Space Marine 2 Developers Revert Disliked Nerfs and Introduce Public Test Servers

Developers of Space Marine 2 have announced an upcoming update that aims to address some controversial balance adjustments. The newly introduced public test servers are designed to help prevent future imbalances.

Upon its release, Space Marine 2 was the ultimate video game experience for fans of the Warhammer 40K universe, offering everything fans desired—unless you play as Xenos.

This game is loaded with nods for long-time aficionados of the franchise, while its impressive graphics and nostalgic action gameplay captivated many new players. These elements contributed to Space Marine 2’s rapid rise to being the most-played Warhammer 40K video game ever.

However, following its launch, changes made to balance the game’s PVE multiplayer encounters frustrated players. Saber Interactive is rolling out a new patch that not only reverses these negative changes but also introduces enhancements to improve the overall experience.

A screenshot from the game Space Marine 2 — Saber Interactive

The upcoming update to Space Marine 2 will significantly adjust the enemy count you encounter.

Space Marine 2’s 4.1 update rebalances difficulty

Although this backlash didn’t change the game’s ‘Mostly Positive’ rating on Steam, it did prompt Saber Interactive to take action. In the patch notes for the forthcoming 4.1 update, Game Director Dmitriy Grigorenko responded to player concerns and outlined how they intend to prevent similar issues in the future.

Grigorenko explained, “With Patch 4.0, we aimed to adjust enemy spawns to boost the total number of foes rather than solely increasing their health. This however negatively affected the easier difficulty settings.”

He acknowledged that “Space Marine 2 is fundamentally about realizing a power fantasy, and Patch 4.0 detrimentally affected that experience for many players.” The 4.1 update will reinstate previous configurations to help resolve those issues.

“Spawn rates for Extremis enemies at Minimal, Average, and Substantial difficulties will revert to prior to Patch 4.0 levels, with a major reduction in Ruthless difficulty,” he clarified. However, the 4.1 patch encompasses more than just fixes from the last update.

Bolters receive necessary improvements in Space Marine 2

The beloved Bolter weapons, synonymous with the Space Marine faction, have been a significant point of frustration for players in PVE Operations since the launch. Grigorenko acknowledged that these weapons have been “underperforming across all levels of difficulty.”

In response to player feedback, the 4.1 update will implement several buffs to the Bolter family of weapons:

Auto Bolt Rifle -> Damage increased by 20%
Bolt Rifle -> Damage increased by 10%
Heavy Bolt Rifle -> Damage increased by 15%
Stalker Bolt Rifle -> Damage increased by 10%
Marksman Bolt Carbine -> Damage increased by 10%
Instigator Bolt Carbine -> Damage increased by 10%
Bolt Sniper Rifle -> Damage increased by 12.5%
Bolt Carbine -> Damage increased by 15%
Occulus Bolt Carbine -> Damage increased by 15%
Heavy Bolter -> Damage increased by 5%

These enhancements are expected to bolster weapon effectiveness, intensifying the power fantasy of commanding a 9-foot-tall genetically enhanced super soldier.

Now, the Bolter’s mass-reactive shells will truly deliver on their promise.

Additionally, Grigorenko highlighted that Saber is working towards implementing features for more player-driven testing of forthcoming changes.

The development team has revealed ambitious plans for the ongoing support of Space Marine 2. Considering the actionable insights shared in patch 4.1, it seems clear that Saber Interactive is committed to this support.

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