The announcement of Space Marine 3's development sent ripples of excitement and concern throughout the Warhammer 40,000 community. Just six months after the release of Space Marine 2, publisher Focus Entertainment and developer Saber Interactive made the surprise reveal in mid-March, prompting worries about the ongoing support for the existing game.
In a reassuring blog post, both companies addressed these concerns directly. They affirmed their commitment to Space Marine 2, stating, "Mid-March, we announced that Space Marine 3 had begun development and we’re excited to see your enthusiasm, although we hear those of you who fear for Space Marine 2 and its future support. So let us set the record straight: Space Marine 3 does not mean the end of Space Marine 2's development. Far from it. No teams are shifting over, no one is abandoning the game, and our plans to bring more awesome content to Space Marine 2 remain."
Space Marine 2's year one roadmap is still intact, with Patch 7 scheduled for mid-April. Fans can look forward to exciting new content, including a new class, PvE operations, and melee weapons. The developers teased, "Trust us, there are surprises even dataminers haven’t found out about :)." They emphasized that Space Marine 3's announcement is merely the start of a new project, years away from release, and expressed gratitude for the community's support.
The highlight of the announcement was the introduction of a new class for Space Marine 2. Speculation is rife, with many believing it could be the Apothecary, akin to a medic class, while others hope for the mystical Librarian with its warp-powered abilities. Additionally, the community is buzzing about the new melee weapon, with many expressing a desire for the iconic axe seen in Secret Level's Warhammer 40,000 animated episode, which modders have already incorporated into the game.
The decision to greenlight Space Marine 3 was influenced by the success of Space Marine 2. In an interview with IGN following the game's launch, Saber Interactive's Chief Creative Officer, Tim Willits, hinted at potential story DLC and mentioned early ideas for Space Marine 3. He noted, "Our game director Dmitry Grigorenko, he has proposed some story ideas that could either be DLC or a sequel... There's so many different factions... there are other chapters, too, that are interesting..." This suggests a rich future for the franchise, with IGN also reporting on the likely enemy faction to feature in Space Marine 3.
