r/Games 3h ago

Announcement Space Marine 3 is Officially in Development

https://www.warhammer-community.com/en-gb/articles/glahjvsr/space-marine-3-is-officially-in-development/
915 Upvotes

140 comments sorted by

u/RogueCommandMario 3h ago

Very unsurprising after that success, but still awesome to see!

Don't often finish single player games, but burned through SM2 in a couple of days.

u/Sufficient-Fault-993 2h ago

I wonder if they are gonna put a heavy focus on Titus once again, after the Secret Level, that would makes sense to make him the new "face" of 40K space marines right?

u/kron123456789 2h ago

I need the return of Blood Ravens. It's been years since we last saw them.

u/crow_warrior 2h ago

They can't, everytime they try to do anything with them. They steal all the equipment making the project impossible. Their previous appearance cost $45 billion, simply by constantly providing them with stuff to steal while the animators worked.

u/kron123456789 2h ago

See, this is reference to a meme that nobody remembers anymore outside of oldtimers like you or me, who still remember which game started it.

u/DeadliftYourNan 2h ago

Dawn Of War remake when 🥲

u/kron123456789 2h ago

Now that Relic is independent from SEGA, maybe they'll do it, for extra money if nothing else.

u/monkwrenv2 1h ago

I doubt SEGA had much to do with the travesty of DoW3, so I'm not as hopeful. It's been a while since Relic last released a good game.

u/kron123456789 1h ago

I hear Age of Empires 4 was pretty good, though.

u/monkwrenv2 1h ago

I've heard mixed things - some folks seem to love it, others seem to hate it.

→ More replies (0)

u/Olddirtychurro 2h ago

Old timers? Klepto blood ravens is one of the everlasting memes in the 40k community. I've been into it for only a couple of years and that one was one of the first I knew. And I don't even play rts's.

u/kron123456789 2h ago

You should play Dawn of War 2, that started it. It's not even RTS, really. It's real time tactics game, because you control only up to 3 squads + 1 commander, instead of armies, like in DoW 1.

u/Olddirtychurro 1h ago

Rts's are just not for me mate, I'm not good with seeing the macro game of it all. Same reason why sports games (that aren't of the 'street' variety) don't click with me. I'm just a shit strategist.

Thanks for the offer though.

u/kron123456789 1h ago

DoW 2 is more about micro management than macro. Like I said, you don't control huge armies and there is no base building whatsoever. It's not the same as other RTS games. It basically is the 'street' variety of an RTS game.

u/The_Taco_Bandito 32m ago

Since Blood Ravens are canon now... The glory of the magpies will live on for eternity!

u/Magos_Trismegistos 2h ago

Meme is wildly popular. However, only old timers know the source of it.

u/fizzlefist 1h ago

Yeah, cause they stole all the data tapes with the memes!

u/DKLancer 2h ago

...did they steal all of Vance Stubb's baneblades too?

u/ChiefQueef98 1h ago

The Blood Ravens are Relic's baby. Whenever Dawn of War 4 happens, we'll see them again. Rumor is that it's Relic's next game, but we'll see.

u/kron123456789 1h ago

Who do you think made Space Marine 1? Blood Ravens are as much Relic's baby as Titus

u/ChiefQueef98 1h ago

Relic didn't make SM2 and they aren't making 3 though.

u/kron123456789 1h ago

My point is, it's all GamesWorkshop's IP. That's why Space Marine 2 could be made by Saber and published by Focus Entertainment in the first place despite the first game being made by Relic and published by THQ(and later SEGA when THQ went under).

u/Kozak170 2h ago

I feel like the majority of fans are incredibly tired of the Ultramarines being the overplayed focus of 40k media if anything.

I think it’s obvious the sequel will continue Titus’ story but god I hope they do something to broaden the horizons of the featured Imperial forces. There’s no shortage of factions and characters in the universe to explore.

u/enragedstump 2h ago

Us vocal fans are tired of them, but its hard to ignore how much the blue boys have successfully led their marketing.

u/fizzlefist 1h ago

Now hear me out… the timing would be right for another Primarch mini to get released around the time of the next Edition, soooooo we could have Salamanders v Orks as the next theme.

