Warhammer 40K MMO to be unveiled at E3

By Robert Purchese Published 4 February, 2010

THQ reckons this one could go for years.

THQ has promised to "fully unveil" the new Warhammer 40K MMO at this summer's E3 2010.

Boss Brian Farrell told investors this IP could run for several years, and therefore represents the "highest ranking revenue opportunity" the publisher has.

Farrell added that in Warhammer 40K, THQ has a "very competitive MMO".

So far we know little about the game. Darksiders' Vigil Games will develop under the creative lead of Joe Madureira - presumably alongside the Darksiders sequel due out before April next year.

Madureira's said combat will take place on a larger scale than Mythic's Warhammer Online and that there will be "tons" of customisation and the "coolest looking characters of any MMO, ever".

E3 takes place on 15th-17th June 2010. We'll be there.

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

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Comments (59) Latest comment 2 years ago

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

  • Shikasama #1 2 years ago

    Nice to see they are keeping their feet firmly on the ground at this early juncture

  • Ryboy #2 2 years ago

    "highest ranking revenue opportunity"

    That's how to make a game appeal to the masses kids!

  • telboy007 #3 2 years ago

    This could be so good, imagine a load of random peeps around the world fighting desperately against a horde of seemingly infinite tryanids... cream your pants time. If they muck this up... well, they best not muck it up.

  • AhSoul #4 2 years ago

    Might be the first MMO to really get me addicted....

  • Ryboy #5 2 years ago

    First piece of concept art?

    http://ww w.vigilgames.com/img/WH40KOnlin...

  • Xeaon #6 2 years ago

    Sounds like a massive waste of the 40k 'ip'.

  • Senate #7 2 years ago

    Please be better than warhammer online

  • SAMagic #8 2 years ago

    WANT:
    - To rise from a Space Marine, Imperial Guard or Ork fresh recruit to a sergeant and then captain, after killing traitor humies, orks, Chaos and Tyranids.
    - To visit dozens of worlds and blow them up with lascannons and melta bombs.
    - Clear influence from Relic's 40K games.

    DON'T WANT:
    - Collect 30 Tyranid spines and speak to Captain Tycho.
    - WOW in space. Obviously to anyone who has played a few MMOs. Let's have something discernibly new.

  • GundamJehutyKai #9 2 years ago

    OK, this MMO I can get behind!!

    never got into ultima, Everquest or WoW, but I can see myself playing this!

  • Ryboy #10 2 years ago

    I think they might wait and see what the new Star Wars MMO is like before they really start fleshing out the game-play mechanics. But exciting news indeed! Fingers certainly crossed for this one.

  • jellyhead #11 2 years ago

    It should be great but if it's like any other the whining and bitching by the hardcore about not conforming to canon and how they want to play the game might well put me off going anywhere near it.

  • RealityCheque #12 2 years ago

    Well I was sold as soon as they said '40k'.

  • Mooglepies #13 2 years ago

    MMOFPS or MMOTPS would work for me. The industry needs to get over the "WE HAVE TO MAKE IT LIKE WOW, FROM THE STRUCTURE TO THE INTERFACE" phase it's going through.

  • Shikasama #14 2 years ago

    I might be wrong, but this sounds like a couple of years off still doesn't it?

  • cnlfailure #15 2 years ago

    Given that in the future there is only war, please, for the love of god take inspiration from Planetside, not from Warcraft.

  • figgis #16 2 years ago

    The developers worry me, one average game and they are trying an MMO? Doesn't bode well.

  • StarchildHypocrethes #17 2 years ago

    Oh my...

  • InternetRed #18 2 years ago

    "Hello there fresh-meat! If you can go and kill 10 squigs that have been bothering my grandmother, I'll give you a shiny laspistol!"
    "Oi, fresh-meat! go kills me sum squigs, and bring back their skulls, they make good decorations! I might gives ya a shoota!"

  • Xeaon #19 2 years ago

    +billion to those who want it to be like planetside, or any MMOFPS. I think it's already confirmed as a 3rd person game though ;)

  • InternetRed #20 2 years ago

    I'm not good at competitive games (pvp etc), so will this game be a waste for me?

