Darktide, the follow-up game to Fatshark’s excellent rat slayer Vermintide 2, got a full 2-minute gameplay trailer.
Darktide is the Latest Foray into the Grim Darkness of the World of Warhammer 40,000
In the grim darkness of the 41st millennium, there is only war. This has never been more true than today, as fans of theWarhammer 40kuniverse have another opportunity to dirty their hands against theforces of Chaos.
This year’s Summer Games Fest has a ton of announcements, reveals, and gameplay trailer hype. One of the games that found a spot was Fatshark’s Darktide, their take on the 40k grim dark sci-fi mythos. The two-minute-long trailer showed us what we were expecting the most: gruesome and satisfying combat filled with gratuitous monster slaying.
The Coming of the Dark Tide
The story of Darktide is similar to most of those in the Warhammer universe. Tertium is an ancient bastion of the imperium that is being taken over by the forces of chaos. It will be up to the player and three comrades to fight back the darkness and reclaim control over Tertium.
Our story of Darktide is also being penned by New York Times Bestselling author Dan Abnett. It isn’t a secret that Abnet is no stranger to the universe of Warhammer 40,000. He was written dozens of novels on the mythos, including entries in The Horus Heresy, Eisenhorn, and Gaunt’s Ghosts.
His involvement in the latter two is perfect as these focus on theeveryday manin the Warhammer 40,000 universe, just like Darktide will.
Rejects Will Rise
Players will be able to choose and customize between 5 character archetypes, unlike the Vermintide games which had 5 distinct fully fleshed-out characters. This time, players can modify their character’s appearances, voices, origins, weapons, skills, and more.
Don’t worry though, if you expect to miss out on the wonderful banter between characters in Vermintide 2. The team at Fatshark has worked tirelessly with various voice actors to ensure that players will still get to experience thousands of battle cries, squabbles, and more between the colorful cast.
Most of the footage so far has shown gameplay of four archetypes so far. We have an Imperial Guardsman, a common soldier adept at guerilla warfare and ranged attacks. Another character is a “fiery zealot” that wields a massive thunder hammer. We also get to see a psyker, a human who is adept at using the dangerous power of The Warp. Lastly is the hulking Ogryn, a huge warrior that can charge and mow down foes with ease.
Beware the Alien, the Mutant, the Heretic
Darktide’s main antagonist is going to be the corruption spawned from the forces of Chaos. Players will take down these horrors fully in first-person high-action combat. The group will hack, slash, stab, parry, and otherwise decapitate or main their foes. Combat looks to be just as frantic and chaotic as its predecessor, which is what fans definitely want.
Likewise, taking down enemies seems just as satisfying. Every swing and swipe of the chainsword looks extremely painful and impactful. Even a simple combat knife that the Ogryn uses is devastating in his humongous hands.
Hordes of enemy mutations, demons, and cultists flood the screen at any given time. Their wanton thirst for destruction and death (your death) is a terrifying sight to see. Enemies literally look like a tide of darkness, rushing to hack you down to bits.
While melee looks like it will still be a huge focus, just like in Vermintide, ranged options are given more emphasis this time around. In Vermintide, ranged weaponry was merely a way to snipe high-threat targets or as a secondary form of violence. This time around it looks like firearms will play a big role in mowing down chaos mutations.
Warhammer 40,000: Darktide Release
Darktide will release globally on June 23, 2025. The base game can be prepurchased for just $39.99 or your regional equivalent. Additionally, players may opt for the Imperial Edition at $59.99. This set will include cosmetics in the form of class outfits, weapon skins, and profile portraits.
For more on Warhammer, check outRogue Trader,Chaos Gate Daemonhunters, and theMagic: the Gathering Universes Beyond Crossover.
