# Warhammer 40,000: Darktide
**Warhammer 40,000: Darktide** is a first-person cooperative action game for four players, set in the [Warhammer 40,000](https://www.edgepedia.org/warhammer-40-000) universe and developed and published by the Swedish studio Fatshark.[1](https://titimag.com/mag/titi%20magazine%20january%202023%20issue.pdf) It is the spiritual successor to Fatshark's Vermintide series, moving that formula of four-player horde survival from fantasy to the sci-fi setting of the hive city of Tertium, where players fight together against hordes of enemies.[2](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-UifdRoC8I) • [3](https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/warhammer-40k-darktide-review-left-to-shred/1900-6418008/) The game launched on PC on November 30, 2022, after two delays, and later came to Xbox Series X|S and [PlayStation 5](https://www.edgepedia.org/playstation-5).[4](https://www.playdarktide.com/news/an-update-on-darktide) • [5](https://www.playdarktide.com/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Genre and setting | First-person 4-player co-op action game in the Warhammer 40,000 universe, set in hive Tertium[1](https://titimag.com/mag/titi%20magazine%20january%202023%20issue.pdf) • [2](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-UifdRoC8I) |
| Developer | Fatshark, the Stockholm studio behind Vermintide and Vermintide 2[1](https://titimag.com/mag/titi%20magazine%20january%202023%20issue.pdf) |
| PC launch | November 30, 2022, after a delay announced to improve stability, performance, and key systems[4](https://www.playdarktide.com/news/an-update-on-darktide) |
| Combat design | "Hybrid Combat" integrating melee and FPS-style ranged play, with Far, Close, and Melee combat ranges[6](https://www.playdarktide.com/news/dev-blog-hybrid-combat) |
| Classes at launch | Veteran, Zealot, Psyker, and Ogryn; later joined by the Arbites, Hive Scum, and Skitarii classes[7](https://www.fatshark.se/news/darktides-new-class-arbites-out-now) • [8](https://www.warhammer-community.com/en-gb/articles/z1yoepme/make-your-name-on-the-streets-as-hive-scum-with-a-new-class-for-warhammer-40000-darktide/) • [9](https://www.playdarktide.com/news?21ada4ec_page=1&23c2d6ce_page=2) |
| Steam peak concurrency | 103,631 concurrent players[10](https://tracker.gg/population/steam/1361210) |
| Scale | Around 2 million game owners as reported in a 2025 study[11](https://videogames-observatory.eu/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/OEJV_Videogame-Culture-War_EN.pdf) |
## Gameplay
Darktide keeps the core structure of Vermintide 2, in which four players cooperate to defeat periodic waves of enemies.[1](https://titimag.com/mag/titi%20magazine%20january%202023%20issue.pdf) The distinctive change is what Fatshark calls Hybrid Combat: rather than treating shooting as a separate mode, the game integrates melee and first-person-shooter ranged play, so players swap between a lasgun and a melee weapon as hordes close in, and must learn when to use each.[6](https://www.playdarktide.com/news/dev-blog-hybrid-combat) The combat system defines three ranges: Far Combat, the cover-based accurate fire of combat rifles; Close Combat, fast short-range fighting with shotguns and submachine guns; and Melee Combat, which locks both sides into hand-to-hand fighting and removes ranged threats.[6](https://www.playdarktide.com/news/dev-blog-hybrid-combat)
The ranged enemies introduced with the 40K setting forced a new defensive mechanic. Dodging and sprinting were not enough against sustained fire, so Fatshark added [Toughness](https://www.edgepedia.org/toughness), a shield that soaks a few ranged hits before a player is stunned and killed; its regeneration is tied to staying near teammates.[6](https://www.playdarktide.com/news/dev-blog-hybrid-combat)
**Enemy design.** Enemies are built in categories with distinct purposes: Roamers and Hordes are baseline threats players kill at leisure; Elites break the player's flow and demand immediate attention; Specials enforce teamwork by downing or trapping players who then need rescue; and Monsters challenge the whole team.[6](https://www.playdarktide.com/news/dev-blog-hybrid-combat) Missions are not bespoke scenarios; enemy compositions are generated from rules and fail-safes designed to keep the flow of threat deadly but survivable.[6](https://www.playdarktide.com/news/dev-blog-hybrid-combat)
## Setting and story
The story invites players to liberate the colossal hive city of Tertium from the Chaos forces infesting it.[12](https://as.com/meristation/2022/12/05/analisis/1670237627_790079.html) Players take the role of underdogs, "rejects", conscripted into service, a deliberate emphasis on the human perspective of the Warhammer 40,000 setting.[13](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYEthX07g0I) Darktide was Fatshark's first game with a live-service-style story at launch, intended to change as the situation in Hive Tertium unfolds.[14](https://www.pcgamer.com/warhammer-40000-darktide-review/)
