Space Marine 2 Guide (2026): Modes, Classes, Progression and What’s Changed

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 is a third-person action game from Saber Interactive and Focus Entertainment. You play as Ultramarines fighting Tyranids and Chaos. In 2026 it’s much bigger than the game that launched in September 2024. Alongside the story campaign there are 13 co-op Operations, a wave-survival Siege mode (now with a Chaos version), daily and weekly Stratagems, a Crucible endgame mode, and 6v6 Eternal War PvP. You can choose from seven classes, with the Techmarine added in February 2026.

This guide covers each mode, the classes, how progression works and what has changed since launch, and finishes with whether the game is worth starting now. It’s current as of Hotfix 15.2 (20 October 2026), which follows the Patch 15 “Anniversary Update II”.

Space Marine 2 at a glance

What is Space Marine 2?

You play Demetrian Titus, now a Primaris Lieutenant in the Ultramarines, in a story about Hive Fleet Leviathan and the Thousand Sons. The combat is brutal melee with gunfire mixed in. You parry, dodge, shoot and execute your way through huge swarms of enemies, and the game keeps you alive by rewarding you for staying aggressive.

If you’re new to the setting, our explainers on what a Space Marine actually is and the Ultramarines are a good place to start before you jump in.

Game modes explained

Campaign

The story is split across three planets: Kadaku (Prologue, Skyfire, Severance), Avarax (Machinus Divinitus, Servant of the Machine, Voidsong) and Demerium (Dawn’s Descent). Up to two friends can join you as Chairon and Gadriel. There’s no matchmaking, so you have to invite them directly. You can play on four difficulties: Easy, Normal, Veteran and Angel of Death.

Operations (co-op PvE)

Operations are three-player missions that run alongside the campaign story, and you play them with the multiplayer classes. Each squad can only have one of each class. There are now 13 Operations, from Inferno to Purgation, and each is set during or just after the campaign. Our Space Marine 2 operations guide lists them all in order.

You can pick from six threat levels, from Minimal up to Absolute. Our difficulty levels guide explains what each one changes.

Stratagems

Stratagems arrived with Patch 10 (September 2025). They’re Operations with Battlefield Conditions switched on: random or hand-picked modifiers that help or hurt you, such as “melee damage greatly reduced but ranged damage increased”. There are daily and weekly Stratagems in Normal and Hard versions, and completing them earns Accolades. You spend Accolades on Heroic weapon variants and armour pieces. Normal is based on Substantial difficulty. Hard is based on Absolute and is tougher still, because you deal 15% less damage and take 30% more.

Siege mode

Siege mode arrived with Patch 8 (June 2025). It’s a horde mode for three players set in an Imperial fortress on Kadaku. You hold out against waves of Tyranids and Thousand Sons, earn points, and spend them at Requisition Terminals on stimms, ammo, sentry guns, Cadian reinforcements and even Dreadnought support. Every five waves you move to a new sector, and Terminus-level bosses turn up on set waves. Patch 13 brought a big “Siege 2.0” overhaul with Blessings and Atonements (positive and negative modifiers) and added the Hive Tyrant and Mutalith Vortex Beast.

Chaos Siege arrived with Patch 15 (October 2026). For the first time you play Heretic Astartes in PvE, fighting Tyranids, Cadians and loyalist Space Marines in the hive city on Avarax.

Crucible (endgame)

Crucible is also new in Patch 15, and Focus calls it the game’s first true endgame activity. It’s open to level 25 classes. You visit the Chaplain on the Battle Barge and choose Penances, which are personal debuffs, then take them into an Operation. In return you earn Crucible XP towards a Lamenters armour set. Penances come in six tiers. Each class has its own Penance set and its own progression, and Crucible uses a separate matchmaking pool.

Eternal War (PvP)

Eternal War is 6v6, with Loyalist Space Marines against Heretic Astartes. The modes are Seize Ground, Capture and Control, Annihilation and Helbrute Onslaught (added in Patch 10, where one team gets a playable Helbrute). Arenas added since launch include Tomb, Bridge, and Sanctum and Facility from Patch 14. Each team can field up to two of each class. Classes have separate PvP stats, so a weapon or ability won’t always behave the way it does in PvE.

The seven classes

Patch 15 gave the Tactical a big rework. It now has a new perk tree and can trade its primary weapon for a melee weapon such as the new One-Handed Thunder Hammer. For rankings, see our Space Marine 2 best class tier list. For perk picks, see the class builds guide.

What’s coming next: Focus has confirmed that the Apothecary will be the eighth class, arriving with Patch 17 in the first quarter of 2027. If you like the lore side, our Apothecary explainer covers what they do on the tabletop.

How progression works

There are a few separate systems, which can be confusing at first:

• Class level (1–25). Playing Operations, Stratagems and Siege earns XP for the class you’re using. Levelling up unlocks perks in that class’s perk tree.
• Prestige (since Patch 7). Once a class hits level 25, you can reset it to level 1 for a Prestige Perk. You can repeat this until you have four active Prestige Perks. Each prestige rank also gives +10% XP and unlocks a class cosmetic.
• Weapons. Each weapon has Standard, Master-Crafted, Artificer and Relic variants. Upgrading costs Requisition Points plus Armoury Data. Average gives Master-Crafted data, Substantial gives Artificer, and Ruthless or higher gives Relic.
• Requisition Points. These are the main currency, earned in PvE and PvP and capped at 2,000. Higher difficulties pay out far more. Minimal gives 35 per Operation and Absolute gives 260.
• Accolades. You earn these from Stratagems, Siege, Ordeals and events, and spend them in the Refinement and Redemption shop on Heroic weapons and armour.
• Datavault and Ordeals. These arrived with Patch 6. Ordeals are challenges across the different modes, and they pay out Research Data and cosmetics.

