Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 PS5 PlayStation

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 changed everything for developer Saber Interactive, proving to be one of 2024's surprise hits, moving over 4.5 million copies in its first month on the market. Publisher Focus Entertainment seems pretty chuffed, and IP-holder Games Workshop is clearly the most thrilled of all, making a tidy extra £18 million through royalty revenue alone

Games Workshop posted its latest financials (thanks, IGN), which greatly benefited from the game. For the relevant period, it revealed that total royalties income was £26.1 million, up from £5.9 million previously, primarily attributed to Space Marine 2.

Older than the video game industry, Games Workshop's core business is maintaining its lucrative monopoly and stranglehold on the miniature wargaming industry, and it has relentlessly tried to break into video games for decades now. Like Dungeons & Dragons, the Warhammer setting is malleable, and notably, 98% of GW's total licensing revenue comes from the many (sadly, often subpar) video games that use the expansive IP. In a statement, GW said, in part: "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."

Have your eyes been opened to the grim darkness of our inevitable Warhammer future by Space Marine 2? Are you as excited about the endless exploration of the 40,000 universe as we are? Do some introductory reading on the setting before entering the comments section below.

[source assets.ctfassets.net, via ign.com]