Space Marine 2's lead developer says that more games than people think can trace their DNA to 40K: 'Many younger gamers probably don't know the influence it had on your favourite game'

Everyone loves a Space Marine. Is it a coincidence that many of our favorite franchises have heroes clad in massive power armor? Tim Willits, chief executive officer at Saber Interactive, disagrees (as do I and most people who have seen more than one type of space marine). Willits told PC Gamer in an interview at Gamescom that every Master Chief, Doomguy and Doomsday has a healthy dose of Warhammer underneath all the heavy plating.

Willits, when asked about the gameplay of Space Marine 2 in comparison to other action games said that it was "very Doom" with its aggressive, forward momentum combat. He continued that Doom, like many other games, owes a great deal of its influence to Warhammer 40,000. Willits stated that the Warhammer 40 universe was around 45 years ago. (Slight correction: the first edition of Warhammer 40,000 Rogue Trader was released 37 years ago, in 1987. Many young gamers don't realize how influential it was on your favorite game.

Willits gave the example of the first Doomguy. Willits replied, "He's a Space Marine." "What did he look like?" Willits says that Doom and Warhammer 40K are in a cycle of recursive creativity for years. This goes back to his days at Bethesda, where he was the studio director.

Willits explained that when they were working on Doom 2016 they discussed the aggressive combat of the original Space Marine. This was how the Doom reboot influenced the same aggressiveness. Doom 2016 influenced Space Marine 2 as well, with Saber taking inspiration from Doom’s Glory Kills to create its own execution mechanics.

Willits found 40K DNA in other games. The Space Marine chainsaw is echoed by the Gears of War bayonet and the Fallout power armor has a similar profile. Willits said, "Even Starship Troopers." "Those aliens are just like Tyranids."

Starship Troopers is a fascinating comparison because the space marine trope was first cemented in the original 1959 Heinlein book, not the 1997 Verhoeven film. The film troopers, while similar to modern-day infantrymen in many ways, were the inspiration for the space marine archetype we know today: elite shock troopers deployed from orbit with powered exoskeletons and carrying so much power that a squad of troopers usually kept a comfortable 1/2 mile breathing room between them. If the film bugs have Tyranids, then that's another inspiration cycle 40K is trading in.

Willits believes that the 40K DNA found in the videogame gene pool will make Space Marine 2 a very easy sell. Willits said that if you are a Doom, Helldivers, or action game fan, this is the game for your.

Warhammer 40,000 Space Marine 2 will be released on September 9, 2024.