A playable build of Warhammer 40K Space Marine 2 leaked and footage of its opening segments revealed major story info on Captain Titus and what happened after the first game.
Space Marine 2 is one of the biggest video game releases of the second half of 2024, and fans now know exactly what the game looks and plays like. Gameplay footage of this leaked playable build spread across YouTube. The footage showcases the game’s visceral combat and the chainsword action in a mission dubbed “Rain of Terror.”
The leaked playable build of the highly-anticipated Warhammer 40K game also includes developer tools and server binaries, allowing for multiplayer gameplay even before release. The gameplay footage has been generally praised by those who have seen it, but the biggest reveals are arguably those related to the story.
Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2 story sees Captain Titus as a Primaris Space Marine
Major story information was dropped in leaked footage, including that Captain Titus will rejoin the Ultramarines as a Primaris Space Marine after a stint as a Deathwatch Black Shield. Details regarding the game’s story had already been revealed, but this new footage shows Titus’ transformation in the 100 years between games.
Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2 seemingly starts with a long sequence of a space marine battling through a swarming horde of Tyranids. However, the protagonist in the leaked Space Marine 2 gameplay footage doesn’t reveal his face right away. The character is wearing caped Deathwatch armor rather and is later revealed as Captain Titus himself, the protagonist of the original Space Marine game.
The second part of the leaked gameplay footage sheds light on that very topic. In a cinematic sequence, Captain Titus is told that he is now a Primaris Space Marine and will rejoin the Ultramarines with his status as a Black Shield being covered up.
Tutorial windows are popping up before the reveal of the protagonist, suggesting all this footage shows up in the title’s earliest stages.
Space Marine 2 gameplay remains weighty and bloody
Space Marine 2’s gameplay looks to be an evolution of the original, continuing the weighty mix of melee and shooting action.
While there was a lot to talk about in regards to the Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2 story, those who just like blasting enemies have a lot to talk about, too. There are no details regarding when this leaked build is from. However, the gameplay mechanics in the footage seem quite complete outside some rough transitions during cutscenes. This means this is very close to what the launch build will look like.
A new “duel” mechanic in Space Marine 2 was shown in the footage, that has not been revealed before. During the mission, Captain Titus enters a duel with a bigger, more powerful Tyranid. This sequence also showcases in-depth combat mechanics like parrying and guard-breaking, which were not present in the first game.
Alongside the new duel twist, the Space Marine 2 leak also reveals context-sensitive combat mechanics like catching smaller enemies in the air. In the footage, Captain Titus catches a small Tyranid and uses it to kill another Tyranid instantly.
When is the release date of Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2?
Warhammer 40K Space Marine 2 will arrive on September 9, 2024 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.
Despite the slew of Warhammer 40K games that launch every year, Space Marine 2 is one that fans have honed in on. That’s only natural considering the acclaim the first game received back in 2011.
Relic Entertainment’s third-person shooter was one of the very few games that put the player in the shoes of a space marine. Despite being the most iconic characters in the franchise, the bioengineered super soldiers have had few games of their own.
