With Boltgun 2, the successor of a successful boomer shooter in the grim world of Warhammer 40,000 appears. The developers are huge fans of the franchise – so it was a must for MeinMMO editor and Warhammer expert Benedict Grothaus to talk to them.
When it comes to shooters, I’m picky. I neither like a specific genre, nor all shooters of a genre – Overwatch yes, hero shooters not necessarily. Rainbow Six: Siege yes, Counter-Strike never. And boomer shooters are usually always a drag. So it’s surprisingly enough, that I actually had a lot of fun with Boltgun 2.
However, it wasn’t just about the shooter itself, but also about the developers I was able to chat with together with other journalists during the presentation and noticed: they really know their stuff!
So we requested an interview, and Matt Bone, the leading designer of Boltgun 2, responded. Although he refused to tell me which Chaos God is the most dangerous, he certainly knows a lot about the world.
“We want to tap into the Warhammer 40,000 atmosphere as much as possible”
MeinMMO: Some time ago, I researched the technology behind bolters and lasguns myself and… some of it is actually quite nonsensical. How “lore-accurate” or “scientifically correct” are your weapons?
Matt Bone: It is very important to us to stay true to the Warhammer 40,000 universe and lore when designing weapons for the game. Warhammer fans have certain expectations of how certain weapons – especially iconic ones like the boltgun – should feel and look. In addition, we put a lot of work into making them feel as satisfyingly powerful as possible when wielded. Our goal with the Heavy Flamer of the (new playable character) Nyra, for example, was that it should feel apocalyptic when pulling the trigger.
MeinMMO: When Space Marine 2 was released, many players and fans (myself included) praised the feel of the heavy Space Marine armor, and the developers said that this was indeed one of the critical points in development. What was your biggest challenge in creating a true Warhammer feel with Boltgun?
Matt Bone: It is definitely crucial to convey the weight of the Space Marines and the associated power fantasy. Since it is a first-person game, we have to do that in other ways – such as through the feel and sound of the weapons, camera shake and audio feedback, as well as through the abilities we give to Malum. We want him to feel like an unstoppable fortress plowing through the heretics. That’s why we revamped his charge ability, which is now called “Onslaught.” We made it much more powerful – Malum can ram enemies out of the way or simply storm right through them, causing quite a mess.
In general, regarding the topic of “true Warhammer feel”: One of our pillars at Boltgun 2 is “cheerfully grimdark.” We want to tap into the Warhammer 40,000 atmosphere as much as possible, having fun with this dark element in the exaggerated, extremely bloody nature of bolt guns. It is a celebration of what fans love about this universe.
MeinMMO: As one of the few games out there, you have all Chaos Gods represented. Which do you think poses the greatest threat – both for the players in your game and according to lore for the universe?
Matt Bone: I could tell you, but then one of the other factions would hunt me down and slaughter me. Honestly, I would say they are all equally dangerous – hence the endless war. In Boltgun 2, it is important that each of them feels deadly in their own way and that we really capture the flair of each chaos faction.
This ranges from small details to major characteristics. For example, shooting a Nurgle Marine results in a rain of maggots and pus, while the Thousand Sons use a warp-like, foggy effect instead of blood.
“We want to do justice to this world that we love”
MeinMMO: Nyra Veyrath is a Sister of the Order Our Martyred Lady – by the way, my favorite order and the army I am currently painting. Why did you choose this particular order?
Matt Bone: When creating Nyra, we were heavily inspired by Canoness Veridyan, especially this iconic artwork where she stands on a skull. It just felt fitting for the character, although I might be a bit biased – it’s also my favorite order.
MeinMMO: Warhammer fans can be quite… particular when it comes to the lore of their universe. How did you ensure everything is accurate?
Matt Bone: Our studio already knows a lot about Warhammer 40,000 and the lore it is based on. At Auroch Digital, there are many Warhammer fans, so we want to do justice to this world that we love.
But we have also been working with Games Workshop for over 10 years, and they are always there to support us. They know the brand inside and out. So if we ever have questions or are uncertain about something, they can guide us.
MeinMMO: Choosing Warhammer 40k as a setting for a Warhammer shooter seems like the obvious choice. But what makes 40k better in your opinion than Age of Sigmar and Fantasy/The Old World?
Matt Bone: We believe each of the Warhammer universes offers a lot of exciting lore. It’s great to be able to draw from different ones for our titles.
Of the three, Warhammer 40,000 is the one that we, as a studio, are most familiar with, which is why we tend to lean towards this universe when brainstorming new ideas and concepts. We also felt that the Warhammer 40,000 universe fit best with what we wanted to do with Boltgun.
With that in mind, I would also find a retro shooter set in Age of Sigmar exciting – I would play it! Additionally, we have delved deeper into the Age of Sigmar universe and learned more about it while developing our other upcoming Warhammer title: Warhammer Survivors.
The Aeldari are what got me into Warhammer 40,000
MeinMMO: Just out of curiosity: You said that your whole team is into Warhammer and quite a few also paint and play. What is your favorite faction and why?
Matt Bone: I’ve always had a soft spot for Aeldari because I collected them when I was younger. They were what originally got me into Warhammer 40,000. But recently, I’ve picked up some models from the Black Legion and the new Emperor’s Children, both of which I’m trying to justify as “important research” for Boltgun 2.
MeinMMO: Any tips for painters?
Matt Bone: You’re asking the wrong person; I’m terrible at painting miniatures! I love collecting them and assembling them, but usually I try to persuade/bribe someone to paint them for me. Still, whenever I do it myself, I find tons of useful guides and videos online that walk me through it step by step. So that’s definitely just a skill issue on my part.
MeinMMO: Thank you!
Even though boomer shooters are not really my thing and Doom can only grab me with the right hook, I am really looking forward to Boltgun 2, if only because of the great voice acting. However, for many fans, Warhammer Survivors is likely even more exciting, the second Warhammer game from Auroch Digital’s forges: Warhammer 40,000 has a new “perfect” game on Steam and you can play it now
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