Space Marine 2 receives a much-needed update after changes that caused discontent.

The developers of Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 have announced a long-awaited update that will reverse certain controversial changes that made the game excessively difficult for many players, leading to a strong reaction from the community. Saber Interactive, the studio behind the game, will launch patch 4.1 on Thursday, October 24. This update will include numerous modifications, as well as clarifications on the adjustments made in the previous patch 4.0, which faced criticism.

Dmitriy Grigorenko, the game director, thanked players for their feedback and explained the reasons behind some of the changes that caused discontent. One of the most notable pain points was the Ruthless difficulty, which many players found too easy after patch 4.0. In response, the developers decided to increase the spawn rates of Extremis enemies and reduce armor by 15%. Grigorenko mentioned that the armor reduction was implemented because there was a significant increase in win rates at this difficulty level after patch 3.0.

However, the larger concern lay in the spawn rates of enemies, which complicated both higher and lower difficulty levels. "Your feedback made it clear that the game had become more intense and stressful at lower difficulties, which was not intended. As I have emphasized in interviews, Space Marine 2 is based on the fantasy of power, and patch 4.0 negatively impacted that experience for many," Grigorenko wrote. This is the reason why changes are being reverted.

The update will not only restore some of the adjustments from before patch 4.0, but the Saber team is also committed to seeking a better balance between challenge and fantasy. Another requested modification coming with patch 4.1 will be the enhancement of Bolt weapons in Operations mode, as these are highly valued in the Warhammer community and have been considered ineffective since their launch. The complete list of changes will be available in the patch notes, but in essence, all these weapons will receive damage increases.

Lastly, the Compact Formation system, introduced for the highest difficulty level in Operations mode, will also be removed. This system imposed proximity requirements on cooperative players, a measure that was not well received. Grigorenko explained that the intention behind implementing this system was a "first step toward introducing gameplay modifiers" rather than adding more difficulty levels, but it overly restricted some classes.

To mitigate the impact of patches that might not be well-received in the future, public test servers for Space Marine 2 are being planned, which will be available in early 2025. This initiative is similar to the one implemented in Helldivers 2, where developers introduced updates that negatively affected players' experiences but were later improved thanks to the feedback received through public testing.