Owlcat Games discusses its forthcoming Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader project, codenamed 'Dark Heresy', and reveals its perspective on collaborating with Xbox Game Pass.
In the ever-expanding world of Warhammer 40K, a new adventure awaits players with the upcoming release of Dark Heresy, developed by Owlcat Games. This highly anticipated title, set to launch on consoles and PC, promises to immerse players in the dark and dystopian universe of Warhammer 40K, much like its predecessor, Warhammer 40K: Rogue Trader, which has recently been widely acclaimed.
Dark Heresy will introduce players to the Warhammer 40K universe, with a focus on the Calixis sector, Scintilla, Tyrantine Cabal, and a mission to save a particular part of humanity from doom and despair. The game will condense gameplay, placing emphasis on reactivity and variety of interactions, offering a ground-level experience rather than full sectors or space battles.
One of the key learnings from Rogue Trader that Owlcat Games plans to apply to Dark Heresy revolves around strong emphasis on player choice and reactivity. Dark Heresy will incorporate an alignment system that ties into classic inquisitorial ideologies such as radicals or puritans, enhancing the narrative's depth and player agency.
Another aspect that Owlcat Games aims to carry forward is effective onboarding of players into the Warhammer 40K universe. Dark Heresy will maintain the approach of dynamically explaining key terms and concepts to make the complex setting more accessible and engaging for newcomers.
The success of fully playable, ability-diverse companions (pets) in Rogue Trader, such as the Cyber Mastiff and Psyber-Raven, has shown Owlcat Games the value of adding distinct, thematic entities that enrich gameplay and party dynamics. This creative choice could influence companion designs or gameplay mechanics in Dark Heresy.
Owlcat Games has demonstrated a commitment to expanding content and supporting games post-launch with their experience from ongoing DLC and expansions like Lex Imperialis in Rogue Trader. This approach is expected to apply to Dark Heresy as well, ensuring a rich and evolving game world for players to explore.
The Inquisition, a core pillar of Warhammer 40K's human Imperium faction, will play a significant role in Dark Heresy. The Inquisition is charged with dealing with some of humanity's darker threats, including heretical cults, traitors, xenos aliens, and Chaos daemons.
In addition to Dark Heresy, Owlcat Games is also developing The Expanse: Osiris Reborn, a game based on the mega-popular sci-fi franchise, The Expanse.
With its focus on reactivity, variety of interactions, and unique gameplay elements, Dark Heresy promises to continue sharing the love for Warhammer 40K with players, offering a fresh and engaging experience within the dark and dystopian universe.
Xbox users can eagerly anticipate the release of Dark Heresy, as Owlcat Games, the developer behind Warhammer 40K: Rogue Trader, is bringing their innovative gaming approach to the Calixis sector of Warhammer 40K. The game, launching on PC, Xbox, and possibly Windows platforms, will incorporate an alignment system and engaging companions, like the Cyber Mastiff, reminiscent of Microsoft's Surface tablet. Owlcat Games aims to provide a smooth onboarding for newcomers to the Warhammer 40K universe while evolving the game world post-launch with new content, much like they did with the Lex Imperialis expansion. In the dark and dystopian universe of Warhammer 40K, players will find themselves in the heart of the Inquisition, a key faction responsible for defending humanity against threats such as heretical cults, traitors, and Chaos daemons. Meanwhile, Owlcat Games continue their journey with The Expanse: Osiris Reborn, a game based on another popular sci-fi franchise.
