Warhammer 40,000: Dark Heresy

Dark Heresy, the second narrative-driven tactical cRPG from Owlcat Games set in the grimdark Warhammer 40,000 universe, follows Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader (2023). In this game, players take on the role of an Acolyte of the Inquisition. Set in a sector of the Imperium overshadowed by the Noctis Aeterna and the mystery of the Tyrant Star, players lead a warband of diverse companions in battles against heresy and corruption. The game delves into the Inquisition as an organisation, revealing its power, bureaucracy, and internal conflicts.

Players will lead a warband comprising a variety of companions, ranging from loyal Imperial subjects, such as a veteran Guardsman from the death world of Catachan, to nefarious xenos, including a bird-like Kroot mercenary. Each of them offers unique gameplay and a distinct perspective on the story, with fully voiced dialogue - a significant improvement on Rogue Trader, which relied on text. However, compared to Rogue Trader, Dark Heresy has been completely rebuilt from the ground up, including all graphic assets. The gameplay is much more vertical than in the previous game, and the combat system offers new tactical options. For example, players can suppress an enemy by attacking their weak points (specific areas of the body can be targeted), or break their resolve without killing them.

Apart from the in-depth conversations with choices and consequences, and the turn-based combat system, the biggest difference between Rogue Trader and Dark Heresy is the investigation system. To get to the bottom of what is going on and who is involved, the player gathers information through conversation and investigation of the environment, making decisions along the way. A kind of mind map helps to record and organise the information. The game world reacts to the player's decisions about who is guilty and who is not. Characters remember who is accused, who is spared and how they behave. Storylines and even the environment itself will be altered by the consequences of these actions.

Warhammer 40,000: Dark Heresy is being developed by Owlcat Games. Founded in Moscow, Russia in 2016, the company was established by a group of developers with a passion for computer RPGs (cRPGs). The team is led by veteran game designers who have worked on titles such as Heroes of Might and Magic V, Silent Storm, and Etherlords, to name a few. Team members also contributed to the development of the MMORPGs Allods Online and Skyforge. Initially, Owlcat Games was part of Mail.Ru/Mail.Ru Games Ventures (later VK), and its gaming division, which was later brought together under the name My.Games. The company's first project was Pathfinder: Kingmaker, an isometric cRPG based on Paizo Inc.'s Pathfinder pen-and-paper role-playing game. The game was partially funded via Kickstarter and was released in September 2018. In 2019, Owlcat Games became an independent studio while retaining My.Games as its strategic partner and investor. It also raised $1 million from GEM Capital and an undisclosed sum from MGVC, My.Games' investment arm. Subsequently, the company opened a central office in Nicosia, Cyprus. In 2021, Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous, which was also funded via Kickstarter, was released.

By the way: Just like Owlcat, My.Games was a subsidiary of Mail.Ru (VK) before becoming an independent company in 2022. Alex Chachava (LETA Capital) acquired the video game publisher in a deal valued at US$642 million. The company is now headquartered in Amsterdam. Its portfolio includes Knights Peak, the premium games label, and MGVC, the investment and publishing division.)

Thanks to the success of Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous, Owlcat Games has grown significantly. Subsequently, the studio embarked on another licensed project. In December 2023, another cRPG was released: Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader. Initially, Rogue Trader felt rather unfinished and buggy (much like Wrath of the Righteous at launch), but numerous patches — some quite substantial - and collaboration with the game's community have led to its success. Both Rogue Trader and Wrath of the Righteous have sold over a million copies. Rogue Trader has already received two expansions - Void Shadows and Lex Imperialis - and will receive two more - The Infinite Museion and Processional of the Damned - in future. The studio, which now employs over 450 people worldwide, is working on Warhammer 40,000: Dark Heresy and The Expanse: Osiris Reborn, a story-driven sci-fi action RPG set in the Expanse universe. This game should fill the gap left by Mass Effect.

The alpha playtest for Warhammer 40,000: Dark Heresy launched on Steam on 18 December 2025. Access was granted to those who had purchased either the Developer's Digital Pack ($79) or the Collector's Edition ($289) from Owlcat's website. On the day of release, the maximum number of concurrent players was 827. The alpha will remain open for several months. Player feedback will be integrated into the beta and final versions of the game. The release date of the full version (PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S) is still unknown.

The features of the alpha version are described as follows: "In the alpha, players will team up with several acolytes of the Inquisition - and even some Xenos, if that's what it takes to pursue their ambitions. Among the group of available companions are a Kroot outcast, a deadly Medicae specialist, an Ogryn with higher than average intelligence, and more. With 10-15 hours of estimated playtime in the alpha, players will learn the basics of the revamped combat system, get to know the ins and outs of the Inquisition and uncover mysteries with the new detective system. As part of the Holy Orders of the Emperor's Inquisition, players must look for clues, interrogate suspects and come to conclusions - and woe betide those found guilty!"

Conclusion

With Warhammer 40,000: Dark Heresy, Owlcat Games is developing a Warhammer game that builds on the foundations laid by Rogue Trader, placing a strong emphasis on a reactive world.

Features

• Unique perspective as an Acolyte of the Inquisition
• Investigation system with a reactive game world
• Fully voiced dialogue