Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 Dev Stamps Out Live Service Game Talk Amid Backlash to 'FOMO' Community Events

The developers of Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 have addressed community concerns regarding recent in-game events, clarifying their intentions and addressing criticisms of "fear of missing out" (FOMO) tactics. These events, designed to unlock cosmetic items, prompted backlash from players who felt they resembled the practices of live-service games.

FOMO, a common strategy in live-service games, encourages players to purchase limited-time virtual items. This practice has drawn criticism for fostering an unhealthy player-game relationship. While Space Marine 2 doesn't utilize loot boxes, the community events triggered concerns about the game adopting similar practices. Research, such as a 2021 GambleAware study, highlights the psychological manipulation employed by some games to incentivize loot box purchases, including leveraging FOMO.

In response to player feedback, Focus Entertainment and Saber Interactive acknowledged the negative reception to the events and the FOMO they generated. They explicitly stated their commitment to not transforming Space Marine 2 into a full live-service game. Importantly, they confirmed that all items currently available through these events will be made available to all players later. The developers apologized for the inconvenience and are working on simplifying the item unlock process to improve the player experience.

To demonstrate their commitment, Focus Entertainment is offering the Mk VIII Errant Helmet (previously only obtainable through the Imperial Vigil community event) for free to all players who link their PROS accounts. This event concludes on March 3rd.

The upcoming 7.0 update for Space Marine 2 is expected to include a new weapon, Operations map, and PvE Prestige Ranks, addressing previous concerns about content scarcity. Following a record-breaking launch and sales exceeding 5 million copies, the developers are actively working to maintain player engagement and satisfaction.