  • the_dudefather #21 2 years ago

    I would be happy with a battlefield style game with most of the 40k armies present

    no mukkin about on planets or whatever, just choose a class and blast into the level and start killing, want to try another class, go nuts

  • jellyhead #22 2 years ago

    Mooglepies, you can bet if it isn't a WoW re-skin in 40k clothes that the bitching will reach the Emperor himself.
    WoW is the best. It didn't work like this in WoW! blah blah blah.

    Of course i've just signed up to STO so this is all moot unless they release next year.

  • Davemanz #23 2 years ago

    Ach, if this doesn't suck I might actually be tempted to try an MMO for more than five minutes.

  • XdarXideX #24 2 years ago

    If I have to point and click like every other mmo you can count me out. FPS/TPS mmo please!

  • Psi #25 2 years ago

    god sake take some direction from planetside please!

    spacewow we don't need.

    first person instant and heavy action across lots of worlds and have many many vechicle types. it should seem like a war, not a raid for god sake

  • Seoh #26 2 years ago

    This could actually be quite good although part of me wonders if it should be solo or squad based, ie your character starts with 4 marine pets. Think ground combat in STO but good.

  • sneetch #27 2 years ago

    I agree with the others: if this is more Planetside than WoW (I want skill to play a part, I don't want to be right clicking to auto attack mobs) then it could be awesome, if it's a WoW-a-like then they've thrown away a good licence.

    I think the auto-attack, numbers-scrolling-over-their-heads, model works fine for fantasy games. Sci-fi games, not so much. A 1st or 3rd person view (players choice) and you aim to hit.

    Armour penetration, weapon spread, crit-chance and whatever can still be governed by level, stats and equipment but you should have to actually aim and fire.

  • sneetch #28 2 years ago

    I don't want to be marines to playable, btw, a Necromunda based MMO would be awesome, with three factions, orks, imperials and gangers. Marines are supposed to be almost god-like, capable of taking down hordes of orks each.

    I can't imagine being a level one marine. :)

  • autogunner #29 2 years ago

    I reckon it should be space marines vs chaos vs tau and be along the lines of clan based warfare, like global agenda

  • Ryboy #30 2 years ago

    Sneetch has hit upon a valid point there, a Necromunda MMO would work much better than a 40k MMO. Personally, I don't mind the WoW style, but it HAS to move away from the 'kill 15 whatever' routine.

    If they try and do a SWTOR and really flesh out the entire universe with full speech, then this could really be something very special indeed.
    Edited by 1 at 04/02/10 @ 13:23

  • Saxo #31 2 years ago

    Hope they nail this just right. Love the Warhammer 40k Universe, and horus heresy books.

  • oxymoron #32 2 years ago

    Always stayed away from wow because of the crack factor. used to work for GW and love the whole 40k universe, this is something that i may take an extended look at. Grey Knight or Librarian, smite them in his glorious name! I speak his word! For the Emporrer!

    space facists/zealots ftw!

  • Hantheman #33 2 years ago

    It's all about Dark Eldar.

  • darkmorgado #34 2 years ago

    The developers worry me, one average game and they are trying an MMO? Doesn't bode well.

    Darksiders is way above average tbh, and they have been working on this MMO for a couple of years now

  • Kremlik Verified Co-Founder, Crash To Desktop #35 2 years ago

    After Darksiders I'm SO behind them with 40kO (see what i did there :)) now dispite being pissed that it wasn't relic doing the game to start with.. I can 100% see me filling up the character slots instantly, theres too many good races in 40k.

    To the 'it mustn't clone wow' guys: sorry guys it's going to - not because it HAS to, it's because WoW is the distled down version of the level based MMO basics, as well as the 'kill X' and 'escort/defend/take X' quests WILL still be in the title, thats the basics of questing.

    The only real thing to keep it from being WoW it basically just make as they said a better version of Warhammer Online by just doing two simple things, keep it away from faction good/evil based gameplay and two try to make things more 'open world' by not putting focus on the instancted pvp/pve..

    Like I said it's VERY hard to create a non-'clone' of any level based title out there unless you go sandbox, which in 40kO it could work however they've opted for a level based 'classic' mmo...Key thing is here is to make us feel like we've effected somthing in the game not just throw us into one big series of instanced 'stories', our 'guilds' need to feel like you belong together too not a means to an end for personal gain.

