KEY POINTS

  • "Darktide" is co-written by Dan Abnett, a renowned military sci-fi author and prominent "Warhammer 40K" novelist.
  • The game will attempt to capture a survival-horror vibe while retaining the four-player co-op formula
  • "Darktide" is scheduled for a 2021 release, but there is no word on a specific date yet

The “Warhammer” Skulls Showcase featured quite a bit of videogame content based on both “Warhammer 40K” and “Age Of Sigmar,” including a short writer reveal video for Fatshark’s upcoming “Warhammer 40K Darktide,” an FPS co-op game in the same vein as “Vermintide.”

Fatshark revealed that renowed “40K” novel writer Dan Abnett is one of the co-writers for “Darktide.” Abnett is known in the fandom as the author of the “Gaunt’s Ghosts” series among many others. He’ll be bringing his expertise in writing military sci-fi stories in hopes of making “Darktide” a more grounded and relatable experience.

“With ‘Darktide,’ we chose to focus on humans because humans are actually the heart and soul of the entire ‘40K’ universe,” Abnett said. “To play as a human being really emphasizes the vulnerability – the survival-horror aspect of it.”

The “Warhammer 40K” universe represents a dark and desperate future ravaged by unending war and eldritch horrors. The united forces of the Imperium of Man suffer casualties by the millions on a daily basis, fending off aliens and heretics in the name of their God-Emperor.

The playable characters of Warhammer 40K Darktide
The playable characters of Warhammer 40K Darktide Fatshark

In “Darktide,” players will be sent to the continent-sized hive city of Tertium, which has been overrun by the Chaos Cult of Admonition that worships Nurgle. To emphasize the sense of vulnerability, players will be taking the role of a prisoner-turned-member of the Imperial Inquisition instead of the more iconic Space Marines who are considered in-lore to be the strongest of the Imperium’s forces.

“Darktide” will be similar to “Vermintide” for the most part. There will be a hub or headquarters area and a central character that will send players on missions. In this case, players will answer to an Inquisitor as they investigate the Chaos cult and find a way to save the rest of the hive city.

Abnett said that “Darktide” has a horror movie feel to it; the developers are going to show “Nurgle at its most horrible,” he told EuroGamer.

The enemies in the game are grotesque with body-horror-inspired designs that stay true to the god Nurgle’s aesthetic. He mentioned that there will be some jumpscare-worthy moments as well as a sense of dread and tension to keep players on their toes.

“Warhammer 40K Darktide” is slated to release sometime this year.

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