Warhammer 40,000: Darktide‘s first paid Class DLC expansion, ‘Arbites’, has launched today for the acclaimed Warhammer 40,000 co-op horde shooter on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC (via Windows and Steam) platforms.
The Standard Edition of the Arbites Class DLC is being sold at $11.99, while the Deluxe version will be sold at $18.99 (or $7.99 for the upgrade from Standard to Deluxe).
In addition, a free update for the game has gone live, which reworks the narrative experience and mission board, adds a new difficulty level for Mortis Trials, and more.
To celebrate, Fatshark (the game’s publisher & developer who also created Warhammer: Vermintide) recently launched a new trailer showcasing the deadly ways the Arbites class can purge heretics.
Fatshark has also unveiled a press release that summarizes all the gameplay content players can expect from the paid DLC and free update.
First off, Fatshark’s press release goes over the new Arbites class. The Arbites is a highly trained enforcer who is tasked with arresting or killing criminals, heretics, or daemons who defy the laws of the Imperium of Man.
They go about this mission by blasting enemies in the face with shotguns, protecting allies with giant riot shields that stun enemies that touch them, and commanding a deadly Cyber-Mastiff to tear apart enemies with their bear-trap-like jaws.
Here’s Fatshark’s full breakdown on the Arbites Class features and how they function in-game:
- Cyber-Mastiff: The Arbitrator’s loyal companion and best friend will join you in the slaying of lawbreakers. After you’re finished with customizing its name and looks, you’ll soon have it fighting alongside you. The Cyber-Mastiff has its own Passive target selection, which it will use to help you against anything that comes too close. You can also command it to attack a specific target, which will override any behaviour of its own. To command your Mastiff, you simply double-tap your Tag Input on any enemy that is eligible to be Tagged.
- Talent Tree: As an Arbitrator you have plenty of options when it comes to how you wish to play. Going from left to right in the Talent Tree we will find a few prominent themes. From Elite killing and Cyber-Mastiff handling, to Hybrid Combat and Supportive Utility, and lastly Crowd Control and Melee. While the Cyber-Mastiff is iconic to the Arbites, if you prefer to play without it, take a look at the Lone Wolf Talent (see below)!
- Blitz Abilities
- Arbites Grenade: Your base Blitz is an Impact Grenade that deals high damage and stagger to anything struck by it
- Voltaic Shock Mine: Throw a Voltaic Shock Mine onto the floor that lies dormant until an enemy comes near. Upon activation the Mine shocks and electrocute enemies
- Remote Detonation: Cause an electric Explosion around your Cyber-Mastiff’s position. This deals Damage, Electrocutes, and Staggers nearby enemies.
- Combat Abilities
- Nuncio-Aquila: Iconic to the Arbites, is the Nuncio-Aquila. Deploy it to create an area where allies regenerate Toughness. Additionally, Enemies in the area have increase Damage taken.
- Castigator’s Stance: Instantly replenishes your Toughness and you enter the Castigator’s Stance for 10s. During the stance you have increased Movement Speed, reduced Damage Taken, reduced Movement Speed Penalties from Actions (e.g. attacking, bracing, aiming, interacting or charging heavy attacks), but you cannot Sprint.
- Break the Line: Step forward and Bash, causing high Stagger to enemies in front of you, and inflict more damage for a short duration.
- Cyber-Mastiff Iconics: In addition, there are three Talents that affect the Behaviour of your Cyber-Mastiff.
- Unleashed Brutallity: Your Cyber-Mastiff prioritises Elite and Specialist Enemies, and deals more damage to them.
- Go Get ‘Em! Your Cyber-Mastiff prioritises Ranged Enemies, and deals +50% Damage to them.
- Lone Wolf: You are no longer accompanied by your Cyber-Mastiff. Gain +15% Toughness Damage Reduction, +10% Attack Speed, +10% Damage, +1 increased Charges on your Blitz Abilities, and you replenish a charge of your Blitz Ability every 60s. This Iconic cannot be taken with any other Cyber-Mastiff related talent.