    Again sorry guys but a drastic departure from the standard MMO is unlikely, like I said bast we could hope for is a WAR without factions and a better open world pvp system, thats not really a bad thing IF the game has a soild reason to login past the level/gear grind which TBH is what WoW fails at.
    Edited by 1 at 04/02/10 @ 14:27

  • Ishmail #36 2 years ago

    Agree with many of the comments here. An online FPS set in 40k, with decent map design and squad based strategy all in a fairly open world with some persistent effect from battle outcomes would be pure awesome.

    Watching my cartoony marine stand still and auto-attack for ages while periodically pressing the hotkeys for "Deadly Shot!" and "Even More Extra Special Damaging Shot Thing" would be a complete joke.

  • AhSoul #37 2 years ago

    I think it would work well in a Borderlands style. So RPG elements for the guns etc, but still FPS controls.

  • SAMagic #38 2 years ago

    Don't forget that we'll see WH40K: Space Marine before this MMO. The last I saw, it was looking good, even if it was very much Gears of War + WH40K.

    @Krelmlik
    To the 'it mustn't clone wow' guys: sorry guys it's going to - not because it HAS to, it's because WoW is the distled down version of the level based MMO basics, as well as the 'kill X' and 'escort/defend/take X' quests WILL still be in the title, thats the basics of questing.

    The only real thing to keep it from being WoW it basically just make as they said a better version of Warhammer Online by just doing two simple things, keep it away from faction good/evil based gameplay and two try to make things more 'open world' by not putting focus on the instancted pvp/pve..
    There is some truth in what you say. I think (or at least hope) it could go either way, it totally depends on the approach. The devs and pub simply can't look at Warhammer Online and say "Let's replicate this but make it WH40K", if they have any sense then they'll recognise that WOR simply hasn't been a runaway success based on its brand. I'm thinking more of Battlefield crossed with Borderlands - action-based multiplayer, rather than WOW.

    A WH40K MMO has to focus on the war, of course. There are millions of worlds that players could fight over. There could be scripted events (ala Matrix Online) with a Tyranid, Ork or Chaos invasion of a sector or virtually anything from the rich universe.

    Also, a space marine would have to be a playable character, though it'd have to be earned. Players would start off as natives of a world, then get to choose a chapter to join. They start off as lowly initiates and scouts, before undergoing training and earning their power armour and wargear.

  • Kremlik Verified Co-Founder, Crash To Desktop #39 2 years ago

    @Ish and Soul Again guys they've already stated that it's a standard MMORPG, not a MMOFPS..

    I know i keep on seeming like I'm ruining everyone's hopes but again it's only to stop people from being let down by overhyping and 'wishing' for a game style thats not going to happen, sadly thats whats hurting the genre atm people hoping for a 'wow killer' thats 'totally different to anything they've played before', what your really asking for is the game NOT to be a MMO and to find a playerbase size thats not actally there with every current newly released MMO, and then bashing the title even tho it's probly really good on normal standards of the average MMO and only holding 300k subs, which in mmo terms is a big hit.

    It's like Icecream, icecream cannot stop being icecream even tho theres LOADS of favours out there, just pick a flavour and dig in!

    @Sam - aye basically i'll be happy if it's more guild vs guild pvp focused but the guild HAS to be only one race type - As marnie can war againest themselfs and deffinitly we'll find Ork vs ork situations :) - i think it's only Eldar and Tau that havn't activitly had an internal battle in current lore..

    The only real turn off with WAR for me was the faction vs faction bit, it wasn't just that he pairing didn't 'fit' with lore (mainly the destruction side - chaos working with darkelf AND orc... please...) but it's just the case of player balance, people just played and moved on the 'winning side' on all the servers making the whole RVR pointless as many people had side RvRvR back in DAoC's days would have saved the game from that..

    If 40K has to be pvp based to 'fit' with the lore and fans, only it's focus MUSTN'T be faction based pvp, WAR proved it doesn't work, and as many many people have said we don't want another PVE based MMO, it's done to death now.
    Edited by 1 at 04/02/10 @ 15:32

  • TSYNDMonkfish #40 2 years ago

    So - A Planetside / Boarderlands / BF2 / 40k type thing is what we all seem to want out of this.. Lets hope they deliver.