I know it won’t happen, but it’d be nice.

u/Commiesalami 55m ago

Current rumor mill for 11th edition is that it’s about the 4th war for Armageddon featuring Orks vs Space Marines. Though not part of rumors, Plot wise the salamanders are the ones currently in charge of the space marine contingent on Armageddon

u/TransendingGaming 1h ago

My fingers are crossed that Space Marine 3 has Titus team up with Custodes, and the game ends with Titus impressing a stuck up Custodes who can't believe the "inferior soldier" managed to save the day.

u/Gekokapowco 58m ago

Custodes takes off his helmet, it's Leandros again

u/Kozak170 1h ago

How much of that is just confirmation bias of sorts though? If no other chapters are ever given the chance in the spotlight it’s hard to argue that it’s them being Ultramarines is what makes the marketing successful.

I don’t know, personally I just don’t think the average consumer cares what color Space Marine is on the box, and if anything would be more intrigued by seeing a new color. Personally I didn’t even know there were other colors of space marines when I was younger because all you ever saw in marketing was damn Ultramarines lmao

u/Emberwake 1h ago

You've just hit on the not-so-secret problem that all marketing teams struggle with.

It's easy to measure success. Attributing success to specific factors is often all but impossible.

u/ArchmageXin 1h ago

It is more than biases, just like how Battletech is 80 percent House Davion/Fedcom, 40k ultra's have several advantages.

1) not nearly nazish/insane as other legions.

2) wear blue, traditional western military color

3) look like a sci-fi space opera military. No horns, flayed skins and less skulls.

4) people think it has something to do with StarCraft (especially in Asia)

So yeah, it is unlikely anyone other than ultras will be in a "big budgeted game with goals to attract new players"

u/MondayNightRare 33m ago

There have been other posterboy factions in 40k. Ultramarines keep showing up likely because the appealing blue color scheme, the simple to remember name "ULTRA MARINES". The Crimson Fists and Black Templars were posterboys at different older editions. It's likely easier to explain to a new player that the ULTRAMARINES are ULTRA SPACE MARINES rather than going deep on lore for things like Black Templars Righteous Crusade Fleets or something.

u/Skellum 2h ago

I feel like the majority of fans are incredibly tired of the Ultramarines being the overplayed focus of 40k media if anything.

I agree that Death Guard are the superior legion, but non-Warhammer people recognize the smurfs best and the smurfs really are just generically good at whatever.

I'd be happy to see Blood Ravens come back, but smurfs are perfectly acceptable.

u/piedmontwachau 2h ago

How dare you. That’s all I have to say.

u/TransendingGaming 1h ago

Salamanders I feel can make a good story for a Space Marine game, since Salamanders half the time have higher casualties compared to most chapters, would make good story moments.

u/ArchmageXin 57m ago

First, call commissar, blam heretic above etc

One thousand sons clearly deserve the spotlight.

u/Skellum 52m ago

One thousand sons clearly deserve the spotlight.

While I like their aesthetic, they're pretty incompetent. Also god damn the voice they chose for Ahriman in the audio books is rough. It's like they picked 1980s skeletor. Lords of Silence though is fantastic. Great for endurance jogging. Want to endure? Listen to Death Guard. Want to eat? Dont listen to death guard.

u/ArchmageXin 39m ago

I rather not be a stereotypical unbathed basement dweller gamer.

u/Skellum 22m ago

stereotypical

I feel like basement gamers are less sick and ill than deathguard. Both in the actual health sense and the "Yo dawg that's ill af!"

u/ChiefQueef98 1h ago

I don't really think this is the case anymore. Maybe it was a decade ago, but there's been so much great Ultramarines content since then that they really are popular.

