The Alpha for Dark Heresy, the new role-playing game set in the world of Warhammer 40,000, is currently running and is set to be released in 2026. Anyone can participate – and many have already done so. Now, developer Owlcat shares the feedback after the first month with exciting insights.
What kind of game is it?
- Dark Heresy is the successor to Rogue Trader, the first Warhammer RPG by Owlcat and one of the best Warhammer games if you want to get to know the world.
- Just like its predecessor, Dark Heresy is a cRPG, a turn-based role-playing game with an isometric perspective and a focus on story and character development.
- Unlike in Rogue Trader you play as an Inquisitor in Dark Heresy. Your task is to solve puzzles and something like criminal cases – like a detective in the grim future.
Current Alpha Status: The Alpha for Dark Heresy started back in December 2025 on Steam. Anyone who is willing to pay can participate. Currently, the Alpha comprises about 15 hours of gameplay with various quests and a little storyline from the main story.
On X, the developers shared some data from the last month. The graphic states:
- The Alpha already had over 10,000 players before the game even launched. About a third of them provided their feedback.
- 77% of players are playing on the easier of the two difficulty settings (not surprising considering how difficult Rogue Trader could get).
- The most purchased items from vendors were medkits, ropes, and melta bombs – important for healing and overcoming obstacles.
It’s especially exciting that the new investigation system, around which the game is built, is receiving particularly positive feedback. It is rated 4.4 out of 5 stars. With this system, you collect clues and must piece them together into a complete picture (like the meme with the guy in front of the wall with dozens of red threads).
Your decisions then ultimately shape the story. As an Inquisitor, you can just shoot all the suspects and no one will say anything about it, but you might make enemies that way. Or you could try to find every little detail and thus find the truth.
Everyone loves the Ogryn – Only one wants to date the Übermensch
The developers reveal that the currently most popular companion is the Ogryn Cogg, who was recently introduced. Cogg is not the brightest, but is unconditionally loyal and is determined to protect his Inquisitor at all costs.
Another user (and yes, apparently just one) is asking for a romance with a Space Marine, and judging by the accompanying image, apparently specifically with a traitor from the Night Lords, a particularly brutal torture order.
Owlcat has already revealed that romances in Dark Heresy will be freer than in Rogue Trader. Whether the desired option will be possible here is still unknown, but the devs at least state: “Yes, we have noticed you!”
Dark Heresy is set to be released in 2026, but there is still no specific release date. Recently, the developers made themselves unpopular with a planned feature. Whether anything will change here before release is still open.
Anyone who hasn’t engaged much with Warhammer 40,000 yet or only a little still has plenty of time to prepare with a lot of lore for Dark Heresy. Because there’s no better time to get to know the world: Now is the perfect time to dive into the Warhammer universe – 2026 offers a lot of content