    While were on 40k, id love to see an epic Titan based rts at some point also

  • Synthesis #41 2 years ago

    Unfortunately it will most likely never deliver on the scale that we desire. Not many of the races will be playable, there is not much chance of the gaming world being as vast and meaningful as it could be and they are almost certain not to live up to the hype that the words "40k MMO" immediately conjour up.

    40k has the fluff, the solid backstory, the diversity of races and a massive universe to base it all in.

    All the extra stuff is done for the developers, but that didn't stop the Warhammer MMO being poor.

    Ultimately what any GW fan wants is 40k/WH tabletop meets battlechess diced up with total war. Unfortunately that wont happen as it will impact on the actual hobby itself, although computing is already hurting it dramatically.

    I think due to the nature of the 40k universe and the constant, endless streams of brutal warfare and pitched battles over cities, planets and galaxies, it would make sense to go along the planetside route. It's just a case of doing that and maintaining the full sense of scale, all the races and a vast array of planets/territory to fight over in a meaningful way.

    As for collecting 30 Tyranid Spines and return to Captain Tycho, very funny, but no thanks (I will also show my geekiness by revealing that he was infact called Brother Captain Tycho!).

    That last bit might earn me some negativity ;)

    Oh yes and no enforced faction based PvP nonsense. Open world race related PvP please, let there be racial factions along the lines of the fluff, but let them choose when or if to go to war etc. Ideally it would be best if this aspect was GM run, to avoid dodgy player pacts and to allow for the story to actually be immersive and decent, something which hasn't been done since the olden days of UO where the GM's would play an active role in creating events and storylines that changed the world.
    Edited by 1 at 04/02/10 @ 17:43

  • sneetch #42 2 years ago

    @Kremlik
    @Ish and Soul Again guys they've already stated that it's a standard MMORPG, not a MMOFPS..

    Where did they say this? Not doubting you but would like to read more.

    I know i keep on seeming like I'm ruining everyone's hopes but again it's only to stop people from being let down by overhyping and 'wishing' for a game style thats not going to happen, sadly thats whats hurting the genre atm people hoping for a 'wow killer' thats 'totally different to anything they've played before', what your really asking for is the game NOT to be a MMO and to find a playerbase size thats not actally there with every current newly released MMO, and then bashing the title even tho it's probly really good on normal standards of the average MMO and only holding 300k subs, which in mmo terms is a big hit.

    No, what we're asking for is a MMO that doesn't follow the standard right-click to auto-attack and then use your hotbar abilities model.

    The MMOFPS has been done before in Planetside, there were problems with that, the lack of an incentive to not simply zerg and the lack of variety in content (it was/is pure PVP) but it was good fun and other MMOFPSs could be excellent.

    I don't mind the addition of standard quest types so long as there's a reason to keep playing and some variety in what you're doing. The WH40K universe could add that with PVE encounters.

  • curtlikesmeat #43 2 years ago

    FPS please, or at least something that's a little bit more twitch related. Guns and timers / dice rolls just don't work for me, especially at low levels where there's a 5 second gap whilst you and your enemy wait for each other to fire; see Anarchy Online.

    Having said that AO still managed to get quite a lot of atmosphere, so I'll keep tabs on this.

  • Mono_X #44 2 years ago

    Why is it that when people hear MMO they assume it means MMORPG or to a lesser extent MMOFPS. - Or that it has to have persistence. THQ haven't revealed anything yet.

    How about a MMORTS - with 64 players aside, each player controlling a battalion or a squadron. Imagine the scale of the battles!

    Having said that, it probably will be a MMORPG - doh!

  • KDR_11k #45 2 years ago

    I hope its combat system is more like Dawn of War 2 than the regular MMO "stand there and kick each other in the balls until one of you falls over" bullshit. A DoW2-like MMO would be really interesting for me since I like the fiction more than most videogame settings and shooting is inherently easier to model accurately in a videogame than melee combat.

  • Stickman #46 2 years ago

    Yeah, an FPS twitch game is what we need in the MMO market. There's not enough online FPS shooters about. Well, certainly not one about to be launched with the 40k name on it.

