Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 is already two years old in just a few months, but that doesn’t stop the developers from releasing new updates. During Warhammer Skulls, an event focused on the Warhammer universe video games, a surprising update was released.
What is this update about? On May 21, 2026, news about several Warhammer titles was presented. MeinMMO covered the event and compiled all the important information for you.
At the same time, the Purification Update for Space Marine 2 was unexpectedly released on Steam. This adds new content for one of the best Warhammer 40,000 games (Steam rating: 83% positive based on 209,000 reviews).
Additionally, you can play the first missions of the shooter for free as a demo. However, the demo is only available until Monday, May 25, 2026.
Player numbers double on Steam: With the update, many players have returned or discovered Space Marine 2 anew. The player count according to SteamDB.info has doubled since May 21.
Previously, during peak times on the weekend, nearly 12,000 players were active, destroying hordes of Tyranids. Now there are a bit more than 24,000 concurrent players in the evening (as of May 23, 2026, at 9:37 AM).
Here is the trailer for the new update of Space Marine 2:
A new operation and the overhaul of the Siege mode are completely free
What are the highlights of the update? One of the biggest innovations is probably the new PvE operation: Purgation. There, you have to recapture a Mechanicus facility in the swamp of Kadaku.
Furthermore, the Siege mode has been revamped. There are 7 new items in the shop and new bosses like the Swarm Tyrant. A completely new system has also been introduced and is called: Blessings and Atonements. With this system, you receive a permanent blessing every 5 waves, but you must endure changing atonements.
The overall difficulty has also been adjusted, as enemies now spawn more intensely and are supposed to become stronger earlier and faster.
What are the changes to the Siege mode for? The developers state in the patch notes that they made these changes to make the Siege mode shorter and more intense. Additionally, the rounds are supposed to be more unique by giving players more options to build their builds.
What else is new? Besides the larger changes, there are also some smaller additions:
- There is a new weapon, a PvE equipment, and 3 heroic items
- New season pass content featuring the chapter of the Iron Hands
- New cosmetic items
In addition to this update for Space Marine 2, there were further announcements made during Warhammer Skulls. Dark Heresy is a new role-playing game and began its beta on May 21, 2026. MeinMMO editor Benedict Grothaus was able to play it in advance and was outraged by how many details kept him from playing: New role-playing game for Warhammer 40,000 starts beta on Steam – I played the contents and by the Emperor, that’s a lot
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