Warhammer 40K: Darktideis the latest cooperative horde shooter from developer Fatshark, the team behind the popularWarhammer: Vermintidegames. WhileDarktideseems to have a similar style as theVermintidegames in terms of combat, it will also have plenty of features that let fans know this new title will stand out from previous Fatshark games.Darktideis set in the grimdark far future ofWarhammer 40K, for instance, rather thanWarhammer Fantasy, meaning there will be more of a sci-fi focus and more firearms will be available than inVermintide.
There will be new classes, too, but these seem to at least take some influence fromVermintide’sclasses, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing considering how popular those characters were. Something that setsDarktide’sclasses apart, though, is that rather than be tied to previously created characters, the roles players can pick in the game will fit their own customizable character. For some, this has caused concern because one of the main features players enjoyed about the adventuring party of theVermintidegames was the banter between characters. These lines of dialogue would often reveal elements ofWarhammer’slore or that of the characters.
RELATED:Warhammer 40K: Darktide Unveils New Class and Missions That Will Develop After Launch
It seems that with each character being different inDarktide,the party that players create won’t seem as tight-knit. However, in Fatshark’s first developer blog forDarktide, Narrative Director Mårten Stormdal has stated that fans won’t have to worry aboutWarhammer 40K: Darktide’s storyand missions lacking character interactions. “We know our players love the interactions between the Ubersreik Five,” Stormdal said. “So we’ve poured time and effort into creating a range of voice profiles for each character class so you can pick the personality that fits you best.” While it is good to know that a single character will have their own unique personality, Stormdal also spoke on how those personalities will mix with other player characters.
“We took a long look at the core archetypes and not only what made them gel withWarhammer 40,000’s rich setting but what would make for fun team interactions.” Stormdal then went on to say that this resulted in making connections between characters and personalities based on which characters would like others, which would tolerate a team, and which would actively hate the company. According to Stormdal, this will lead to plenty of banter, and Fatshark has created thousands upon thousands of voice lines to keep party morale high. WithrenownedWarhammerauthor Dan Abnetthelping out with the writing ofDarktidetoo, fans can be sure each line will be lore-friendly.
Darktidemarks one of manyWarhammertitles revealed or given new information as part of the annualWarhammerSkulls event. From abehind the scenes look atSpace Marine 2to a newDOOM-inspired shooter, fans ofWarhammerhave plenty of upcoming titles to look forward to.
Warhammer 40,000: Darktidereleases on July 26, 2025, for PC and Xbox Series X/S.
MORE:Every New Warhammer 40,000 Game Revealed During the Warhammer Skulls Showcase
