Warhammer 40K MMO confirmed

By Patrick Garratt Published 1 March, 2007

THQ signs rights till 2013.

THQ's to release a Warhammer 40K MMORPG at an unspecified date, the company's confirmed. The game is currently under development at THQ's wholly owned Austin-based outfit, Vigil Games.

The title is a further extension of the company's grip over Games Workshop's number-crunching pen and paper RPG franchise, arriving after real success in the RTS field with Relic's Dawn of War series. THQ confirmed this morning that it has now signed a licensing deal for the 40K universe on all platforms lasting until 2013.

The MMO project has been much anticipated, and will sit alongside Richard Garriot's Tabula Rasa as a second, big budget futuristic-shooter style MMO on the not-so-distant horizon.

THQ UK remained unavailable for comment on the subject this morning.

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Comments (39) Latest comment 5 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • lambtron #1 5 years ago

    Now this is an MMO I might actually be interested in playing.

  • Shrike #2 5 years ago

    Don'tscrewthisupdon'tscrewthisupdon'tscrewthisupdon'tscrewth isup.

  • strangeed #3 5 years ago

    Why does it have to be an MMO?

  • patlike #4 5 years ago

    I properly do want to play this. So yeah, Shrike, I share the sentiment.

  • QJ #5 5 years ago

    Just don't have the time to invest in MMO's to make the monthly subscription worth it.

    Now if they did an RPG based in the W40K universe, I'd be interested.

  • Grim... #6 5 years ago

    Hurrah!

  • Darkedge #7 5 years ago

    it is an MMo as we've already got a RTS based on it so why not? I'm looking forward to it.

  • ZuluHero #8 5 years ago

    its about time! - bog-standard-wow-lotr-cloned-fantasy ftl!

  • orakio #9 5 years ago

    Score!

  • Biggles #10 5 years ago

    Well, the MMO is the one announced, but they've been pretty quick to state that THQ have all the 40K computer game rights for a few years and that they plan to do other genres as well.

    Personally, I reckon a Necromunda FPSMMO would make a heck of a lot of sense: Have objective or deathmatch based matches between gangs/clans over pieces of territory which are represented on some non-game engine map, a bit of PvE agains sewer scum/mutants/monsters etc. Have 'premium' accounts for Spyre Hunters, and sell them super duper equipment for real money. Hell, you've even got the whole personal development system in place, new players start out as juves, work themselves up to gang members or heavies, can challenge each other to be gang leader and develop permanent game affecting injuries. Don't let any characters live too long (not at all in keeping with the setting), but encourage and facilitate new character creation, with the gang as the main persistent element. Plus there's all the funky and unique items and weaponry to play with. Sorry, long rant, hopefully someone with influence will read tihs and make it happen, but I'm not going to hold my breath. Maybe I'll get to make it myself some day?
    Edited by 1 at 01/03/07 @ 11:15

  • Shrike #11 5 years ago

    @Biggles

    Was thinking the same thing. The other way of doing it I guess would be to put each player in charge of a squad, but that then might be too close to Dawn of War. The 40k universe is too big for individuals to be given a chance to run over the whole scope of it, so something like Necromunda would make sense.

  • Biggles #12 5 years ago

    Actually, been mulling it over in the back of my head for a while. Would quite like to do it as some sort of mod of UT or HL or something. Totally instanced battles (since the background really supports dividing the world up into chunks), a few shared areas perhaps, like shops/bars etc. Wouldn't be too difficult from a technical standpoint, much easier than a big wide-open continent affair with terrain streaming and potentially hundreds of players malarkey. To be honest, the Necromunda brand name itself wouldn't be too important, but I think you could steal so many good ideas and dynamics, you'd have a pretty unique game at the end of it. Anyway, just a pipe dream for now. Will try to stop high-jacking the thread. Maybe.

  • absolutezero #13 5 years ago

    I recently had a long winded conversation about how a 40k MMO would'nt work. Imagine coming up against a Chaos Warrior while playing as an Imperial Guardsman. The units are hugely different and rightly so, its what gives the game its unique quality. If it was simply removed like in WAR then alot of 40k's personality would go with it.

    Although I would still love to be a commissar and roll about in a tank.

  • Psi #14 5 years ago

    planetside replacement please, you know it makes sence.

  • patlike #15 5 years ago

    The press release is <a href="http://www.vigilg ames.com/news.html" target="_new">here</A>. The licensing deal includes rights to Gorkamorka and Necromunda, for those that are interested.

  • SentientNr6 #16 5 years ago

    For the EMPEROR!

  • McGeeza #17 5 years ago

    I agree about Necromunda, but doesn't that take place in the 40k universe anyway? It's just that more people have heard of 40k, surely?