Narrative support grew substantially after launch. The Battle for Tertium update, released alongside the Arbites class in June 2025, added a campaign mode that presents maps, enemies, and characters in a specific order, with bespoke voiceover, cutscenes, and unique enemy spawns, replacing the fully random mission progression new players previously experienced.[7](https://www.fatshark.se/news/darktides-new-class-arbites-out-now) • [15](https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/darktides-narrative-will-be-expanded-as-part-of-future-updates-we-are-definitely-going-to-be-adding-to-the-story-of-the-game/) Design director Victor Magnuson said each new piece of the game would add to the overarching story, though not necessarily attached to a new class.[15](https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/darktides-narrative-will-be-expanded-as-part-of-future-updates-we-are-definitely-going-to-be-adding-to-the-story-of-the-game/)
## Development and launch
The game was first announced with a 2021 release window.[2](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-UifdRoC8I) In July 2021, Fatshark moved the release to Spring 2022.[16](https://www.fatshark.se/news/2021/7/15/an-update-on-darktides-launch-window) A further delay pushed the release to November 30, 2022, a decision CEO and co-founder Martin Wahlund attributed to the need for more time to improve stability and performance and to mature key systems; Xbox Series X|S was to launch shortly after PC.[4](https://www.playdarktide.com/news/an-update-on-darktide)
Launch reception was mixed on content and performance. Reviewers found the core combat excellent, with [PC Gamer](https://www.edgepedia.org/pc-gamer) judging Darktide's combat better than Vermintide 2's and strong enough to hold the game together,[14](https://www.pcgamer.com/warhammer-40000-darktide-review/) but the game shipped with much less content than Vermintide 2, and performance and stability issues persisted from the beta onward.[12](https://as.com/meristation/2022/12/05/analisis/1670237627_790079.html) • [17](https://gameranx.com/features/id/428300/article/5-things-vermintide-does-better-than-warhammer-40000-darktide/) A slow loot grind and lack of content dominated the launch-period conversation.[18](https://www.gamesradar.com/games/best-warhammer-games/)
## Post-release support and classes
Fatshark restructured the game over the following years. The itemization update, new weapons, new maps, and a new game mode arrived in 2024, alongside the PlayStation 5 release and crossplay.[19](https://www.playdarktide.com/news/nightmares-visions-update) In 2025 the studio delivered four major updates and two new classes.[20](https://www.fatshark.se/news/2025-wrap-up-darktide)
- **Arbites**, the first Class DLC, released June 23, 2025 with the Battle for Tertium update. The class enforces the Lex Imperialis with a Cyber-Mastiff companion and new weaponry.[7](https://www.fatshark.se/news/darktides-new-class-arbites-out-now) • [5](https://www.playdarktide.com/)
- **Hive Scum**, the second class DLC, released December 2, 2025, portraying cartel fixers from the depths of the hive.[8](https://www.warhammer-community.com/en-gb/articles/z1yoepme/make-your-name-on-the-streets-as-hive-scum-with-a-new-class-for-warhammer-40000-darktide/) • [5](https://www.playdarktide.com/) Its pre-release power drew attention for allowing a nearly unkillable, effectively unlimited-ammo playstyle, and Fatshark nerfed it before release.[21](https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/darktides-new-hive-scum-class-can-transform-into-a-nigh-on-immortal-john-wick-with-infinite-bullets-its-no-wonder-fatsharks-nerfed-it-before-release/)
- **Skitarii Alpha Primus**, an Adeptus Mechanicus class, was announced for release on June 23.[9](https://www.playdarktide.com/news?21ada4ec_page=1&23c2d6ce_page=2) • [5](https://www.playdarktide.com/) Its design centers on mechanics such as Power Overflow, which distributes excess Toughness to allies in Coherency, and [System Shock](https://www.edgepedia.org/system-shock), which applies stacks of [Brittleness](https://www.edgepedia.org/brittleness) to electrocuted enemies.[22](https://www.playdarktide.com/news/feature-highlight-skitarii-game-design-talents)
Free updates have added modes and content throughout. Nightmares & Visions arrived on March 25, 2025, adding the Mortis Trials wave-survival activity and a revamped Ogryn talent tree.[19](https://www.playdarktide.com/news/nightmares-visions-update) The Havoc mode, a high-difficulty ranked assignment, received an overhaul with campaigns and new modifiers.[20](https://www.fatshark.se/news/2025-wrap-up-darktide) The Depths of the Damned update added the Spillway mission, a new boss, the Prophet of Decay, and a story mini-campaign, and rebalanced Golden Toughness by removing its Spillover Immunity so that it follows the same damage rules as regular Toughness.[23](https://www.playdarktide.com/news/depths-of-the-damned-free-update-out-now)
