learn how to play Space Marine 2? Check out our guides here.
