Space Marine 2’s Leaked Returning Game Mode Could Be a Double-Edged Sword

Space Marine 2 leaks have been coming out thick and fast with each new patch, but the latest one could prove to be a little more divisive than the rest. Recently, datamines for the Techmarine class in Space Marine 2 have all but confirmed it to be coming out in a future patch, and a lot of fans have been pretty excited about the prospect of getting a new class to dive into, but a new game mode was not to be expected.

Where most leaks have focused on PVE content, this latest leak is one of the few to be squarely aimed at Space Marine 2’s PVP. However, it isn’t entirely new content, but rather, it hints at the inclusion of an old game mode returning from the first game, one that was loved by many, but quickly ran out of steam. The question this time around is whether Saber can bring it back in a way that is faithful, fun, and most importantly, fixes the flaws.

Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2 Teases Future Update Plans

Alongside the release of a new update to Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2, developer Saber Interactive teases its plans for the future of the game.

Dreadnought Assault Has Been Datamined In Space Marine 2’s Game Files, but It Could Be Controversial

In Space Marine 2’s 8.0 patch, Saber introduced Siege Mode, the long-awaited horde mode that had been hinted at since the game’s release. Naturally, dataminers were quick to jump on the files and find some new information on future content, uncovering the first references to Dreadnought Assault seen in Space Marine 2. The datamine specifically calls out the name of the game mode, the player count, its designation as PVP, and even mentions a Chaos Helbrute being connected to it.

To those familiar with Space Marine 1, Dreadnought Assault is a name they should be immediately familiar with, as it was a fairly unique mode that gave one team control of a Dreadnought while trying to capture points to win. It was a pretty cool concept, changing the way matches were fought and introducing a new threat, but its poor execution saw it fall off very fast. Even Space Marine’s mods couldn’t save the mode. After the novelty of seeing the Dreadnought come out, it quickly became quite unfun, with the Dreadnought team often steamrolling matches, and the random selection of who got to pilot it meaning some players never even got to experience the mode’s key draw.

How Space Marine 2 Needs to Rework Dreadnought Assault

Without a rework, it’s entirely likely that the mode would suffer the same drop-off as it did in the first game. So far, Saber has shown it is capable of innovating on the quirks of Relic’s Space Marine 1, so it probably won’t be the same mode transferred without any changes. The biggest problem was the total lack of any balance, and the best way to address that would be by letting both teams have a Space Marine Dreadnought out at the same time. This was always a puzzling omission in the first game, as two Dreadnoughts fighting not only levels the playing field, but would provide an incredible spectacle for the suddenly more mortal-feeling Space Marines at their side.

It should also take a leaf out of Space Marine 2’s Siege Mode, where the game can be influenced through a currency system. Adding waves of Imperial Guardsmen or Chaos Cultists to distract an enemy Dreadnought so that a team could line up the killing shot could create all sorts of tense and cinematic moments, giving players who aren’t in direct control of a Dreadnought something to do. The key to making the game mode work is giving those left on foot enough of a place in the match, as it was the first game’s lack of commitment to the mode that made it such a sore spot for the community. Hopefully, on this, Saber can deliver.