Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 being delayed is probably for the best

Better to wait and drown in Tyranids than in a shitstorm

Focus Entertainment has revised the release window for the highly anticipated Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2, now stating in a brief update (via PCGamesN) that the third-person shooter is set for launch “in the second half of 2024” instead of the first half.

The publisher wants to reveal the exact date in early December, which points towards an announcement at The Game Awards 2023.

This delay will, according to Focus, “provide the time needed to properly polish the game and to ensure the best possible experience. Focus Entertainment is committed to releasing a game that is of the highest quality and that exceeds the expectations of the countless fans of the franchise.”

We'll have to wait for a while longer before leading Titus into the field once more :: Saber Interactive / Focus Entertainment

While many fans, myself included, surely are disappointed by this bit of news, I can’t help but feel a little relieved at the same time.

How many hyped video games have had rocky to disastrous launches this year alone because of technical issues and performance problems, especially on PC? From Star Wars Jedi: Survivor at the start of the year to Cities: Skylines 2 towards the end of it, it’s an extensive list – and one that doesn’t need continuation.

Having played an hour of Space Marine 2 at gamescom 2023 – you can read the Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 first impressions via the link – I was still very much hyped for the game, but dreaded a premature push for release. While I greatly enjoyed the gameplay, which is the kind of pure, unadulterated Warhammer 40,000 fun you’re expecting from the title, even this gamescom build was in rough shape in places.

The impressive Tyranid swarms didn’t just repeatedly manage to bring me to my knees, but also the framerates of the PC I was playing on. Aside from the insectoid xenos, the other kind of bug was omnipresent as well: I couldn’t even properly finish the mission we were thrown into at the convention, because main character Titus would randomly start floating in the final section and couldn’t interact with some mission-critical objects anymore, so a developer had to come and run some console commands to reset things. The Omnissiah could not have been pleased.

Yes, it sucks that we have to wait for longer to play Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2, but it’s better than the alternative: Paying for a frustrating mess and having twelve years of anticipation for this sequel ruined because of impatience. This is a good decision by Focus Entertainment and Saber Interactive, and I hope it pays off.