Forget Space Marine, Warhammer 40K’s Surprise Spin-Off Game Already Has Me Hooked

There’s no doubt that Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 has taken the series to unprecedented heights by introducing more mainstream appeal, and it’s far from everything the series has to offer. From complex strategy games, turn-based combat, card games, and first-person shooters, there’s no shortage of gameplay variety when it comes to Warhammer 40,000 games. While I’m still looking forward to what the future holds for the Space Marine series, I can’t help but be distracted by the unique offerings the series has to offer.

With the Warhammer Skulls Festival fully underway, there’s been a massive influx of exciting game announcements, making it fairly hard to keep track of them all. Although several of the biggest announcements were updates or DLC for previously released titles, a sequel to one of the more unique games in the gothic sci-fi franchise made waves with its creative marketing and gameplay style. Compared to all the exciting projects unveiled or explored in greater depth during the Warhammer Skulls Festival, one of the strangest entries in the series is entirely free to play on Steam right now.

Boltgun Words Of Vengeance Is The Best Form Of Advertisement

I’ve Never Been Happier To Sit Through A Commercial

Although Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun understandably failed to reach the same heights as the massive co-op horde shooter, given its smaller scale, Boltgun 2‘s latest advertising stunt has put the spin-off series at the top of my radar. To generate excitement over the upcoming sequel to Boltgun, Auroch Digital released an on-rails typing shooting game similar in style to the classic Typing of the Dead franchise with a Warhammer-themed coat of paint. Given that Boltgun itself is heavily inspired by classic first-person shooters like DOOM, borrowing from another classic franchise doesn’t feel out of place for the series.

A Space Marine standing in front of blurred out miniatures

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A new Warhammer 40K Combat Patrol magazine is coming to the US, bringing weekly magazines and the starting points for 9 wildly different armies.

During the free Boltgun Words of Vengeance experience, you’ll be blasting your way through three short levels by typing out names, phrases, and familiar battle cries as the titular Malum Caedo, offering a sneak peek into the new visual style to expect in Boltgun‘s sequel in one easily accessible package. Not only is the free Boltgun spin-off using the visuals and mechanics from its upcoming game, but the words and phrases typed come straight out of the worldbuilding of the series without much filtering.

On top of learning to type lore-friendly Warhammer terms faster than ever, there’s even the inclusion of a few meta jokes about the series, like reminding you to thin your paints, making Words of Vengeance a more than enjoyable way to warm up my typing hands. While there have been several other games like Cryptmaster or Epistory that have combined classic typing combat with more modern game design, it’s hard to resist the sheer nostalgia of a classic typing shooter like Boltgun Words of Vengeance.

Boltgun 2 Is Easily One Of My Most Anticipated Warhammer 40k Titles

Offering A More Refined Version Of Boltgun’s Unique Gameplay

The only downside to Boltgun Words of Vengeance is how short and underdeveloped the game is, which is somewhat understandable given it exists solely to advertise and encourage players to wishlist Boltgun 2. Still, with how surprisingly fun Words of Vengeance feels to play, I can’t help but wish the developers had put a bit more time into refining the experience or exploring the concept as a more finished product. While I wouldn’t hesitate to buy a fully fleshed-out version of a Warhammer typing game, Boltgun‘s true successor won’t have nearly the same problems as its comedic spin-off.

Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun Preview: Die by the Chainsword

Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun is shaping up to be a fun and frantic throwback shooter with some modern tricks and a great chainsword.

Taking place years after the original Space Marine, Boltgun follows Malum Caedo’s efforts to reclaim the power source left behind on the demon-infested Graia by any means necessary. While the planet itself was already decimated by Orks, the servants of Chaos continue to wreak havoc across the world, leaving legions of daemons for you to dispatch with great prejudice. While details are scarce so far, it’s clear that Boltgun 2 will have no shortage of pixelated violence to revel in firsthand when it releases in 2026.

As a follow-up to one of the best Warhammer games available, Boltgun 2 is expanding on the original formula much like the original DOOM games did. It’s hard to make too many massive changes to the familiar formula of a retro DOOM-inspired shooter, but introducing more maps to explore and powerful weapons to use is pretty much all I could ask for in a sequel. Although the original Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun wasn’t a flawless shooter by any means, a sequel provides the perfect chance to perfect the satisfying combat and aesthetic styles of its predecessor.