  • azwipe #18 5 years ago

    /starts holding breath

  • Ginger #19 5 years ago

    @Biggles - necromunda idea sounds ace

    mail it to THQ and GW stat!

  • absolutezero #20 5 years ago

    Like almost every GW project thats not Warhammer or 40k Gorkamorka died on its ass and got next to no support. It also got a horrible video game aswell.

    Necromunda got a nice reception though, and im guessing it would work really well, I can just imagine events like a Genestealer cult invasion or the slow inward creep of Chaos. It could be ace.

  • Schiraman #21 5 years ago

    @Psi

    Yes! I've been hoping for a 40K-themed PS replacement for a long time :)

  • Sucram #22 5 years ago

    I guess this was inevitable given the huge success of the Warhammer MMO.

  • Nillsens #23 5 years ago

    Oh god no!
    Please god no!
    I want to live!
    I'm too young to be addicted!
    Please god no!

  • Psi #24 5 years ago

    /me throws a 20sided dice at Nillsens


    (waits to be corrected)

  • Quine #25 5 years ago

    +1 on the Planetside replacement comment.

    I'm going to confidently assume it's *not* like Tabula Rasa in the auto-aim department also...

  • Quine #26 5 years ago

    Oh and the Necromunda idea sounds great.

  • YourMessageHere #27 5 years ago

    w00t and so on. Well, you'll have my preorder, more than likely. As hard sci-fi settings for games go, it's just about the best there has ever been. Planetside, but good, and 40K; that I'll buy in moments.

    I think a squad-based approach is probably best for a more traditionally MMOish MMO, though. Start with a small basic squad and manage how it specialises, occasionally add a squaddie, level your squaddies individually and train some in special weapons, etc etc.

    Whatever they do, I hope they are a little more comprehensive than usual and put Tau in as well as the inevitable Marines/Orks/Chaos/Eldar. BTW if anyone involved in making this is reading, custom unit badges a la DoW or Homeworld are MANDATORY.

    The necromunda thing Biggles is talking about - that sounds kind of like what UT wanted to be before it turned itself into vehicular combat. I'd buy that instantly, or even faster if it wasn't MMO (I prefer occasionally frustrating bots to constantly aggravating random internet idiots).

  • dolphan #28 5 years ago

    This could be incredibly good, but they're going to have a lot to live up to.

  • Azazel #29 5 years ago

    Yes. Yes. Thank you God! (Khorne)

  • Fiach #30 5 years ago

    This is the news I've been waiting for, been playing TT since Rogue Trader :) If they can do this right they'll make a mint.

  • mull #31 5 years ago

    Yeeeeeesssss. NERD ME BABY! I, too, would welcome a new Necromunda overlord. I want to be a rich kid Spyrer and get sent to kill peasants from the lower orders.

    A 40k MMO would be sweet too; train up from guardsman to marine to Vet in Terminator armour. Booya!

  • magicpanda #32 5 years ago

    Spacehulk raids, Yes please.

    Marine Chapters = guilds/clans, Yes please.

    Player built space ships, Yes please.

  • Megapocalypse #33 5 years ago

    planetside replacement please, you know it makes sence.

    +40,000

    This is great news!

  • DocTep #34 5 years ago

    I've been waiting to hear this for ages. Very good news! Now just please be good...

    *Crosses fingers*

  • Kostabi #35 5 years ago

    w00t!

    Here's hoping Inquisitor is a player class.

  • _Price_ #36 5 years ago

    Yes, yes, very good news, but where is the KotOR-like RPG that the 40k fiction is crying out for? I'm all for continuing the industry's current good record in Games Workshop conversions in FPSs and RTSs but a pseudo-turn based RPG could be utterly fantastic.

  • Groovicron #37 5 years ago

    You guys aren't thinking old school enough. Go back to Rogue Trader times. You won't play a Guardsman or a Marine but an Inquisitor or a Rogue Trader or some other form of Imperial agent. That way you'll start unimportant with tissue paper armour and an auto pistol but build up as happens in RPG's. Eventually getting access to cool stuff that you'd never find in the Necromunda slums. Various marks of Power Armour. Terminator armour!

    Been a long time since I read the Inquisitor books but closer to that then the actual 40K game.

  • BigJonno #38 5 years ago

    Groovicron, I've been saying the exact same thing since the first time someone uttered the words "But a 40K MMORPG would be sooooo much better!" in reference to the old, cancelled Warhammer MMORPG.

  • Barkotron #39 5 years ago

    I wish people would stop making MMOs completely. I've yet to play one that wasn't dull as all hell. WH40K is crying out for a good single-player RPG and/or FPS game (Fire Warrior makes baby immortal God-Emperor, Lord of Mankind and Last Hope for Humanity cry). I really can't face installing yet another piss-poor MMO.