    Oh wait, I'm a fucking retard.

  • TitusCrow #47 2 years ago

    There are so many ways to fail on this one it's staggering. Few to succeed.

    Or there is the path of small and limited success and then server merging and then falling under 100,000 players, then free weeks, promise of re-vamps, patch upon patch and...close.

    Or just maybe... they could try something a bit different and may be succeed utterly! sure they might fail ignominiously. The point is if they go the tried and tested route, they fail slowly, insignificantly, the tried and tested way too.

    So have a real go at this, the IP is there, its rich with promise get some vision, grow some balls and put the game before - projected revenues - and maybe you will have some worth talking about. Make a good game of a beloved IP and everything else will take care of its self.
    Start speaking like suits to shareholders and worrying about the dividends and you are already halfway to failure.
    Edited by 1 at 04/02/10 @ 20:22

  • Orange #48 2 years ago

    All they have to do is make a better version of planetside, then follow the WoW path of using the RTS credibility and storylines to lead into the mmo. It will succeed very nicely then.

    Just don't make it WoW-like in gameplay.

  • Kremlik Verified Co-Founder, Crash To Desktop #49 2 years ago

    @sneetch - it's actally on this site if you look up the old articles, it's a little old but it does comfirm the 'not FPS' bit, until E3 it's the only 'offical' info we've had on it

  • WrongShui #50 2 years ago

    Who won't be a Spess Mehren?

  • curtlikesmeat #51 2 years ago

    Using the same engine as this:

    [link url=http://www .youtube.com/watch?v=zb81BD-4Kmw
    ]http://www .youtube.com/watch?v=zb81BD-4Kmw
    [/link]

    Would be acceptable to me! (and what happened to that game?!)

  • telboy007 #52 2 years ago

    @curtlikesmeat - as far as I know, this is still in development and will be the awesome!
    Edited by 1 at 05/02/10 @ 10:04

  • RandomTerrain #53 2 years ago

    This sounds great, I hope they are considering releasing this on the consoles as well as the PC.
    I would be very tempted to take part if they did. If they get this right, it could be one of the coolest games ever.

    To all you 40k fans, I recommend the book Eisenhorn. One of the best sci-fi books ever once you get into it. Loved it.
    Edited by 1 at 05/02/10 @ 10:27

  • orakio #54 2 years ago

    you can hope all you want, but it feels like they have chosen the safe way, meaning a WoW-inspired concept. No doubt the market analysts have given that 'professional advice' even before programming started.
    Revenue = everything these days, unfortunately.

  • SAMagic #55 2 years ago

    Massively posted some early screengrabs of the 40K MMO:
    http://ww w.massively.com/2009/12/02/an-e...

  • Fwing #56 2 years ago

    Can you all stop talking about a "40k version of Planetside" please? I'm trying to work and it's difficult when I'M THIS AROUSED!

  • General_Zod #57 2 years ago

    40K Planetside would not work:

    *Joining Battle 11 Dark Eldar*
    *Joining Battle 10,000 Space Marines*
    *Battle over in 0.5 seconds*
    *Space Marines win*

    They could do something really good like an inquisitor MMO which would fit perfectly into the MMORPG style but they wont. The need for Spezz Mahrines is too great so you will be collecting heretic scrotums for a new piece of armour while trying to avoid the 1000 Level 60 Chapter Masters who are waiting outside the newbie area so they can gank you.

  • Stickman #58 2 years ago

    I'm going to be a squat.

  • sneetch #59 2 years ago

    @Kremlik
    @sneetch - it's actally on this site if you look up the old articles, it's a little old but it does comfirm the 'not FPS' bit, until E3 it's the only 'offical' info we've had on it

    Bugger. Sorry about my laziness. :)

    Well, I'm suddenly less interested then, thanks for the heads-up. On the other hand...

    [link url=http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/first-warhamm er-40k-mmo-details
    ]http://ww w.eurogamer.net/articles/first-...[/link]

    "But although it's no MMOFPS it's still firefight-focused, and borrows heavily from the holy trinity of tactical shooter mechanics: cover, suppressive fire, and flanking."

    Hmmmmm... could be good. So long as it's not just a game of scrolling damage numbers and auto-attacks. We'll have to wait.