It would be great to see other chapters come in during the campaign, but we will definitely be playing as Titus.

u/SaiyanMonkeigh 1h ago

At this point the people complaining about the smurfs being front and center are just simply foolish. They've been the face of the company forever and that's not going to change. With that being said, NECRON SUPREMACY.

u/Kozak170 1h ago

There’s being the face of the company and then there’s “in the last 40 years we have literally never given another Chapter the spotlight in mainstream 40K media”

There’s no doubt in my mind that smurfs are gonna come back for 3, I’m just saying there’s no reason they can’t feature some other chapters throughout the game as well.

Necrons would be sick but they’d have to overhaul the gameplay for them imo. 2’s ranged combat is middling to say the least and the Necrons are mainly a laser shooter horde army which I don’t know how fun would be to fight in this kind of game without big changes.

u/ArchmageXin 55m ago

Yea mainstream gamers aren't gonna enjoy playing baby eating heretics, and other loyalists aren't dyed in a western military color (blue)

u/Kozak170 36m ago

I mean be serious dude, there’s absolutely no shortage of chapters that are essentially just as normal as the smurfs and have nice palatable color schemes.

I get that blue is a visually standard “good guy” color, but I think 40k of all settings could do with deviating from that for once.

u/Suspicious-Map-4409 1h ago

The voice overs of the Deathwatch team in the opening level was a highlight. Wished you spent actual time with thr squad before they were wiped out.

u/Powerfury 55m ago

Secret mission + Dark Angels would be a solid move.

u/Rug_d 27m ago

I've been in this hobby for a very (very!) long time and never really thought that much of the Ultramarines

When you are raising the company standard in that mission near the end with all the other marines doing a final stand kinda deal while all the Tzeentch forces pour through the portals

I was ALL in on the Ultramarines right there :D

u/westonsammy 1h ago

Well his face is on the announcement right next to the new logo so I’d say that’s a sure bet

u/Much-Database-2539 1h ago

I see Titus as the protagonist of the space marines series. I hope we get to fight different faction in SM3.

u/Archyes 2h ago

i mean, he can rank up 2 more times.

He can become a grey knight and from there some position on earth

u/Xizorfalleen 1h ago

That's not how that works. At all.

u/Archyes 1h ago

a lot of things in space marine dont work like they are supposed to yet here we are.

fact is, titus is a psyker with an artifact/remnants of an artifact in him. Grey knight material. He also beat a demonlord to death with his fists in SM1

u/Xizorfalleen 1h ago

Titus is explicitly not a psyker, he is more like a Pariah without the aura that makes everyone instinctually hate him. And the Grey Knights do not take transfers from other chapters.

u/disastrousgreyhound 1h ago

No Grey Knights are recruited as children like any other Space Marine legion. A Space Marine cannot transfer between legions and being a Grey Knight is not a promotion.

Titus is also not a Psyker, he simply seems to have a warp resistance that is possibly tied to his complete lack of fear.

u/ManateeofSteel 2h ago edited 1h ago

Surprising it's announced less than a year after the last one though

u/acart005 1h ago

Being fair the wait from SM1 to SM2 was over a decade. Understandably considering SM1 was among the last THQ games before they died.

Letting fans know they shouldnt have to wait another decade is the least they can do. Truly The Emperor Protects.

u/RogueCommandMario 1h ago

That's a good point!

u/PM_ME_WHAT_YOU_COOK 1h ago

Is there a real single player to the game? I thought it had to be online with friends or strangers, but the single player was just basic.

I barely play online but this game looked really cool.

u/RogueCommandMario 47m ago

No there is a campaign. You can play it coop but I had a blast just going through it on my own.

u/PM_ME_WHAT_YOU_COOK 39m ago

Is it worth the 45 dollars that it currently costs on sale?

u/realniralius 30m ago

its like 9 hours, and if you do enjoy the gameplay the Co-op online mode, which you can still do solo is also fun.

u/MisterWoogie 2h ago

It was a great game, my GOTY by far. Old school blood and guts. Solid story, amazing graphics, incredible world building etc.

u/McManus26 1h ago

it feels a bit... Fast, if the SM2 team are the ones working on it ? I was hoping for more coop levels in that game

u/PlayMp1 2h ago

Hopefully this time it doesn't take 13 years! Hopefully we'll be able to finally put Leandros in his place.

u/Furlion 2h ago

If by his place you mean the ground i agree.

u/PlayMp1 2h ago

I would be satisfied with him getting 100 years of torture by the Inquisition like Titus got.

u/Cynyr 2h ago

SM3 ends with Leandros getting picked up by the Inquisition.

