Modders have been creating exceptional content for Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 since its record-breaking launch last year, but their latest achievement might be the most impressive one yet.
Tom, also known as Warhammer Workshop and the creator behind the popular Astartes Overhaul mod, recently announced the launch of 12-player co-op, and the gameplay looks incredible. Footage shows multiple players joining forces to battle a Tyranid Trygon Prime in an intense encounter reminiscent of an MMO boss fight.
This was previously considered impossible, as the base version of Space Marine 2 only supports up to three players in co-op mode. However, with assistance from developer Saber Interactive, the modding team not only surpassed that limit but also aims to elevate the entire Space Marine 2 experience.
“I’m genuinely impressed by Saber’s dedication to the modding community,” Tom shared with IGN. “None of us expected 12-player PvE sessions to become a reality so quickly—yet here we are. Their trust and cooperation have brought this massive breakthrough to life, completely transforming what we can accomplish.”
It should be noted that the current mod is still in a testing phase—functional and promising, but not yet finalized. Adding twelve players naturally disrupts the game’s PvE balance, as encounters were originally designed for significantly fewer participants fighting Tyranids and Thousand Sons forces.
Now that 12-player co-op is achievable, modders are developing enhancements to fully utilize the expanded gameplay. Tom revealed to IGN that the team is working on several new modes, including prop hunt, PvP within operations, extensive updates for the upcoming official horde mode, and, most intriguing of all, raid-style missions featuring formidable bosses that require coordinated teamwork and introduce fresh mechanics.
The Space Marine 2 modding scene has grown into a thriving community, with around 20,000 active participants in the main Discord server.
“As both a modder and a player, it’s impossible not to feel the excitement,” Tom added. “Hats off to the Saber team for making all this possible and for continuing to deliver outstanding original content—all without the common battle-pass tactics we’ve come to expect in today’s games.”
These are exciting times for Space Marine 2 overall, with a horde mode on the horizon, a new class in development, and additional Operations maps and weapons underway. Saber recently shared details for Patch 8, confirmed certain horde mode features, and unveiled the associated map.
Space Marine 3 has also been officially confirmed, which is no surprise given the tremendous success of its predecessor. This 12-player co-op mod may even offer a glimpse of what’s to come in the sequel. When Space Marine 3 was announced, the developers teased “large-scale battles that are even more spectacular,” which suggests the possibility of an increased player count for co-op modes.
Until more is revealed, the modding community will continue to inject creativity and excitement into the game, as this latest co-op expansion clearly demonstrates.
