Warhammer 40k Darktide drops new enemies, weapons, and a hefty class rework

Warhammer 40k Darktide understands the Warhammer 40k universe like few other games. It doesn't have the power fantasy of Space Marine 2 or the scale of Dawn of War, but it nails the grit and grime of life in a Hive City. The gameplay has improved in leaps and bounds since launch, too, with a constant flow of updates from developer Fatshark to iterate on fan feedback and keep the live-service ball rolling. The latest update is Bound by Duty, which focuses on deadly plasma weaponry, and adds a new map, mission, and gear as well.

Eagle-eyed players already spotted the Plasma Gun-toting Scab in an earlier trailer, but the official Warhammer 40k Darktide patch notes tell us more about the formidable foe. In addition to the Scab and new Mortis Trials map the Theatre of Rectitude, Havoc Mutators are back and more disgusting than ever.

The Mutator with Rotten Armor (which grants the bearer toxicity) returns, as well as a new combat-enhanced Mutator which uses Contaminated Stimms to increase their potency on the battlefield. If this wasn't one of the most grimdark Warhammer 40k games already, then this surely proves it.

But it's not just your foes who are getting new gear. You can now access a Power Falchio - a single-edged blade that can overheat with too much use - and new marks of the Boltgun and Bolt Pistol respectively. These fearsome firearms fire rounds that explode on impact (even moreso than a regular bolt round), with the trade-off of having less ammo compared to other bolt weapons.

Zealot players rejoice, because your character has undergone major surgery, with practically its whole kit rebalanced. The Psyker, Veteran, Ogryn, and Arbites have all received significant balance changes, too, which will hopefully ensure that each class is viable, no matter your skill level.

Warhammer 40k: Darktide - Bound by Duty launches with a new live event in-game, Smuggled Munitions. Intended to draw narrative parallels to the new Scab variant, this mission requires you to root out dangerous squads that have raided local plasma weapon caches. If there's one thing I wouldn't leave lying around a Chaos-infested Hive City, it's shedloads of devastating weaponry, but that's just me. I'm all for this ludonarrative resonance, and can't wait to jump in and hopefully watch some Scabs explode themselves when they roll a one.

Completing all the Smuggled Munitions missions rewards you with a portrait frame consisting of glowing red plasma coils.

The Warhammer 40k Darktide Bound by Duty free update is available now on Steam. You can read the full patch notes, including hundreds of balance tweaks and bug fixes, here.

If this has tickled your pickle for more Games Workshop action, try out some of the best Warhammer games for more death and glory. Alternatively, our picks for the best FPS games are great… promise.

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