Although it’s perfect as a portal to the franchise’s universe,Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2is only the tip of a titanic iceberg lurking below the water’s surface. Despite originating from a tabletop game,Warhammer 40Khas a hilarious abundance of lore, stretching tens of thousands of years, from when the Necrons first became robotic conquerors, to the 41st millennium, where Ultramarines are desperately trying to reunite the Imperium of Man.Space Marine 2’s placement in the timeline isn’t as obvious as one might think, and some investigation is required to figure out when exactly it takes place.
It should be noted thatSpace Marine 2takes place roughly two hundred years after the first game in the series,and a few hundred years pass by quickly inWarhammer 40Kwith wars tending to last forever. There are a few characters that were alive during the Horus Heresy, one of the biggest events in40K’s history, that ironically happened in the 31st millennium, but as far asSpace Marine 2is concerned, that is distant history. The game takes place in modern40K, where humanity is having a particularly rough time.
Spoilers for Space Marine 2 And Warhammer 40K Lore
Space Marine 2 Takes Place In The 41st Millennium
It Is A Busy Time To Be An Ultramarine
Space Marine 2occurs in the 41st Millennium, during the Fourth Tyrannic War, hence why there are so many Tyranids to shoot. The war began after Hive Fleet Leviathan (the biggest Tyranid fleet ever) arrived from Segmentum Pacificus. This is during another event in the40Ktimeline called the Indomitus Crusade, in which Ultramarines are being deployed to attempt to reunite the planets of the Imperium of Man. This explains why Titus is an Ultramarine again and why his squad is being put up against hordes of Tyranids and the forces of Chaos to defend the Imperium.
In the prologue,Titus was in the DeathwatchChapter before returning to the Ultramarines.
In this period, a lot is going on withthe long-dormant Roboute Guilliman (the Primarch of the Ultramarines and thirteenth son of the Emperor) awakening to essentially take command of the Imperiumand attempt to return it to its former glory. As the Primarch of the Ultramarines, Guilliman assumes command of the Chapter from Marneus Calgar, the Chapter Master, who appears inSpace Marine 2to save the day before the final battle. At this point,Ultramarines are knee-deep in the Indomitus Crusadeagainst heretics and xenos alike.
Exact dates forSpace Marine 2are difficult to find considering thetime around the Indomitus Crusade, also known as the Era Indomitus or Age of the Dark Imperium, is plagued with temporal distortions. Still, it is known that the first phase of the Crusade lasted roughly twelve years and took place after the 13th Black Crusade and the Great Rift, which literally split the Imperium in half.Space Marine 2takes place well after the first phase, and inWarhammer 40Klore, the Indomitus Crusade is considered ongoing.
Space Marine 2 Is Up To Date With Warhammer 40k Lore
It Is As Modern As It Could Possibly Be
WithSpace Marine 2taking place during the Indomitus Crusade and the Fourth Tyrannic War,it is essentially as up to date withWarhammer 40Kas possible. Evidence comes from Marneus Calgar’s appearance. He is healthy even after his wounding at the hands of Abaddon, master of the Black Legion of the Chaos Space Marines. It is known that the game takes place after Calgar’s fight with Abaddon during the Vigilus War, since Titus is asked if he partook in the war, to which he replies no.
Abaddon defeated Calgar in their duel, wounding him after cutting through the Gauntlets of Ultramar, Calgar’s famous weapon.
This makes sense as it makes the game a perfect entry point in 2024, where modernWarhammer 40Klore is being written and updated from around the same point that the events ofSpace Marine 2are occurring. It should be noted thatSpace Marine 2is canon toWarhammer 40Kloreand although exact dates are unknown, thanks to temporal distortions, the game fits neatly into the universe’s lore. Titus and his squad begin the game fighting one of theTyranid Splinter Fleets from the Hive Fleet Leviathanon a planet in the galactic west.
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Othernotable events from the Fourth Tyrannic War have already occurredat this point. The planet of Oghram has already been consumed by the Tyranids, which was decided by real-life tabletop games between Tyranid and Space Marine players. Battles have happened in the Sanctis Line too. Meanwhile, the marginal victory for the Imperium of Man in the Battle Of Bastior has been achieved, with Imperial forces barely able to hold off multiple tendrils from the Hive Fleet Leviathan.
The Imperium Of Man Is In A Desperate Place In Space Marine 2
But At Least They Have Roboute Guilliman
The events ofSpace Marine 2take place in a dark time for the Imperium of Man. Countless worlds are under threat from Tyranid Fleets,the forces of Chaosare still flourishing after their 13th Black Crusade, and the Imperium is split in two.The Black Crusade in particular was devastating for the Imperium, resulting in the fall of Cadia and the death or corruption of tens of billions of people. Almost all 850 million people on Cadia were killed, and this was before Hive Fleet Leviathan decided to launch the biggest Tyranid attack ever.
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To compound the issue,the end ofSpace Marine 2doesn’t do much to solve either the Tyranid or Chaos problems, since both are still actively attacking other sentient races across the galaxy. It does make Titus a war hero, rather than a potential heretic and traitor in the eyes of his fellow Space Marines, but the end of the game implies that Necrons could wake up soon on the Tomb World, where the final battle takes place.Necrons are one of the biggest threats in theWarhammer 40Kgalaxy and most have yet to awaken and rebuild their empire.
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2is exactly what the40Kgalaxy needed to get more people involvedwith the lore. It is relatively up to date, meaning that newcomers can go back in time to understand the events that led to the game, whileWarhammerlore experts can enjoy the continuation of their favorite setting. Its placement in the40Ktimeline does imply that Titus has re-entered the fray at a terrible time for humanity, and things will probably get worse for the Imperium by the timeSpace Marine 3comes out.
