I’ve played Warhammer for over two-thirds of my life. I started, as with all men of a similar age, with The Lord of the Rings Strategy Battle Game, and quickly moved onto Warhammer 40k and then Fantasy. I’ve dabbled in Age of Sigmar and tend to play a lot more independent games these days, but 40k will always hold a place in my heart for introducing me to all things grimdark. Peter Jackson’s iconic trilogy pulled me into this gothic universe, but modern players are being inspired to get their paints out by videogames like Warhammer 40k Space Marine 2. If you’re one of the few players thus far unswayed by Lieutenant Titus’ gory action title, perhaps a free demo will induct you into the ranks of the Ultramarines.
I wasn’t surprised to find out that Space Marine 2 is the biggest Warhammer 40k game based on peak player counts on Steam, but I was surprised by the margin. Space Marine 2 has over double the peak player count of its closest rival, Darktide, with an astonishing 225,000 of us logging in at launch. Even if you bring the wider Warhammer world into the fold, only Total War Warhammer 3 comes close with an all-time peak of 167,000 players.
My point is that, if you haven’t played what is demonstrably the biggest Warhammer game ever made, what have you been waiting for? Unless your answer is the Techmarine class and forthcoming Iron Hands cosmetic pack, I don’t think you’ve got an excuse. Especially as it’s running a free trial at the moment.
As a belated birthday celebration (Space Marine 2 turned one last month), you can play the first mission of the campaign, three operations, and nearly every Eternal War mode until the trial period is over. Only Helbrute Onslaught is off the cards, which is a shame but I understand why developer Saber Interactive is keeping its recently added mode for paid players only.
Once the trial is over, you can carry any progress and unlocked cosmetics through to the full game if you decide to purchase. Speaking of which, Space Marine 2 is currently better than half price on Steam, and the sale lasts until after the trial period finishes, so you can sleep on the decision.
I won’t tell you how to spend your money, but I will advise you to check out this demo if you have any inkling that you might enjoy a visceral, grimdark multiplayer adventure, where alien bugs and daemonic entities threaten your very existence. It sounds quite over the top when you put it like that, but Warhammer is basically a soap opera with sci-fi laser guns, so it fits.
Warhammer 40k Space Marine 2’s free trial is live right now and ends on Thursday, October 23. You can buy Space Marine 2 for $26.99 / £24.74 until Saturday, October 25. Download the demo or pick the full game up here.
If you’re into Warhammer but want to expand your horizons, check out some of the best space games for similar vibes. The best co-op games will also give you an experience akin to Space Marine 2, albeit there will be considerably less power armor.
Hopping into the game for the first time? Don’t hesitate to hop on into our community Discord server to tell readers and staff your favorite Chapter. We don’t judge, unless you say Ultramarines.
