The developers and publishers of Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 have firmly stated that they are not aiming to transform the game into a "full live service" model, following a significant backlash from the community over events that were perceived as promoting "FOMO," or the fear of missing out. FOMO is a strategy commonly employed by developers of live service games to spur quick player engagement and expenditure on time-limited virtual items. The concern with such events is that players feel pressured to acquire these items during their availability or miss out permanently.
This approach has been widely criticized for fostering an unhealthy dynamic between video games and their player bases. A 2021 study commissioned by the UK's GambleAware charity highlighted how many games employ "psychological nudges" like FOMO to encourage purchases of loot boxes, despite Space Marine 2 not featuring such mechanics. Instead, the game introduced community events to unlock exclusive cosmetics, which sparked the controversy and led some to label it as a "live service" game.
In response to the community's concerns, Focus Entertainment and Saber Interactive, the publisher and developer of Space Marine 2, acknowledged the "cold feedback" received since the introduction of these events. They reassured players that the items available during these events would be re-released later for everyone, stating:
We have noted that the Community Events have received cold feedback since we introduced them as an additional way to unlock cosmetic items. We saw that many of you mentioned FOMO generated by the events. Rest assured, we are not looking to transform Space Marine 2 into a full live service game. The items available through events WILL be available later, for everyone. We want Community Events to be a way to unlock the items in advance, for the most dedicated players, and not to be a source of frustration and stress for everyone.
However, that means we must provide a smooth experience in unlocking said items, which has not been the case so far. We deeply apologize for the trouble, and are currently working on a simplified process to unlock the items, to make the experience less constraining.
As a gesture of goodwill, Focus Entertainment is offering the coveted emblem-less Mk VIII Errant Helmet for free to all players who link their PROS account to Space Marine 2. This helmet, part of the Imperial Vigil community event ending on March 3, was previously only obtainable by achieving victories with all six classes in Operations Mode before the deadline.
Players are currently anticipating the 7.0 update for Space Marine 2, which promises a new weapon, a new Operations map, and PvE Prestige Ranks. Last month, Focus and Saber addressed the community's growing discontent over content scarcity and outlined future plans for the game.
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 achieved a record-breaking launch last year, selling 5 million copies and becoming the fastest-selling Warhammer video game to date.
