Space Marine 2 Brings Back Dreadnought Assault, but There’s a Catch

As Space Marine 2 rounds off almost one year since its release, Saber Interactive has just lifted the lid on the upcoming Helbrute Onslaught mode, the successor to Space Marine’s Dreadnought Assault. It looks a lot like its predecessor, albeit it’s all Chaos-flavored this time around, as both teams will be playing as the Heretic Astartes looking to take control of powerful Helbrutes.

It’s pretty rare that Space Marine 2 gets an update to its PVP in this way. Often, PVP has been treated as something of an afterthought, with Saber prioritizing the game’s PVE scene. The studio has done a great job with PVE, and it’s clearly been a winner, with the Siege Mode update delivering a decent, if underbaked, horde mode. But Helbrute Onslaught might not be getting off on the right foot, as judging by the details shown off, it’s about to copy the same features that made the mode fail in the first place.

Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2 Teases Future Update Plans

Alongside the release of a new update to Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2, developer Saber Interactive teases its plans for the future of the game.

Helbrute Onslaught Being 1-To-1 With Dreadnought Assault Isn’t the Answer to Space Marine 2’s PvP Woes

Space Marine’s Dreadnought Assault was a game mode not many players got to try out, so it’s worth breaking down how the new game mode will work. Two teams compete for a point that, when captured, grants one player on the successful team control of a Helbrute. Then, it’s a race to capture the other control points, with the Dreadnought team looking to make use of the momentum to make big gains, while the opponents have to play it safer, sniping the vehicle from a distance. If it goes down, the opposing team will score extra victory points, and a new capture circle will emerge.

Dreadnought Assault’s Problems Come Full Circle

So far, so similar, but therein lies the problem. Dreadnought Assault was a cool gimmick for Space Marine, but it didn’t last very long. A big problem the game faced was balance. As expected, it became quite one-sided when a team got control of the Dreadnought. Even in the hands of an inexperienced player, a Dreadnought provides a huge advantage, as it can soak up fire, deal huge amounts of damage, and gives the controlling team a beacon to rally around, usually leading to large steamrolls.

While canny opponents could take one out with some stealthier tactics, it relied on the same old weapons, with Space Marine‘s Devastators wielding Lascannons standing at the back of the map and pouring fire into it from a distance.

Ever since Space Marine 2 leaks mentioned a Dreadnought mode returning, there’s been speculation as to how the mode might come back, and how Saber might improve it. Unfortunately, apart from being Chaos vs Chaos, it appears essentially unchanged, and it has missed an incredible opportunity to change the concept.

It would arguably be far more engaging to have one Dreadnought on each team, allowing both sides to duke it out equally. The old game mode was just Space Marine 2‘s Seize Ground with an added Dreadnought, and it’s a shame to see that the formula isn’t evolving to be something more innovative.

There Is a Silver Lining to Helbrute Assault

Helbrute Onslaught is avoiding one big problem that Dreadnought Assault had by being free. Dreadnought Assault was a DLC add-on that instantly split an already small playerbase, so many fans of the first game never got to try it. Additionally, the update it launches in will be adding Chaos customization, a long-requested feature, to Space Marine 2.

So far, Saber has done a lot more with Space Marine 2 than expected, and with signs that it will keep delivering future updates, there’s hope that Helbrute Onslaught won’t repeat all the mistakes of its spiritual predecessor. Very soon, the rose-tinted sunglasses surrounding Dreadnought Assault are going to come off, and if it isn’t improved upon, the new game mode may end up deserted and repeating the past.