Space Marine 2 Dev Clarifies: Not Abandoning Game Despite Space Marine 3 Buzz

The surprise announcement of the development of Space Marine 3 sent shockwaves through the Warhammer 40,000 community, sparking concerns about the future of Space Marine 2. Publisher Focus Entertainment and developer Saber Interactive made the announcement in mid-March, just six months after Space Marine 2's release, amidst existing worries about the content pipeline for the game.

In a recent blog post, both companies addressed these concerns, promising continued support for Space Marine 2 and making a significant announcement about upcoming content. “Mid-March, we announced that Space Marine 3 had begun development and we’re excited to see your enthusiasm, although we hear those of you who fear for Space Marine 2 and its future support,” the statement read.

“So let us set the record straight: Space Marine 3 does not mean the end of Space Marine 2's development. Far from it. No teams are shifting over, no one is abandoning the game, and our plans to bring more awesome content to Space Marine 2 remain.”

Space Marine 2’s year one roadmap is still in place, with Patch 7 scheduled for release in mid-April. In the coming months, players can look forward to a new class, new PvE operations, and new melee weapons. “Trust us, there are surprises even dataminers haven’t found out about :)” the statement teased.

“This announcement simply marks the genesis of a new project, years away from release. We’ve made a decision and have just started the process. Many of you were very excited for this project and this makes us incredibly happy and motivated. Thank you for the unwavering support. That being said, we still have a lot to offer to the players with Space Marine 2.”

The big announcement here is the new class, with the new melee weapon also generating excitement. Fans are speculating about the new class, with many believing it could be the Apothecary, akin to a medic class for Space Marines. However, there's hope it might be the Librarian, introducing warp-powered space magic into the game. As for the new melee weapon, fans are eager to see the axe from Secret Level’s Warhammer 40,000 animated episode, which modders have already implemented themselves.

The go-ahead for Space Marine 3 comes as little surprise given the success of Space Marine 2. In an interview with IGN following Space Marine 2's launch, Saber Interactive Chief Creative Officer Tim Willits mentioned the possibility of story DLC and revealed that ideas for Space Marine 3 were already being considered. Without spoiling the Space Marine 2 campaign, it strongly suggests a continuation, with IGN reporting on the likely enemy faction for Space Marine 3.

“Our game director Dmitry Grigorenko, he has proposed some story ideas that could either be DLC or a sequel,” Willits said at the time. “Yes, yes, yes! There's so many different factions... there are other chapters, too, that are interesting...”