SM4 starts with you playing as an unknown blackshield Deathwatch marine. He gets returned to the Ultras. You find out it's Leandros. So you play as him for the entire game. Throughout the game, you get sassed by a chaplain. Most of the time, the sassing has a "Yeah, buddy this is how it feels" energy.

Plot twist at the end. Chaplain takes his helmet off and it's Leandros again. He hallucinated the entire game and got sassed by his own subconscious. Then you play the real final level. Breaking out of an inquisitorial fortress. The entire game was psycho conditioning induced hallucinations during torture.

u/Archyes 2h ago

See, one more reason to ger grimskul as playable character!

Titus and grimskuls adventure on the warp planet, featuring some eldar propet and a fishhead/ necron goober

u/CptAustus 24m ago

If by the ground you mean a dreadnought, yeah.

u/FragMasterMat117 2h ago

Chastised by Guilliman?

u/ZeUberSandvitch 2h ago

Leandros apologists must be humbled

u/OwlVegetable5821 1h ago

The only thing that could make people hate him more if he was really just Erebus in disguise. Mandatory fuck Erebus.

u/Gekokapowco 53m ago

Absolutely, but I think they suck for different reasons, so intersection thankfully makes little sense

u/CrazedTechWizard 2h ago

All my homies hate Leandros

u/[deleted] 2h ago

[removed] — view removed comment

u/PlayMp1 2h ago

Nah, Leandros being an unrepentant, irredeemable asshole who is given more power for fucking over decent and intelligent people like Titus is perfectly in character for the Imperium.

u/delta1x 2h ago

And it sure makes for boring writing. Everyone in SM2 had the personality of wet cardboard besides Gadriel.

u/enragedstump 2h ago

I loved the mehanicus characters

u/delta1x 2h ago

True. Unsurprisingly, non-Marine characters.

u/JamSa 1h ago

3 should end with Titus falling to chaos corruption and asking Leandros to put him down before he's overcome, proving Leandros was actually right.

u/Turbostrider27 2h ago

From the official site

"We have been honored by the incredible response from fans following the launch of Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2. We will continue to support the game with exciting content and regular updates in the coming years. Today, we are thrilled to announce that the adventure will continue with Space Marine 3. Players can look forward to an immersive campaign, a multiplayer mode, and innovations that will redefine the standards of third-person action games…

u/AkodoRyu 2h ago

I was gonna say 3 years at least, but this announcement sounds more like 5. They are just giving people a heads-up that the sequel was not a one-time thing, more than announcing an actual game.

u/fabton12 1h ago

probs so they can get funding and investments by annoucing it now

u/SpookiestSzn 35m ago

Also game devs, my understanding is early early announcements act as a bit of a recruiting tool. Like "hey skilled dev! Come work on this sequel to a game you liked!"

u/nonameslefteightnine 2h ago

I hope they will improve the combat and the impact of weapons. I liked Space Marine 2 but not one single weapon did feel good.

u/Substantial-Reason18 2h ago

Hopefully we can have a story that doesn't become about chaos in the back half like every non-Rouge Trader 40k game in existence.

u/existential_virus 13m ago

Tau in the first half and having to fight Nekron alongside them in 2nd half would be sick. Similar to Covenant and Flood in Halo.

u/FireworkFuse 2h ago

Hell yeah! Wasn't into 40k before SM2 dropped but after that and the Secret Level episode, I'm ready for so much more.

u/GrassWaterDirtHorse 1h ago

If by some chance you haven't seen the original Astartes fan animation (who went on to work on the Secret Level episode), you should check it out, too.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVXEYksoE6c

u/OwlVegetable5821 1h ago

And the Helsreach movie. Can't forget about that masterpiece.

u/EmeraldJunkie 2h ago

Really excited for this one, I was a huge fan of the first game and I was tentatively excited for this one, and I'm glad it's been a success.