- Blitz Abilities
Fatshark will provide more information about the Arbites class’ Aura and Keystone nodes on the DLC’s patch notes.
Next up, here is Fatshark’s breakdown for Warhammer 40,000: Darktide’s free update titled “The Battle for Tertium”, which has launched alongside the Arbites DLC:
- The Battle for Tertium
- The core player experience has been reworked to provide a new clearer narrative focus, following the conflict of the Battle for Tertium. Players will now experience a linear campaign with new mission debriefs and embedded cinematics. This new progression path is designed to ease in new players and gradually unlock features that were previously gated by character level.
- While previously each new player’s experience was completely random, the Battle for Tertium narrative presents maps, enemies and characters in a specific order, allowing players to discover all aspects of the game at a much better pace.
- The story missions play the same as regular missions, except that these missions have a more tight control over which enemies spawn. You might also hear some new VO lines during missions, and some brand new mission debrief cinematics when completing each mission.
- Mission Board Rework
- A new mission board system will be bringing several changes to how you engage with missions and difficulties. Missions are no longer tied to a specific difficulty, allowing you to select a mission and then choose the difficulty you want. This will effectively increase the amount of mission options available for players of all difficulty levels. While most circumstances remain consistent across difficulty levels, some are disabled on lower difficulties. Notably, Maelstrom missions are exclusive to the Heresy and Auric difficulties.
- Additionally, the difficulty system has also been overhauled. You now unlock new difficulties by completing missions rather than leveling up your characters. You must prove your skills at your current maximum difficulty to unlock access to the next one. We intend to create a motivation for new players to master the game step by step, and for veteran players to feel assured that their teammates have earned the right to be there.
- You will make progress by playing missions at your current maximum difficulty. Completing missions advances your progress. Mission Failures reduce your progress slightly but you will never be demoted to a lower difficulty. Higher difficulties will require you to complete more missions to unlock them.
- Update to the Mortis Trials activity:
- The Secrets of the Shipmistress: Sefoni’s indiscretions are getting worse! During Mortis Trials, keen-eared players now have the opportunity to sift pieces of Shipmistress Brahms’ past from the psychic chatter. How did she inherit the Mourningstar? What is she hiding? Delve deeper into all these and more across dozens of new memory echoes, unlockable by claiming victory in the Mortis Trials!
- New difficulty for Mortis Trials: Since the release of Mortis Trials we have noticed people requesting a higher challenge in Mortis Trials! So, we are adding a new difficulty, Auric, as well as some other small changes.
- There will now be a shorter time in between waves.
- Waves will now have more enemies and enemy types increasing variety.
- We are changing the base difficulty to match an Auric difficulty mission.
- New In-Game Event: Inferno: starting June 23 and until July 7, the streets of Tertium will be set aflame in missions bearing the Inferno condition. Whether by heretic plot or over-zealous Imperial enforcement makes no real difference. Missions must still run, so be careful down there. You’re literally dropping into a hot zone. The rewards will be Ordo dockets, Plasteel and Diamantine. Those who complete the last tier of the event will receive a cosmetic portrait frame.
- New Havoc Campaign: Havoc will enter a new campaign featuring a new mission pool and rotation in mutators.
- Quality of Life Changes:
- Increased maximum number of operatives to 8.
- Increased maximum number of weapon loadouts to 8.
- Added a total of ~900 new banter conversations, both between the original cast and Arbites.
Uphold the Lex in the name of the God Emperor!
We’ve had numerous gameplay trailers for the Arbites Class for a while now, but now that it’s finally available, I can’t wait to take it out for a spin because it looks like a literal bloody good time.
With the addition of story and mission reworks, new game activities, and more on top of the Arbites DLC, there’s never been a better time to play one of Xbox Game Pass’s hidden gems (which we gave a favorable 3/5 star review to) than now.