Summary
- Space Marine 2 brought a huge new audience to Warhammer, increasing license revenue by tens of millions of dollars.
- Understandably, Games Workshop is looking to the future for its next video game hit.
- But it “remain[s] cautious”, admitting that successes like Space Marine 2 are “not a given”.
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 was a huge success for Games Workshop. Prior to its release, license revenue was at just $7.2 million, whereas it’s now at $36.7 million.
98 percent of that increase was due to PC and console games, so it’s understandable that Games Workshop is already looking for its next hit, but it “remain[s] cautious” about making any big predictions concerning how successful a new video game might be.
“Established games continue to contribute, alongside royalty income earned following the success of Space Marine 2,” a Games Workshop representative told IGN. “We recognise that successes like these for Warhammer are not a given in the world of video games. Clearly we are looking for the next one. We remain cautious when forecasting royalty income.”
What’s Next For Warhammer?
Saber Interactive isn’t done with Space Marine 2 just yet, as the game will enter its third season this spring. Bulwark Studios’ is also working on its own sequel to the acclaimed Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus, due sometime this year.
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Everguild recently launched a free-to-play digital card game called Warpforge, although it wasn’t that well-received, debuting to Mixed reviews on Steam. Warhammer was even given a dedicated episode in Amazon’s new Secret Level series ahead of its upcoming standalone TV show, which stars Superman and The Witcher actor Henry Cavill.
There are even murmurs of a Total War: Warhammer 40k game, while Saber Interactive has expressed interest in developing Space Marine 3. Games Workshop has been busy, to say the least, and with a huge new audience brought into the fold thanks to Space Marine 2, the franchise is finally going mainstream, with newcomers on tenterhooks waiting for their next foray into Mallus.
Whether future video games will encapsulate 2024’s rousing success, we’ll just have to wait and see, but Games Workshop is playing it safe for the time being.
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 again sees you battling for the Emperor, against armies of Tyranid aliens. You must fight to ensure the Imperium’s survival in the face of extinction.