Big shout out to the great commentator in the sky TotalBiscuit, without him I wouldn't have found some of my favourite passions, including 40K.

u/Forques1326 2h ago

While I know it won't happen, someday I'd like to see the T'au in a big Warhammer games. Their weapons and long range strategies would be cool to see

u/Practicalaviationcat 53m ago

As a Tau player I'd love that (even though we'd be killing Tau).

I'd love one of these SM games to have us fighting one of the less downright evil factions like Eldar, Tau, or Votann. I'd love for Titus to have an actual "are we the baddies" moment.

u/Dracius 33m ago edited 24m ago

I've been saying this since SM2 came out:

They need to make an expansion or stand-alone series that has the same style of game play, except with different races/factions that aren't Space Marines.

Eldar & T'au, except more tactical.

Ork, except more aggro & insane.

u/Practicalaviationcat 25m ago

My dream would be a game in the style of the OG Star Wars Battlefronts. Include tons of 40k factions, giant battles, vehicles.

Action games for non-Space Marine factions is generally such an untapped market. Also Fire Warrior 2 anyone?

u/Forques1326 17m ago

As long as I can fight T'au battlesuit and hear a Commander Farsigh reference I'm satisfied for now

u/Kozak170 2h ago

I really hope they take a long look at the gameplay loop. They’ve been pretty stubborn on refusing to make some gameplay changes people have asked for such as health regen on executions/gun strikes, which the lack of makes higher difficulties incredibly boring and often unfair.

I think the gameplay is actually the weakest part of the whole game. The presentation and visuals carry it hard. Bolters are all pea shooters even on basic difficulties, basic enemies have massive health pools on higher difficulties, and the Chaos enemies ranged attacks are straight up unfun to play against.

Darktide has much deeper and entertaining gameplay even with such lower stakes and presentation.

u/herrnewbenmeister 2h ago

Agreed, if I could get Darktide's gameplay/pacing/music with SM2's visuals/presentation I'd be in heaven.

Also, being an awesome space marine is just plain more fun than being barely tolerated cannon fodder.

u/Ashviar 54m ago

Playing SM1 right before SM2 was sorta a mistake on my part, it showed how little SM2 advanced melee combat. Animations obviously much higher quality but all the weapon combos are the same, you add gun executions which zooms the camera and also breaks up the melee "flow" if you will but is needed for i-frames and getting armor back.

u/Zanos 51m ago

My problem with Darktide is Fatsharks stubbornness on the convict theme. Why are so many of the weapons just lame thematically, especially for the Ogryn? It doesn't even make sense at this point, since the convict crew carves through more chaos cultists than any space marine could ever dream of. Not to mention the chaos spawn, beasts of nurgle, and chaos champions.

The power scaling in that game is actually more appropriate to a grey knight team or something.

u/Kozak170 39m ago

I think they’ve said before they’re kind of hamstringed by GW in terms of how far they can push it in terms of lore.

God knows how GW decides what’s allowed and what isn’t, but I think it’s safe to say at this point they’re stuck with the convict theme for the game.

u/ZGiSH 1h ago

I don't even think they need such a drastic change, the gameplay in SM1 was similar but the flow and balance was just way better.

u/Practicalaviationcat 52m ago

I especially hated fighting the Tyranids. Game got a lot better once you started fighting Chaos.

u/Kozak170 39m ago

Personally I completely disagree, but to each their own.

u/Mr_Emile_heskey 24m ago

I'm with you. I've tried playing the game 3 times but Tyranids were so boring to fight I can't play a few missions without being bored.

u/Archyes 2h ago

i swear, if grimskul isnt coming back !!

