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

The developer and publisher of Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 have insisted they’re not trying to turn the game into a “full live service” after a backlash to community events described as promoting “FOMO.”

FOMO, or the fear of missing out, is a tactic often used by live service game developers and publishers to encourage rapid engagement and spending on virtual items that are released for a limited time. The suggestion with these sorts of events is that if players do not obtain the items while they’re available now, then they will lose the chance forever.

This practice is often criticized for creating an unhealthy relationship between a video game and its community. In 2021, new research commissioned by the UK’s GambleAware charity said many games use a “psychological nudge” to encourage people to buy loot boxes – such as the fear of missing out on limited-time items or special deals.

Space Marine 2 does not contain loot boxes, of course, but it does have community events that were recently introduced as a way to unlock coveted cosmetics. And it’s these community events that have triggered a backlash, with some applying the dreaded “live service” label to Space Marine 2.

In a post addressing the complaints, Space Marine 2 publisher Focus Entertainment and developer Saber Interactive admitted the community events had received “cold feedback” since their introduction, and “we saw that many of you mentioned FOMO generated by the events.”

But the companies promised all the items made available in these events will be released again later, for everyone. Here’s the statement:

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.

To that end, Focus Entertainment is giving away the much-wanted emblem-less Mk VIII Errant Helmet for free to all who link their PROS account (Focus Entertainment’s account system) to Space Marine 2. This helmet is a part of the Imperial Vigil community event that ends on March 3, and was previously only available to those who achieved a victory with each of six classes in Operations Mode by the end date.

Space Marine 2 players are currently awaiting its 7.0 update, which is set to add a new weapon, a new Operations map, and PvE Prestige Ranks. Last month, Focus and Saber addressed growing frustration over a lack of content and outlined what players can expect from Space Marine 2 in the coming months.

Space Marine 2 enjoyed a record-breaking launch late last year, eventually shifting 5 million copies while becoming the fastest-selling Warhammer video game of all time.

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.