Space Marine 2 Patch Reverts Nerfs After Fan Backlash

Space Marine 2 is set to release hotfix 4.1 on October 24 in response to widespread fan backlash over gameplay changes introduced in last week's Patch 4.0. In a move to address community concerns, developers Saber Interactive have also announced plans for Space Marine 2 Public Test Servers, expected to launch in early 2025.

Space Marine 2 “BS” Nerfs Prompt Patch Update & Public Test Server

With the upcoming Patch 4.1 on October 24, Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 aims to revert the most contentious balance changes from Patch 4.0. The decision follows intense feedback from the community, which led to negative reviews and criticism on the game's Steam page. Game director Dmitriy Grigorenko stated, "We’ve been monitoring your feedback since last Thursday’s Patch 4.0 and have decided to address your most pressing concerns with a new balancing update, coming this Thursday." He further emphasized the importance of community input by announcing the establishment of Public Test Servers in early 2025.

The backlash was fueled by Patch 4.0's nerfs, which many players felt made the game less enjoyable. One Steam review humorously remarked, "Saber Interactive saw the Helldivers 2 nerf controversy and must have said to themselves 'Yeah, let's nerf the fun like Arrowhead Studios did.' This is a classic Spongebob 'How many times do we have to teach you this lesson, old man?' moment."

In a subsequent community update, Saber Interactive explained that Patch 4.0 aimed to increase the game's difficulty by adjusting enemy spawn rates rather than buffing their health. However, this change inadvertently affected easier difficulty levels as well. The developers acknowledged the misstep and are committed to reverting these changes.

As part of the reversion, Extremis enemies’ spawn rates will return to pre-Patch 4.0 levels across Minimal, Average, and Substantial difficulties, with a significant reduction in Ruthless difficulty. Additionally, player armor at Ruthless difficulty will see a 10% increase, and bots will deal 30% more damage to bosses.

Today's hotfix will also include a comprehensive buff to Bolt weapons, which the developers noted had been underperforming. Here are the specific changes players can expect in hotfix 4.1:

• Auto Bolt Rifle: Damage increased by 20%
• Bolt Rifle: Damage increased by 10%
• Heavy Bolt Rifle: Damage increased by 15%
• Stalker Bolt Rifle: Damage increased by 10%
• Marksman Bolt Carbine: Damage increased by 10%
• Instigator Bolt Carbine: Damage increased by 10%
• Bolt Sniper Rifle: Damage increased by 12.5%
• Bolt Carbine: Damage increased by 15%
• Occulus Bolt Carbine: Damage increased by 15%
• Heavy Bolter: Damage increased by 5%

Game director Dmitriy Grigorenko concluded, "We will continue to monitor your feedback after the deployment of Patch 4.1 to make sure Lethal difficulty feels as challenging and rewarding as it should."