A major patch is now live for Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2, introducing a wealth of updates. These include buffs, nerfs, and new features such as the Hub Sparring Arena and Ultra-Wide Support for PC. The update also adds Private Mode for Operations Mode, allowing players to experience missions alone or with one friend, without matchmaking. The Patch is a whopping 26 gigs on Steam and around 7.6 GB on console.
The patch brings gameplay changes, campaign adjustments, and enhancements to both AI behavior and PvP mechanics. So, let’s get down to it
All New Update Buffs, Nerfs, Fixes, and Changes in Space Marine 2 Patch 3.0 — Summarized
Here’s a summary of Patch 3.0. You can see the full Steam Patch Notes here.
New Features:
- Hub Sparring Arena: PvP arena for friendly matches.
- Ultra-Wide Support for PC players.
- Private Mode in Operations Mode for solo/duo play without matchmaking.
- New notifications: What’s New section and Message of the Day.
Gameplay and Balance:
- Improved Marking Tool responsiveness.
- Buffs to Power Fist, Heavy Plasma Cannon, and Med Stims.
- Auxiliary Grenade Launcher now refillable only from ammo boxes.
Campaign and AI Tweaks:
- Adjusted enemy aggressiveness and player health in Veteran Difficulty.
- Improved Bot AI to focus better on key targets.
- Reduced spawn limits for specific enemies in Operations Mode.
PvP and AI Enhancements:
- Reworked Vanguard’s Grapple Launcher to stagger enemies instead of stunning.
- Reduced enemy accuracy for off-screen and melee attacks.
- Nerfed Zoanthrope’s Psychic Scream and Zagar with Shield.
Weapon and Enemy Adjustments:
- Lowered damage for Termagant’s Fleshborer and Tyranid Warrior’s Devourer.
- Reduced Rubric Marines’ Warp Flamer damage and teleport frequency.
Customization and Visual Updates:
- Improved armor color patterns and fixed minor visual bugs.
- Adjusted dust storm density and fixed collision issues on maps.
General Fixes:
- Improved jump pack responsiveness.
- Fixed issues with Trials Mode and Operations Mode bugs.
- Resolved save data loss and other minor gameplay issues.
NEW Hub Sparring Arena in Space Marine 2
One of the most exciting additions is the Hub Sparring Arena, a special PVP arena on the battle barge where players can compete with squad members in friendly matches. This arena is available in the Operations and Eternal War Game Modes, giving players something to do while waiting for missions.
Another highly requested feature is Ultra-Wide Support for PC players. This update also brings Private Mode for Operations Mode, allowing solo or duo play with bots, without matchmaking. Additionally, new notifications have been added, including a “What’s New” section and a Message of the Day feature to alert players of important updates, such as server status.
Some Space Marine 2 Weapons Got Buffed and Med Stims Restore CONTESTED Health
The update introduces significant gameplay tweaks. The Marking Tool now boasts improved responsiveness and social wheel controls with the mouse have been enhanced. Unnecessary objects that previously interfered with gameplay have been removed, along with several minor bug fixes.
In terms of combat, the Power Fist now deals much more damage during fully charged attacks. The Heavy Plasma Cannon received a buff, with base ammo increased by five, blast damage radius expanded, and overheat per shot reduced. Med Stims now restore both contested health and regular healing, and the Auxiliary Grenade Launcher can now only be refilled from ammo boxes, not infinite ammo caches.
Campaign and Operations Mode AI Slightly Nerfed
Campaign difficulty has been tweaked to balance the single-player experience. On Veteran Difficulty, enemy aggressiveness has been reduced, while player health has also been slightly decreased to maintain challenge balance. Bots received updates, becoming more helpful during combat, particularly in focusing on key targets like Zoanthropes. Restrictions on bots finishing off enemies have been eased, while bugs affecting their behavior have been fixed.
Additionally, in Operations Mode, the AI has been adjusted to create more balanced encounters. The maximum number of certain enemy types has been reduced, including Zagars with Shields, Cultist Snipers, and Rubric Marines. These changes should help improve the flow of combat and reduce frustration.
PVP and AI Enhancements
Several notable improvements have been made to PvP gameplay, including a reworked Vanguard’s Grapple Launcher. Instead of completely stunning enemies, the grapple staggers and slows them down. This change has been met with mixed reactions, but it will likely reduce frustration from grapple abuse in PvP matches.
On the AI front, enemy accuracy has been reduced when attacking from off-screen and during melee engagements. This change ensures that ranged enemies no longer overwhelm players with off-screen attacks, improving the overall combat experience.
The Zoanthrope’s Psychic Scream attack has also been adjusted. The damage and effective range have been reduced, while the charge-up time has been increased to prevent one-shot kills. Meanwhile, Zagar with Shield’s HP has been significantly reduced, and Carnifex Rage Phase now triggers more aggressive behavior with reduced taunt frequency.
Big-Fry Enemies Got Nerfed Hard
Several weapons and enemies received balance changes. The Termagant’s Fleshborer Spray Attack and the Tyranid Warrior’s Devourer Projectile damage have been reduced, making them less overwhelming in combat. Rubric Marines have seen a similar nerf, with their Warp Flamer damage reduced, and their teleport frequency lowered to make them less annoying to fight. Health for certain enemies has also been reduced by 10%.
Space Marine 2 Minor Visual Tweaks
The update also addressed several customization issues. Players can now enjoy improved color patterns for their armor, allowing for more detailed customization of leg armor. The patch fixed various minor bugs related to color icons and chapter colors, enhancing the visual experience.
Additionally, adjustments to map environments were made, such as tweaking dust storm density and duration in certain operations. These changes, alongside fixes to minor collision issues, improve the overall visual and gameplay experience across different levels.
General Fixes and Improvements
Numerous general fixes were included in the update, addressing both major and minor bugs. Key improvements include enhanced jump pack responsiveness, fixes to the Trials Mode, and resolving rare cases where player controls would stop working after performing finishers. In Operations Mode, a bug causing duplicated ammo was fixed, along with several issues involving grapples and weapon performance.