The developers and publishers behind Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 have firmly stated that they are not aiming to transform the game into a "full live service" model, following community backlash over events perceived to promote "FOMO" (Fear of Missing Out). FOMO is a strategy commonly employed by live service games to drive immediate player engagement and expenditure on time-limited virtual items, suggesting that missing out now means missing out forever.
This approach has drawn criticism for fostering an unhealthy dynamic between games and their communities. A 2021 study by the UK’s GambleAware charity highlighted how many games exploit psychological tactics, including the fear of missing out on exclusive items, to encourage purchases of loot boxes. While Space Marine 2 does not feature loot boxes, its introduction of community events for unlocking exclusive cosmetics has stirred controversy, leading some to label it as a live service game.
In response to the feedback, Space Marine 2's publisher, Focus Entertainment, and developer, Saber Interactive, acknowledged the chilly reception to these community events. They clarified in a statement that the intention behind these events is not to create FOMO but to allow dedicated players to access items early. They reassured the community that all event items will be available to everyone at a later date. The statement reads:
We have noted that the Community Events have received cold feedback since we introduced them as an additional way to unlock cosmetic items. We saw that many of you mentioned FOMO generated by the events. Rest assured, we are not looking to transform Space Marine 2 into a full live service game. The items available through events WILL be available later, for everyone. We want Community Events to be a way to unlock the items in advance, for the most dedicated players, and not to be a source of frustration and stress for everyone.
However, that means we must provide a smooth experience in unlocking said items, which has not been the case so far. We deeply apologize for the trouble, and are currently working on a simplified process to unlock the items, to make the experience less constraining.
As a gesture of goodwill, Focus Entertainment is offering the highly sought-after emblem-less Mk VIII Errant Helmet for free to all players who link their PROS account to Space Marine 2. This helmet was part of the Imperial Vigil community event, which concludes on March 3, and was previously exclusive to players who achieved victories with all six classes in Operations Mode before the deadline.
Currently, Space Marine 2 players are eagerly anticipating the upcoming 7.0 update, which promises to introduce a new weapon, a new Operations map, and PvE Prestige Ranks. Last month, Focus and Saber addressed community concerns about content scarcity and outlined their plans for the game's future updates.
Space Marine 2 achieved a record-breaking launch last year, selling 5 million copies and becoming the fastest-selling Warhammer video game to date.
