In the bleak, bleak future of the 41st millennium, there may only be war, but Saber Interactive's long-awaited Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 proves that you can have fun there too. Players are excited about the latest game set in the 40k universe, and the developers are building on the momentum from launch with consistent updates to continue fine-tuning the already laudable experience.
Less than a month after launch and Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 already has three updates with the latest patch bringing much needed quality of life changes, balance tweaks, and even more ways to get rid of the xenos and heretic threat. Fortunately, the patch notes let gamers know exactly what to expect after downloading the latest version of the game.
Space Marine 2 Patch 3.0
New features in Space Marine 2 latest patch
The third and final update for the Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 contains a number of additional features to improve multiplayer and single player gameplay.
- Private halls for operational mode.
- Hub sparring arena; a battle barge mode where players can compete in PvP with players on their team while waiting for their turn.
- What's New/Message of the Day Bulletin Boards.
- Added Ultrawide support for PC.
- Custom color palettes can now be reset.
The game had a big launch, but these quality-of-life updates will make players stick around for a long time. The queue for multiplayer matches is usually long, so giving players the opportunity to do some light PVP sparring while they wait is a great idea that fits well with the cosmic lore and mythos. Private lobbies for PVE is another simple addition, as it will make it easier for friends to play with each other.
What are the balance settings in the latest Space Marine 2 update?
As with any online game, balancing is an ongoing project that the Saber team must always be on top of. This latest patch is the first really deep foray into this arena, and so far the changes made seem to be moving the game in the right direction. The Saber is completely focused on feeling more fluid and the weapon more powerful, which is a good move considering the giant bolters and melee weapons favored by the Astartes.
Weapon/Equipment Change
- Powerfist's charged attack damage has been greatly increased.
- Heavy Plasma base ammo increased by 5, base damage increased by 10%, and firing cooldown drastically reduced from 50 to 30 for charged shots and from 20 to 15 for basic fire.
- The auxiliary grenade launcher can be partially refilled with ammo boxes instead of just an infinite ammo box.
PVE AI Changes
- AI allies received a few changes that made them more useful/effective, but didn't make them powerful enough to win the game for the player.
- The Zoanthrope's Psychic Shout attack received a few nerfs to make it fairer.
- Thermogant's Fleshborer spray attack has been nerfed.
- Tyranid Warrior (Devourer Variant) projectile damage has been nerfed.
- Headline Marines (Warpfire variant) have reduced damage in all directions and health reduced by 10%.
- Marines of the rubric (Boltgun variant) have had their damage and health reduced, and their teleport frequency has been reduced.
- Tsaangor's health with the Shield has been greatly reduced.
- Carnifex is faster and more aggressive in rage mode, doesn't taunt as often, and fixed a bug where his projectiles wouldn't fire.
- Hive Tyrant has increased health and is now 20% more resistant to explosives/meltaweapons.
What patch 3.0 means for the future of Space Marine 2
These changes are very encouraging for Sabre's vision of the game. Various weapon buffs, ally AI improvements, and enemy damage nerfs paint a very telling picture of what the studio wants to see the game look like. It's clear that the developers are focused primarily on keeping the promise of spaceship fantasy.
These changes make it easier for the player to deal with fodder-level enemies, with the only notable buff being the Hive Tyrant, which is, frankly, an enemy worthy of challenging even the grizzled Primaris. Only time will tell what new content will be added, but this patch is very promising for the future of the game.
