Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2has already received its first of many free content updates to come, but it might not be enough to keep players coming back. A few months have passed since the release ofSpace Marine 2, withmore recent games like Black Ops 6 STALKER 2 starting to take the spotlight. WhileSpace Marine’s gameplay and wide range of classes make it enjoyable to play for hours on end, there’s still only so much content for fans to experience.
TheTermination Operationand challenging lethal difficulty added fresh experiences toSpace Marine 2’s gameplay but left players craving more after completing everything they had to offer. While there are countless hours worth of cosmetics to unlock for each class,the similarities between classes and lack of mission variety don’t provide much of an incentive to keep playing over time. Despite the promises of new game modes, enemies, and weapons to destroy them with, Focus Entertainment’s live service model might not be enough to entice players to keep coming back toSpace Marine 2in the long run.
A Low Player count Could Spell Doom For Space Marine 2
A Concerning Trend For Space Marine 2 Fans
Currently,Space Marine 2averages around 12,000 players on Steam according toSteamDB, which is merely 5% of its all-time peak of 225,000 players following its initial launch.Space Marine 2’s player base issues aren’t a recent problem either, as users on Reddit likePersonal_Active_8360noticed thatthe action-packedSpace Marine 2started its downward player base trend mere weeks after release.
Fortunately for players,Space Marine 2offers full crossplay compatibility with Xbox and PlayStation, resulting in a real player count that’s likely much higher than what’s currently reported on Steam-based websites.
WithSpace Marine 2breaking theWarhammerfranchise records as the most-sold game to date, it’s surprising to see how fast the player base has diminished, but there are a few likely culprits.Space Marine 2’s gripping story and high fidelity likely resulted in many players purchasing it solely for the campaign mode, treating thegame’s optional multiplayeras a nice distraction rather than a purchasing incentive.
On top of players puttingSpace Marine 2down after completing the story, there have been reports of fans having difficulty connecting toSpace Marine 2’s servers alongside PvP balancing, having difficulty joining games, and suffering from incredibly high ping or one-sided battles if they can even make it in. While many of these mechanical issues are likely to be fixed in future updates, it has put off players who are waiting to come back afterSpace Marine 2is in a more polished state with a wider variety of content to offer.
Space Marine 2 Still Has Plenty Of Free Content To Come
Bringing Back Players With A Wider Variety Of Gameplay Options
Despite concerns overSpace Marine 2’s declined player base, it’s not all doom and gloom for dedicated fans continuing to fight for the Imperium. Given thatSpace Marine 2sold over 4.5 million total copies as of last month, the PC player base only makes up a fraction of players battling the endless hordes of Xenos. WithSpace Marine 2’s initial sales numbers and profitable DLC,Focus Entertainment likely has more than enough funds to keep the latest entry in theWarhammerfranchise alive and well for some time.
Warhammer 40k: Space Marine 2 Season 3 - Release Window, Packs, & Everything Confirmed So Far
Season 3 of Warhammer 40k: Space Marine 2 is set to offer more content than ever when it releases, including multiple Chapter packs and a new mode.
While it remains to be seen how longSpace Marine 2’s lifespan will be with its turbulent player base numbers, there’s already a plethora of freeDLC planned for 2025. PC players who are willing to rejoin the fight in the next year will have plenty of new content to experience, with the most exciting being brand-new PvE missions, new PvP game modes, and an entirely new Horde mode for even more replayability options.
