‘Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2’ charges bravely onto PC and consoles today (video)

Anyone unfamiliar with the “Warhammer 40,000” gaming universe and its indomitable march toward world domination has most likely not resided on planet Earth in the last few decades. Its hardcore sci-fi origins have been firmly entrenched in the popular realm of tabletop miniature wargaming since it was created back in 1987 by the U.K.-based entertainment company Games Workshop.

Since then, Warhammer 40K has expanded into a global phenomenon that has grown far beyond its humble basement-playing beginnings to encompass tie-in novels, comic books, special expansion sets and big-time video games, like “Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2,” which was released worldwide today (Sept. 9) to much fanfare.

This dynamic sequel to Relic Entertainment’s third-person hack-n-slash shooter “Warhammer 40K: Space Marine” from 2011 was developed by Saber Interactive and published by Focus Entertainment for heated campaigns against the relentless alien Tyranids across all major gaming platforms, including PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.

Related: Everything we know about Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2

Check out the official synopsis:

“Continue the story of legendary Ultramarine Lieutenant Demetrian Titus a hundred years after the events of Space Marine and fight the endless Tyranid swarms to defend the Imperium. Unleash Titus’ superhuman skill and wide-ranging arsenal solo, or with up to two friends playing as Titus’ battle-brothers Chairon and Gadriel in seamless drop-in/drop-out co-op.

“Battle as one of six playable classes (Tactical, Assault, Vanguard, Bulwark, Sniper, and Heavy) in ‘Operations’ (PvE) and ‘Eternal War’ (PvP) modes, and make ’em your own with ‘Space Marine 2’s’ deep customization system for armor and weapons.”

Multiplayer co-op gameplay invades this spirited new sequel and can be engaged in an intense three-player battle-brothers campaign mode, so recruit a pair of bold friends to exterminate those infernal insectoid enemies.

“As you move through the story, Titus will come up against challenges that he just cannot achieve on his own with his two squad mates, and so he’s given command of smaller teams, and he can send them off to do these other objectives,” explained Saber’s creative director, Oliver Hollis-Leick, in a recent GameWatcher interview.

“But they’re not just like ‘fire and forget.’ He remains in radio contact with them throughout those missions, and so in the story campaign you’ll hear these box conversations between Titus and the team,” Hollis-Leick added. “And then you’ll go around the other side as you play that mission as those other team members and hear the same conversations from the other side.”

“Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2” is available now for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.