Some recent quality-of-life additions are worth knowing about. Battle Simulator (Patch 13) is a practice arena where you choose the enemies. Perk loadouts (also Patch 13) are tied to your weapon loadouts, so you can switch them mid-session. Wargear lets you add capes, tabards and iron halos to your Marine.

What’s changed since launch

If your memories of Space Marine 2 come from 2024, a lot has changed. Here are the headline additions, patch by patch:

The PC version also gained an official Steam Workshop in July 2026. Modded games are kept in private lobbies with progression separate from the main game, so mods won’t affect your normal save.

Coming soon: Focus says Patch 16 will add six new Heroic weapons (including an Omnissian Axe, a Bolt Rifle and an Infernus Heavy Bolter with an underbarrel flamer) and a new PvP mode with weekly Stratagems, ahead of the Apothecary in early 2027.

Is Space Marine 2 worth it in 2026?

Yes, especially if you have friends to play with. The campaign is still a short, spectacular Warhammer story. What’s changed is everything around it. Thirteen Operations, two Siege variants, Stratagems that rotate daily and weekly, and the Crucible give you real reasons to keep playing long after the credits. All of that content has been free. Paid DLC has stuck to cosmetics through the Season Passes.

It’s a great fit if you like co-op horde combat and are happy to grind classes and weapons in the Vermintide or Darktide style. It’s also good value if you’ll actually play the PvE modes.

Think twice if you only want a single-player story. The campaign is a handful of missions, and the long-term value comes from playing the co-op modes again and again.

Focus has run free trial periods on Steam (most recently around the May 2026 Skulls Festival), so watch for the next one if you want to try before you buy. For how it compares with the rest of the catalogue, see our best Warhammer video games round-up and the full list of Warhammer games.

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Common beginner mistakes

• Starting Operations on too high a difficulty. Minimal and Average are there for learning, so use them. The jump to Substantial is big (see the difficulty guide).
• Playing too passively. Your survival comes from parries, gun strikes and executions, not from hiding behind cover.
• Hoarding Requisition. It caps at 2,000, so anything you earn above that is wasted.
• Ignoring Gene-Seed. If your squad carries it to the end of the mission, everyone gets 30% bonus XP.
• Skipping the Battle Simulator. It’s the best place to practise parry timing against particular enemies.

Our Space Marine 2 tips and tricks go into much more detail on all of this.

FAQ

How many classes are in Space Marine 2?

There are seven: Tactical, Assault, Vanguard, Bulwark, Sniper, Heavy and Techmarine. The Techmarine was added free in Patch 12 (February 2026). The Apothecary is confirmed as the eighth class for Patch 17 in early 2027.

How many Operations are there?

There are 13 as of Patch 15: Inferno, Decapitation, Vox Liberatis, Reliquary, Fall of Atreus, Ballistic Engine, Termination, Obelisk, Exfiltration, Vortex, Reclamation, Disruption and Purgation. Full details are in our operations guide.

Can you play Space Marine 2 solo?

Yes. You can play the campaign solo with AI squadmates, and Operations fill empty slots with bots. Private lobbies let you turn the bots off if you want to.

Does Space Marine 2 have crossplay?

Yes. Focus lists full crossplay between Steam, Epic, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, which you can turn off, plus cross-platform saves through its PROS account system.

Is Space Marine 2 coming to Switch 2?

Yes. It was announced in the June 2026 Nintendo Direct for “Holiday 2026”. At the time of writing there’s no exact date.

What’s the max level in Space Marine 2?

Each class caps at level 25. After that, Prestige lets you reset to level 1 up to four times for Prestige Perks, and level 25 classes can take on the Crucible.

Do you need to play the first Space Marine before Space Marine 2?

No. Space Marine 2 is a sequel to Relic’s 2011 game Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine, and Titus returns as the hero, but the story makes sense on its own. The game explains what you need: Titus is now a Primaris Lieutenant fighting Hive Fleet Leviathan and the Thousand Sons. Playing the first game adds background to Titus and Leandros, but it is optional.

Can you play as Chaos in Space Marine 2?

Yes, in two modes. In Eternal War PvP, one team plays Heretic Astartes against Loyalist Space Marines in 6v6 matches. Since Patch 15 (October 2026), Chaos Siege also lets you play Heretic Astartes in PvE for the first time, holding out against Tyranids, Cadians and loyalist Space Marines in the hive city on Avarax. The campaign and Operations are played as Ultramarines.

Does Space Marine 2 have split-screen co-op?

No. Space Marine 2 has no split-screen or local co-op, so every player needs their own copy and platform. Co-op runs online: up to two friends can join the campaign as Chairon and Gadriel by invite, and Operations, Siege and Stratagems are three-player online modes with matchmaking. Crossplay works across PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S.

Do you need to buy DLC for Space Marine 2?

No. All the gameplay added since launch, including the extra Operations, Siege mode, Stratagems, the Crucible and the Techmarine class, has been free. Paid DLC has stuck to cosmetics through the Season Passes, so owning the base game gives you every mode and class. Buy a Season Pass only if you want the extra armour sets and Chapter cosmetics.