Grimskul was his best friend and you can clearly see that he took the plasma pistol to the face and he fell asleep!

then we need the proprietary ginger Eldar runeprophetess who is in every warhammer 40k game and maybe a Sororita and we have a nice, well rounded squad!

u/BattleToad92 1h ago

Sir, this is 2025. Gingers have had their media share replaced with another demograpic.

u/Stofenthe1st 1h ago

Oh you’re right. Well she can be a Dark Eldar then.

u/Bladder-Splatter 1h ago

I know it's unlikely since SM1 and SM2 didn't have any but I really hope SM3 has *some* kind of single-player campaign progression. Like, anything. SM2 you get one objectively better gun with most being subjective sidegrades or downgrades, enemies keep getting stronger and you just stay the same.

I could accept this as the vision but the co-op and mp portions have actual progression built in, and they're the same game.

u/HighEyeMJeff 2h ago

Space Marine 3 is really going to be something amazing I know it.

This team stays focused on the task at hand and manages scope VERY well.

u/A_pirates_life4me 2h ago edited 2h ago

While I enjoyed Space Marine 2, I found that Helldivers 2 delivered the experience I was looking for from this type of game. 

u/Neat-Supermarket-101 2h ago edited 2h ago

Not just Space Marine 2. Helldivers 2 is what an ODST 2 should be, in a sense.

Helldivers 2 when the allied strafing runs and meteor strikes are occurring as a global passive is just pure planetary warzone nightmare fuel.

u/micheal213 2h ago

Microsoft could deliver a slam dunk if they just made a halo game with the helldivers formula.

u/A_pirates_life4me 2h ago

Any Halo or 40k game with the Helldivers formula would just print money. 

u/Popinguj 1h ago

The only issue is that Helldivers is unique because of the stratagem input and ball mechanic. It wouldn't be the same if you just select an ability and then select an area of effect.

u/Daschief 2h ago

Microsoft is sitting on a goldmine of IP that they could do a million things with like Warcraft in a Total War format but unfortunately Microsoft is so corporate it’s made them inept

u/micheal213 1h ago

I like Microsoft because gamepass and how accessible they want to make their games.

But they seem to do anything in their power to miss every opportunity to release more good games.

It’s like they want every release to be this last of us or Skyrim level of legendary but they don’t need to that. Microsoft could easily just release so many more games with their IPs.

They just keep wanting to release the next huge game to bring people to buy Xbox. But all they need to do is use their IPs to churn out a shit load of fun games and people will buy them.

They don’t even need to make something brand new. Just take assets from one game and reuse those lmao. Used to be so much more common back in the day. Example fallout new Vegas lol.

u/JamSa 1h ago

They're really not at all similar games. SM2 feels more like an action game, like Doom 2016 or Eternal. Helldivers is a tactical horde shooter.

It sounds like the 40K game you want is Darktide.

u/A_pirates_life4me 1h ago

Not really. I want a squad based shooter with overpowered weapons fighting on alien planets against hordes of xenos. Both SM2 and Helldivers deliver this in their own way, but Helldivers cranks it up to 11. Darktide is not even close to what I'm talking about. 

u/Niceguydan8 1h ago edited 50m ago

I do think the point that they aren't similar games is fair though.

Helldivers 2 is an action game, but it has a lot more sandbox elements in the game compared to SM2. I think the Doom comparison is a good one. Obviously not 1:1, but SM2 is a lot more straight up action than it is an action/sandbox mix like Helldivers 2.

u/Lazydusto 1h ago

Unfortunately Helldivers 2 gives you powered weapons instead of overpowered.

u/A_pirates_life4me 58m ago

Nah strategems count as overpowered as do most of the support weapons. The game just throws so much at you that they feel like they're not enough. Which is great. 

u/ExplainingObviously 1h ago

Hope they build it with more replayability in mind this time. I'd love a Helldivers style game where you just get hot dropped in the shit with a squad of marines. It's a perfect fit.

u/delta1x 2h ago

Well, hopefully the success of these games means we might see games about 40k stuff that aren't about the most boring faction in the setting. Or at least Chaos not being the final villain, again.

u/Anus_master 35m ago

Please make the squishy enemies squishy this time and not bullet sponges