The Warhammer 40,000 community was rocked by the unexpected announcement that development for Space Marine 3 had commenced, sparking concerns about the future of the recently released Space Marine 2. Publisher Focus Entertainment and developer Saber Interactive made the announcement in mid-March, just six months after the launch of Space Marine 2, amidst ongoing worries about the game's content pipeline to retain player engagement.
In a new blog post, both companies addressed these concerns head-on, reaffirming their commitment to Space Marine 2 and unveiling exciting plans for its future. They emphasized that the development of Space Marine 3 does not signify the end of support for Space Marine 2. "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," the statement clarified.
The roadmap for Space Marine 2's first year is set to continue, with Patch 7 slated for release in mid-April. The coming months will also see the introduction of a new class, additional PvE operations, and new melee weapons. The companies teased, "Trust us, there are surprises even dataminers haven’t found out about :)." This announcement marks the early stages of Space Marine 3, a project still years away from completion, and the developers expressed gratitude for the community's enthusiasm, which fuels their motivation.
The highlight of the upcoming content for Space Marine 2 is the new class, with speculation among fans pointing towards the Apothecary, akin to a medic class within Space Marines, or the Librarian, known for its warp-powered abilities. As for the new melee weapon, fans are hoping for the inclusion of the iconic axe featured in Secret Level's Warhammer 40,000 animated episode, with modders already bringing it into the game.
The decision to proceed with Space Marine 3 comes as no surprise, given the success of Space Marine 2. In an interview with IGN shortly after Space Marine 2's launch, Saber Interactive Chief Creative Officer Tim Willits hinted at potential story DLC and shared that ideas for Space Marine 3 were already being considered. He noted, "Our game director Dmitry Grigorenko, he has proposed some story ideas that could either be DLC or a sequel... There's so many different factions... there are other chapters, too, that are interesting..." This suggests a rich narrative future for the series, with IGN reporting on the likely enemy faction to appear in Space Marine 3.
