One of many coolest reveals eventually week’s Warhammer Skulls occasion was Boltgun 2, a sequel to the lovingly made mix of Warhammer 40K and retro Doom video games. That first recreation earned itself a spot in many individuals’s hearts, a loving homage to 2 worlds. However now there is a sequel cooking away, and all eyes are on the longer term.
So to assist peel again the curtain just a bit on Boltgun 2, I chatted to principal designer Matt Bone. We touched on what to anticipate from Boltgun 2 in comparison with the unique, what it is like making video games throughout the Warhammer 40K IP, and whether or not or not a fan favorite will ever discover a house on the tabletop.
VG247: Boltgun was acquired very positively from Warhammer followers and Retro Doom lovers alike – are you able to communicate on how you are feeling about this reception to the unique recreation?
Bone: Throughout growth we have been actually excited in regards to the recreation, but it surely’s all the time inconceivable to foretell what gamers will suppose till it’s of their palms. So, it was an enormous reduction when it was acquired so positively and went past even our highest hopes.
Because the studio itself and everybody in it are massive Warhammer followers, we have been excited to share our ardour for Warhammer with the gamers. Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun is basically the sport we wished to play as followers ourselves; we simply obtained the enjoyment of with the ability to make it too.
The very fact it grew to become our studio’s largest recreation is simply testomony to the passion of our group and our love for the Warhammer 40,000 universe. On the very core of Boltgun, we wished to please each Warhammer 40,000 and retro shooter followers, and it feels prefer it was successful on each fronts. All of the love from our neighborhood and the Warhammer 40,000 neighborhood was past our expectations.
Now we’re aiming to do it once more!
We’re excited to proceed working with Video games Workshop to create extra video games for the viewers, particularly as we get to discover artistic spin-offs like Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun – Phrases of Vengeance! That one was a number of enjoyable to make and we’re giving it away totally free so it’s positively price a attempt.
VG247: What can we count on by way of a change of setting in Boltgun 2? The place has Malum Caedo discovered himself now?
Bone: Malum Caedo received’t be restricted to Graia in Boltgun 2, the branching marketing campaign of his mission means he’ll be purging throughout new worlds. We are able to’t reveal all proper now however we will share that there will likely be new, never-before-seen environments with all new enemies for Malum to face in opposition to. We’re including some places and enemies that followers have been asking for, and the sequel was a fantastic place to incorporate these.
We’ll have extra to share sooner or later and may’t wait to point out them off!
VG247: Inform me a bit extra in regards to the enhancements we will count on from the unique recreation! What’s there by way of new weapons, gameplay mechanics, and so on?
Bone: It’s nonetheless a little bit early to share an excessive amount of, however we positively wish to present extra selection by way of the gameplay and the locations the participant will likely be visiting – and naturally the heretics they’ll be purging. We’re doubling down on the issues followers favored about Boltgun – its excessive, retro tackle the Warhammer 40,000 universe – while offering loads of new surprises. “Joyously Grimdark” is considered one of our design pillars, which I feel conveys the tone of Boltgun video games effectively: they’re a lovingly tongue-in-cheek celebration of Warhammer 40,000, revelling within the pixel glory of blood, gore and gloom! .
VG247: Will Horde mode be making a return from the primary recreation?
Bone: It’s too early to say but. We added horde mode as DLC for Boltgun and it appeared to go down effectively, so we’re wanting into extra distinctive modes like that, whether or not for the bottom recreation or post-launch. We rely rather a lot on participant suggestions for this type of factor – if it’s one thing persons are clamouring for, we’ll do our greatest to incorporate it.
VG247: The unique Boltgun was tied to the occasions of Warhammer 40,000: House Marine,with Caedo heading to Graia years after the occasions of the sport. Now that House Marine 2 has come out, can we count on comparable ties between Boltgun 2 and House Marine 2? Or, has the group been given extra freedom to create a recreation completely separated from different 40K video games?
Bone: It was nice to pay homage to different Warhammer 40,000 video video games which the group are massive followers of two. For anybody unaware, the primary Boltgun picks up straight after the occasions of House Marine 1 as Ultramarine Malum Caedo goes on a mission to find a misplaced shard of House Marine 1’s important artifact. We even put in a enjoyable easter egg for Warhammer followers in Malum’s taunt to reference Captain Titus!
As for what’s to return in Boltgun 2, you’ll simply must play to search out out what different enjoyable Easter Eggs we’re hiding for the followers.
VG247. Video games Workshop loves releasing named House Marine characters for the tabletop recreation, and given he’s an Ultramarine, Caedo will need to have an excellent shot certainly. Have any official discussions taken place on bringing Caedo to the tabletop? Or ought to followers maintain at it with kitbashing?
Bone: We’d after all like it if someday there was a manner for Malum Caedo to return to the official tabletop recreation, everybody within the studio would like to have him of their armies – I feel we’d should put in a studio large order!
We completely love seeing all of the wonderful kitbashes of Malum Caedo that the followers recurrently share with us and we’ve seen nice examples throughout socials and reddit. When gamers tag us in pics of ones they’ve made, we share them throughout the dev group and everybody will get tremendous hyped.
VG247. Auroch Digital has after all carried out extra than simply Boltgun. What’s it like working with Video games Workshop for a licensed recreation like Boltgun 2, versus a very unbiased enterprise?
Bone: For me, I really like attending to mess around in a universe that has actually a long time of lore behind it. To name the Warhammer 40,000 universe big is an understatement – each time I feel I’ve a good deal with on it, I’ll uncover a complete new half I knew nothing about, which often leads to me getting misplaced down a rabbit gap for a number of hours. Relating to making the sport, meaning we’re typically beginning a number of steps forward: need an thrilling new enemy? Right here’s a number of hundred to select from, together with beautiful fashions and pages of lore. Need a new location? Right here’s a galaxy of worlds and tales to faucet into.
Generally, it’s important that the sport stays trustworthy to the IP, even in our retro-styled strategy. We wish to current it in a manner that’s each distinctive and nonetheless the universe followers know and love. That is true for our Phrases of Vengeance challenge too. We had this loopy concept of constructing a Boltgun typing recreation, and Video games Workshop – as a substitute of questioning our sanity – have been fully onboard and helped us massively in reaching it. They most likely do nonetheless query our sanity, however that feels acceptable for the Warhammer 40,000 universe.
Boltgun 2 is about to launch in 2026
