Since its release in September 2024, countless players have poured hundreds of hours into Space Marine 2. But even the best games can become repetitive without new content. Thankfully, the Emperor provides—through mods!
Mods have vastly expanded the game’s content and replayability. With dozens of modders and thousands of community members on Discord and Nexus playing these mods, the Space Marine 2 community, and arguably the Warhammer 40K video gaming community, has never been stronger. Even the developers have lent their support. Dmitry Grigorenko, the Game Director for Space Marine 2, and Artem Yashin, Senior AI Gameplay Programmer at Saber Interactive, have actively engaged with the modding community on Discord, providing us with tools and resources to better support our efforts.
From lore-accurate additions to downright absurd creations, the modding community has embraced it all. “When Shrek became part of Space Marine 2, it was magical, and I never looked back.” says modder Franku
Thomas Whaley, known as “Killer_Whaley” or “Warhammer Workshop” on Discord, created Astartes Overhaul, the most popular Space Marine 2 mod to date. It revamps nearly every aspect of the game—customization, weapons, classes, and more. Recently, the Astartes team has grown beyond just Whaley, allowing the mod to continue expanding, refining old content, and introducing new features. The modding community has gravitated toward Astartes Overhaul, forming a tight-knit group dedicated to pushing the game further. The discord server for the mod has evolved into the primary space for all things regarding Space Marine 2 modding.
This level of support has enabled some truly insane modifications. “Saber has been incredibly supportive,” Whaley says. “They’ve now provided [us with] custom modeling tools, which has allowed us to create playable versions of Calgar and add the Apothecary class. The tools are still a little buggy, but they’re a total game-changer.”
From my own experience creating mods, I’ve found the learning process to be surprisingly accessible. While some aspects are challenging, many modifications are straightforward. As user “GrumpyStranger”, a professional 3D modeler in the video game industry, puts it, “Learn to fail faster. Countless modders take on projects too ambitious to complete, cutting corners instead of learning from mistakes. The key to success in modding? Knowing when to refine, restart, or move on to something even greater.”
The future of Space Marine 2 modding looks brighter than ever. With the modding community making up more than half the current daily player count of the game on steam, it’s safe to say that mods are making an incredible impact on pc gamers. With an active community, dedicated developers, and ever-improving tools, the possibilities are endless. Whether you’re looking for lore-faithful expansions, want to play as a crewmate from Among Us, or are looking for entirely new ways to play, mods have ensured that Space Marine 2 will continue to evolve for years.
