Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 3 Will Have the Same Development Cycle as Space Marine 2

After reaching seven million players (and counting), Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 is only just getting started. Saber Interactive announced a second year of free updates and paid DLC, including a new Operation later this month. However, Space Marine 3 is also in development, which may create concerns about one taking resources away from the other.

Creative director Oliver Hollis-Leick assured this wasn’t the case in the latest Deep Strike episode on Warhammer TV (via IGN). “Announcing a third game doesn’t in any way mean that we’re not going to continue creating content for the existing game,” he explained.

“The thing is, the development cycles for these projects are long. For Space Marine 2, it was something like four years. And so, for Space Marine 3, it’s going to be the same.”

So why announce it so early? To reaffirm its commitment to the franchise, which it’s also doing with continued support for the current game. “We announced it in one way, to keep people aware of the fact that we’re going to continue this, that there’s going to be more coming. But we’re also doing the same thing with DLC. There’s a lot that’s already been created, and there’s a lot more to come. They’re definitely not competing for resources.”

This statement echoes what publisher Focus Entertainment said months ago. “No teams are shifting over, no one is abandoning the game, and our plans to bring more awesome content to Space Marine 2 remain.” The latest roadmap includes the new Techmarine Class and a Battle-Barge expansion in Q1 2026, two new PvP arenas in Q2 2026, and lots of cosmetic packs.

While the point about Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 3 having the same development cycle might raise some eyebrows, it’s likely working off much of the engine work from Space Marine 2. Of course, that doesn’t mean Saber Interactive can’t expand on that further, implementing improvements and going even bigger with its set pieces.