Space Marine 2 Dev Cancels Open Beta, Hands Out Bolt Pistol Skin as an Apology

The Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 open beta is canceled so the development team can focus on getting the game ready for launch.

Developer Saber Interactive and publisher Focus Entertainment announced the change of plan in a post on the Space Marine 2 Steam page, and offered a limited Bolt Pistol skin to those who’d registered as an apology gift.

“Over the past few weeks, we have seen incredible excitement around the game, both online and at the shows during the North American tour,” Saber said. “Our teams at Focus and Saber have been truly blown away by your passion, and we’ve loved seeing the fan art, reactions and memes that you have shared so far.

“Space Marine 2 is almost ready. We are now entirely focused on optimization, polish and fixing remaining issues ahead of launch on September 9. This means we will not run a public online beta, as it would take the development teams away from preparing for the full launch, and our priority is to ensure the best possible experience at release.

“We know this is disappointing news for some of you. As a thank you to those interested in participating, players who registered via the online signup before June 28, 2024, midnight Paris Time, will receive the limited Bolt Pistol skin below.

“We appreciate your understanding and continued support as we work towards delivering the exceptional game you deserve.”

Space Marine 2 is a third-person action game based on Games Workshop’s grimdark tabletop wargame that sees the Ultramarines chapter of Space Marines go up against the Tyranids and the Chaos Marines.

You play Lieutenant Titus of the Ultramarines and battle to fend off a Tyranid invasion, with Thousand Sons Chaos Marines thrown in for good measure. There’s a story-focused campaign, a brand-new three-player co-op mode called Operations that lets you join forces with up to two friends, and a competitive multiplayer mode that pits Space Marines against Chaos Marines in 6v6 PvP.

For more on Space Marine 2, be sure to check out our Gamescom 2023 preview, where we got a closer look at how its Chainsword combat will blend with the over-the-shoulder shooter action.

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 launches on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X and S on September 9, 2024.

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.