This article contains spoilers forWarhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2.
Summary
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2came out at the beginning of September 2024, and it has proven to be a massive hit. Despite some of its components, particularly the multiplayer modes and performance, coming in rather hot, fans still enjoyed the full package for what it was. It helped thatSpace Marine 2was accessible to bothWarhammerveterans and complete strangers, owing largely to its straightforward gameplay and narrative being decorated with plenty of details that only lore masters would catch.
AsSpace Marine 2’s early dayshave been a success, the road has been paved for the game’s future to get even better. Not only has a road map stretching into 2025 already been laid out to add various new cosmetics and gameplay challenges, but multiple updates have also been released with plenty of bug fixes and new features. September 26 played host to the third major update, which included various welcome additions like the Hub Sparring Arena, private andtruly solo missions inSpace Marine 2’s Operations, improved AI allies, and ultrawide support for PC. However, one subtle but surprisingly impactful change came from one tiny text change duringSpace Marine 2’s ending.
What Space Marine 2’s Version 3.0 Changes In Its Ending
Once the campaign’s final battle is complete, a CG cutscene follows. The lead protagonist,Titus, disrupts the Thousand Sons sorcerer Imurah’s ritual, destroying him and the Chaos artifact he’d been using. Its destruction also seems to destroy the extradimensional space their fight was taking place in, knocking Titus out before he is awoken by a crowd of Ultramarines. However, during the black screen between these two scenes, a disembodied voice tells Titus “Rise, son of Guilliman.” It was attributed toUltramarine Chapter Master Marneus Calgar, who is present in the scene, but that’s where the change comes in.
The Emperor Now Has An Implied Role In Space Marine 2
Now, this single line is simply assigned the generic tag “Voice,” which just about everyWarhammer 40Kfan has identified as the Emperor of Mankind.Space Marine 2Creative Director Oliver Hollis-Leick stated in a Q&A tweet that the line was meant to be up to interpretation, but mentioned he had something specific in mind when he wrote it, and that IP ownerGames Workshop may have forced a changeif it was explicitly the Emperor. Combined with this reply being written before the subtitle correction was made, the intent here is easy to assume, although doing so also radically reframesSpace Marine’s plot.
Everything Implicated By The Emperor’s Presence In Space Marine 2
From the ending of the firstSpace Marinegame to the final scene of this one, much attention is drawn to Titus’ unusually high resistance to Chaos corruption. Despite interacting with a powerful Chaos artifact and Daemons multiple times, in addition to having his mind messed with by a sorcerer and diving into a Warp-derived pocket dimension, Titus has never shown any signs of corruption. The mere implication that the Emperor of Mankind has spoken to him points to Titus being under the Emperor’s psychic protection, and he is destined for great deeds infuture potentialSpace Marinegames or DLC.
How The Emperor’s Protection Fits In Space Marine’s Story
Due to the present state ofWarhammer 40K’s setting involving all Psykers being empowered by the massive rift dividing the Imperium of Man’s galaxy, contact from the Emperor is not particularly farfetched. However, it’s still a big deal whenever it happens, especially since Titus is otherwise a standard Primaris Ultramarine. The Emperor’s ambiguously-divine intervention is typically reserved either for the especially pious Sisters of Battle, or for exceptional people like his resurrectedPrimarch sons Roboute Guilliman and Lion El’Jonson, so Titus’ instance is a big deal. Hopefully, fans won’t have to wait long to see what this means for futureSpace Marinestories.
