Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 developer Saber Interactive has said it has no plans to increase the maximum party size of three players for co-op, despite modders getting 12-player co-op up and running recently.
Space Marine 2 limits squads to three players for PvE Operations, but it was hoped that this might increase for the upcoming horde mode, dubbed Siege.
Not so, Tim Willits, Chief Creative Officer at developer Saber Interactive, told IGN in an exclusive Space Marine 2 interview to discuss the Siege mode. Willits said upping the player count to four for co-op made Operations missions too easy.
“As we’ve mentioned in a past interview, sticking to three players for PvE game modes (including Siege Mode) has to do with the challenge we’re able to provide, and specifically, the enemies we’re able to throw at you and your friends,” Willits said.
“Having four Space Marines together for a PvE mission simply made it too easy, and scaling enemy assaults to justify bringing a fourth player was too great of a challenge.”
Earlier this month, Tom, aka Warhammer Workshop, the modder behind Space Marine 2’s excellent Astartes Overhaul, released a fantastic-looking 12-player co-op mod for the game. Gameplay footage, below, shows multiple players taking on a Tyranid Trygon Prime in a battle reminiscent of an MMO boss fight.
This was something players thought impossible, but the modding team not only broke through the 3-player barrier to hit 12-player co-op — with the support of developer Saber Interactive itself — but set to work improving it.
“Honestly, I’m just kind of in awe of Saber’s support for the modding community,” Tom told IGN. “None of us expected 12-player PvE sessions to be possible this soon — but somehow, here we are. Thanks to their generosity and trust, this huge leap forward is finally here, and it completely changes what we can do.”
As you’d expect, 12-player co-op makes a mockery of Space Marine 2's PvE balance, but it is there working on PC at least. This sparks the inevitable next question for Tim Willits: could Saber expand Siege mode to include more than three players in the future?
Alas, no. “We don’t have such plans at this time,” he replied.
So, it’s down to modders to improve upon Siege mode and the 12-player co-op they have already released. Tom told IGN the team is working on modes such as prop hunt, PvP inside operations, “massive” horde mode updates, and, perhaps most exciting of all, raid-style missions “with bosses that hit like trucks, take proper teamwork to bring down, as well as some other completely new mechanics.”
Siege arrives as part of Patch 8 on June 26, and comes alongside two new DLCs for Ultra Edition, Gold Edition, and Season Pass holders: the White Scars Chapter Pack (a new Champion skin for the Assault class, three exclusive White Scars-inspired weapon skins for the Occulus Bolt Carbine, Stalker Bolt Rifle, and Combat Knife, and a host of cosmetic options and heraldry markings for their Successor Chapters), and the Blood Angels Cosmetic Pack (a number of new armour pieces to be equipped on any of the game’s playable classes, in addition to heraldry markings celebrating eight of the Blood Angels’ Successor Chapters).
Earlier this week, IGN reported on various Space Marine 2 datamines that revealed potential upcoming content, including a new class, a new melee weapon, and a new ranged weapon.
There’s a lot happening in the world of Space Marine 2, despite the surprise announcement that development of Space Marine 3 development had begun. Space Marine 2’s year one roadmap remains in place.
Space Marine 2 Siege mode was revealed during the Warhammer Skulls 2025 broadcast. In case you missed it, check out all the announcements and trailers from the show.
Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at [email protected] or confidentially at [email protected].
