Since Darktide first launched on PC at the end of 2023, we’ve had no shortage of great games set in the Warhammer 40,000 universe. From Owlcat’s fantastic Rogue Trader CRPG, to the car combat mayhem of Speed Freeks and, of course, Space Marine 2, 40K fans have had a veritable buffet to choose from. It definitely feels like we’re in somewhat of a golden age, especially when you cast your mind back some ten or so years during a prolonged streak of half-baked PC and mobile titles.
For Swedish developer Fatshark, Warhammer 40,000: Darktide seemed like an open goal: a grimdark sci-fi adaptation of its previous work creating the Vermintide franchise, which fused Games Workshop’s beloved fantasy setting with a Left 4 Dead style of co-op gameplay. However, when it first launched at the end of 2023, Darktide wasn’t met with universal acclaim, with players bemoaning performance issues, unbalanced/unfinished content, and a general lack of content variety.
So, like any great live service game developer, Fatshark went about improving the core game before its eventual PlayStation 5 launch at the end of 2024. This is where I initially jumped on the wagon, though, after having just come away from Vermintide 2 – which still receives regular support through regular updates and content drops – Darktide couldn’t quite get its hooks in me the same way. However, upon returning to the game in 2026, after more than a year, it finally found its mark, no doubt aided by my recently renewed interest in all things 40K.
Returning to any live service game can be pretty daunting, even in cases where developers offer handy tooltips and videos to help lapsed players get back up to speed. At some point, you simply have to accept that you need to refamiliarise yourself with core concepts: in this case, it was relearning the various passive perks, ability synergies, and gear stats that fuel Darktide’s progression. Of course, you don’t have to throw yourself in the deep end or pick up the thread where you left it. Darktide offers simple matchmaking settings that allow you to quickly dial down the threat level for those first few homecoming missions. This was helped by last year’s Battle for Tertium update, which added a more linear mission path with debriefs and embedded cinematics to give players a more story-driven experience, rather than dropping into random missions with little context or narrative preamble about what’s happening.
Although each of the game’s classes has undergone various balance waves and tweaks, you may want to try your hand at rolling a completely different character. For me, that choice was made easier after gaining access to the game’s pair of post-launch classes: the Arbites and the Hive Scum. Similar to the four core classes, they embody archetypes found within the Warhammer 40,000 universe and its various factions, banding together to repel the corrosive influence of Chaos.
It’s easy to see why the Arbites became a fast favourite among fans. There’s a Judge Dredd vibe about them, doling out a brutal strain of Imperial justice with the Shock Maul and Exterminator Shotgun. What really defines the Arbites, however, is their Cyber-Mastiff companion: an AI-controlled pet that will tear through grunts and pin down pesky elites. This mechanical mutt has its own pool of passive and active abilities, though a minority of Arbites sickos can opt to leave their Cyber-Mastiffs kennelled in favour of better stats and quicker cooldowns on abilities/grenades.
The Hive Scum, as their name suggests, are less concerned with the whole law and order thing. Where the Arbites meet their foes head-on, this newest addition to the Darktide roster prefers trickery and mayhem, constantly moving as they switch between their Shivs and Dual Pistols, lobbing explosives and toxins, striking from behind. The new Stimm Lab system also grants Hive Scum a unique layer of customisation – a bonus skill tree loaded with various permanent buffs such as improved core stats, weapon recoil, and ability cooldowns. With both post-launch classes, Fatshark has introduced clever new playstyles that more than justify their price tag.
Going into 2026, Warhammer 40,000: Darktide is a much stronger, more layered and cohesive package than it was at launch or even a year ago. This is thanks to a steady stream of smart quality of life improvements alongside new content such as the roguelike game mode, Mortis Trials, more weapons, and an expanded endgame. Indeed, the game has reached a point where I find it hard to imagine making a return to Vermintide 2 any time soon.
