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If I had a nickel for every time an over-the-top action game about serving a futuristic fascist regime was released and embraced by role-playing fans, I would only have two – but, as the joke I'm stealing goes, that's still weird, right? But that's exactly how 2024 has been bookended: first with Helldivers 2's deliciously satirical democracy-spreading, and now Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 showing millions the Emperor's light.
It's been hilarious to see people recreating Warhammer's unabashed excessiveness over the last month, whether it's shouting "for the Emperor" at every opportunity on social media, decrying Space Marine 2's "xeno scum" during in-game Operations, or (my personal favorite) our own glittery Titus fancam. On a deeper level, I also have to wonder if this wacky word of mouth has contributed to the breakout success of both Helldivers 2 and Space Marine 2, which are both, according to industry analysts, currently this year's best-selling new games in Europe.
None of that is lost on Space Marine 2's creative director Oliver Hollis-Leick or game director Dmitriy Grigorenko, who have both been giddily watching fans step into the space marine lifestyle – some, er, more than others.
Lights, camera, Warhammer
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When I ask the pair about Space Marine 2's role-playing community, Hollis-Leick admits he recently had first-hand experience in seeing how the game's tone has been received.
"I actually went to the Warhammer store today to buy some paints, because me and my daughter – I bought the starter set for 40K, just a handful of Space Marines and Tyranids – and we've been painting them in the evening," says Hollis-Leick. "And while I was in there waiting to pay, this guy in front of me – they have no idea who I am, I don't say anything – this customer, he was going, "What is your fate!?", and the Games Workshop employee was going, "My duty is my fate!"
"They were re-enacting the opening armoring sequence," says Hollis-Leick, laughing. "It was just so surreal."
Presumably anyone willing to act out Titus' oath-taking in a Games Workshop isn't shy of having an audience, so hopefully they don't mind that the game's creative director had a front-row seat. While Grigorenko hasn't had the pleasure of watching a live performance, he admits the speed at which fans leaped into Space Marine 2's setting caught him off-guard.
"We kind of gave people [things to] do, like to spam voice lines," says Grigorenko. "So there is this social command [...] but it was a surprise that people would embrace this universe so quickly."
When you look at how Space Marine 2 portrays 40K, it's easy to see how fans – even Warhammer newcomers – have been able to grasp its setting so quickly. It's more in line with the grandeur of Black Library novels than past video game adaptations, and Grigorenko says he wanted Space Marine 2 to feel like one of Games Workshop's official battle illustrations brought to life. I point to one of the game's opening missions in Avarax as an example of this done well, with the Imperial Guard recovering from a recent battle as you arrive, and Hollis-Leick credits Grigorenko for establishing that tone early.
"I remember, at the very beginning, Dmitriy describing to me what he wanted in that area, and describing all the different scenes that we should see," recalls Hollis-Leick. "That there should be, you know, somebody giving a speech. There should be wounded soldiers being tended to. There should be deserters who are being executed. There should be people cleaning up spores. I think that part of why it's so successful is because the vision was so clear."
Grigorenko adds that not shying away from the size of 40K's universe was crucial to getting this right – particularly when it comes to establishing the space marine fantasy that so many fans have latched onto. "We want to represent space marines for what they truly are," he says, "and they need to be in the thick of it."
Besides admiring everyone's loyalty to the Emperor, we discussed a lot more during our chat – from taking a risk and not "making another battle royale" to having to fight to keep one level in the game.
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