As someone that's relatively new to the franchise, Owlcat Games' Rogue Trader is perhaps my favorite Warhammer 40k game. While the chaotic gore of Space Marine 2 certainly has its charm, and the strategic action of Dawn of War will never not be iconic, as a big Baldur's Gate 3 fan and turn-based enthusiast, Rogue Trader was simply perfect for me. Hot off the heels of its last game, however, Owlcat has revealed Warhammer 40k: Dark Heresy, a party-based CRPG that feels like it borrows a lot from Larian's epic and the developer's previous fantasy adventure, Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous. While the details are relatively thin right now, I'm beyond excited.
Warhammer 40k: Dark Heresy promises to take the ideas of Rogue Trader and amp them up to eleven. Casting you as an Inquisitor's acolyte who's been sent to investigate the mysterious Tyrant Star (a black hole-like spatial anomaly that's just appeared in the heart of the Calixis Sector), you're tasked with stemming the tides of chaos and rooting out any corruption and heresy, all in the Emperor's name.
Just like Rogue Trader, combat plays out similarly to other turn-based RPGs (think BG3 and Solasta), and you'll command a party of heroes (or villains, depending on who you ask) through one of the most turbulent periods in Warhammer's history, where actions have consequences and a single choice can mean the difference between life or a very gruesome death.
Building on the foundations of Rouge Trader, the entire game is fully-voiced, and your party has expanded out to include various, oftentimes feuding factions. There's the Guardsman from the infamous Catachan, the jungle-encrusted Imperial Death World that even the Imperium refuses to touch, then an eerie, bird-like Kroot warrior that'll challenge your morals given that they are, in fact, one of the Xenos you should probably be hunting. While Rogue Trader largely kept its companions to various Imperial factions, Dark Heresy is widening out the pool, and that, to me, is what makes it so exciting.
Owlcat's new CRPG, Warhammer 40k: Dark Heresy, doesn't have a release date at the moment, but it will be coming to PC and console. You can the game's development by purchasing a founder's pack, or wishlist it ahead of time.
But that's not all. Rogue Trader is also getting a brand-new DLC, aptly entitled Lex Imperialis. Lasting for around 15 hours, you'll have to grapple with the Adeptus Arbites, the chief enforcers of the Emperor's law, and somehow win over their grizzled representative, Solomorne Anthar. You'll be able to recruit various new familiars, including robotic eagles, mastiffs, and ravens, as well as a Servoskull Swarm which I honestly find macabrely cute.
Warhammer 40k Rogue Trader's new DLC, Lex Imperialis, will be released on Tuesday June 24. There's also a brand-new season , which includes access to two expansions. The first is themed around exploring an old Necron tomb site curated by Trazyn the Infinite himself, while the other sees you venture through the Processional of the Damned (effectively a Xeno ship graveyard). You'll can pre-purchase Season 2 here, and you'll receive some exclusive cosmetics for doing so.
With a future of Rogue Trader looking bright and everything from Mechanicus 2 and Space Marine 3 in the works, check out our list of the best space games.
You can follow us on Google News for daily PC games news, reviews, and guides. We've also got a vibrant community Discord server, where you can chat about this story with of the team and fellow readers.