## Player numbers and reception over time
Darktide's Steam concurrent player count peaked at 103,631.[10](https://tracker.gg/population/steam/1361210) The player base has surged with each major content release: December 2025, the month of the Hive Scum release, saw a monthly average of 14,499 players and a peak of 34,319 concurrent players, an increase of 154.39 percent over the previous month.[24](https://steamcharts.com/app/1361210) The game has also benefited from the wider success of the Warhammer 40,000 license; Mike Knight, Darktide's narrative lead at Fatshark, said the studio "definitely saw a boost in player numbers after Space Marine 2", as players of one Warhammer game look for similar experiences.[25](https://www.pcgamer.com/games/warhammer-40-000-games-darktide-and-rogue-trader-enjoyed-a-sales-bump-due-to-the-popularity-of-space-marine-2/)
Retrospective assessments have warmed as the game matured. PC Gamer's ranking of Warhammer 40,000 games credits Darktide with pairing Vermintide's first-person melee with top-tier shooting, and notes that the Battle for Tertium update gave the missions a narrative path with voiceovers and post-mission cutscenes.[26](https://www.pcgamer.com/best-warhammer-40k-games/) A frequent remaining criticism is the inability to play truly solo or with bots, since the game requires at least two players to start a private session.[27](https://steamstat.io/app/1361210)
## References
1. [Titi Magazine, January 2023 issue](https://titimag.com/mag/titi%20magazine%20january%202023%20issue.pdf)
2. [Warhammer 40,000: Darktide – Official Gameplay Trailer, Fatshark (YouTube)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-UifdRoC8I)
3. [Warhammer 40K Darktide Review – Left To Shred, GameSpot](https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/warhammer-40k-darktide-review-left-to-shred/1900-6418008/)
4. [An Update on Darktide, Fatshark](https://www.playdarktide.com/news/an-update-on-darktide)
5. [Warhammer 40,000: Darktide – Official Website](https://www.playdarktide.com/)
6. [Dev Blog: Hybrid Combat, Fatshark](https://www.playdarktide.com/news/dev-blog-hybrid-combat)
7. [Darktide's class Arbites is out now and the new update Battle for Tertium has dropped, Fatshark](https://www.fatshark.se/news/darktides-new-class-arbites-out-now)
8. [Make your name on the streets as Hive Scum with a new class for Warhammer 40,000: Darktide, Warhammer Community](https://www.warhammer-community.com/en-gb/articles/z1yoepme/make-your-name-on-the-streets-as-hive-scum-with-a-new-class-for-warhammer-40000-darktide/)
9. [Warhammer 40,000: Darktide – News](https://www.playdarktide.com/news?21ada4ec_page=1&23c2d6ce_page=2)
10. [Warhammer 40,000: Darktide Player Count, Tracker Network](https://tracker.gg/population/steam/1361210)
11. [Video Game, Battleground of the Culture Wars, EU Video Games Observatory](https://videogames-observatory.eu/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/OEJV_Videogame-Culture-War_EN.pdf)
12. [Warhammer 40.000: Darktide – Análisis, MeriStation](https://as.com/meristation/2022/12/05/analisis/1670237627_790079.html)
13. [Fatshark Developer Interview | Designing Warhammer 40,000: Darktide, Level Infinite (YouTube)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYEthX07g0I)
14. [Warhammer 40K: Darktide review, PC Gamer](https://www.pcgamer.com/warhammer-40000-darktide-review/)
15. [Darktide's narrative will be expanded as part of future updates, PC Gamer](https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/darktides-narrative-will-be-expanded-as-part-of-future-updates-we-are-definitely-going-to-be-adding-to-the-story-of-the-game/)
16. [An update on Darktide's launch window, Fatshark](https://www.fatshark.se/news/2021/7/15/an-update-on-darktides-launch-window)
17. [5 Things Vermintide Does Better Than Warhammer 40,000: Darktide, Gameranx](https://gameranx.com/features/id/428300/article/5-things-vermintide-does-better-than-warhammer-40000-darktide/)
18. [The 10 best Warhammer games of all time, ranked, GamesRadar](https://www.gamesradar.com/games/best-warhammer-games/)
19. [Nightmares & Visions Update, Fatshark](https://www.playdarktide.com/news/nightmares-visions-update)
20. [2025 Wrap-up, Fatshark](https://www.fatshark.se/news/2025-wrap-up-darktide)
21. [Darktide's new Hive Scum class can transform into a nigh-on immortal John Wick with infinite bullets, PC Gamer](https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/darktides-new-hive-scum-class-can-transform-into-a-nigh-on-immortal-john-wick-with-infinite-bullets-its-no-wonder-fatsharks-nerfed-it-before-release/)
22. [Feature Highlight – Skitarii Game Design & Talents, Fatshark](https://www.playdarktide.com/news/feature-highlight-skitarii-game-design-talents)
23. [Depths of the Damned Free Update Out now, Fatshark](https://www.playdarktide.com/news/depths-of-the-damned-free-update-out-now)
24. [Warhammer 40,000: Darktide – Steam Charts](https://steamcharts.com/app/1361210)
25. [Warhammer 40,000 games Darktide and Rogue Trader enjoyed a sales bump due to the popularity of Space Marine 2, PC Gamer](https://www.pcgamer.com/games/warhammer-40-000-games-darktide-and-rogue-trader-enjoyed-a-sales-bump-due-to-the-popularity-of-space-marine-2/)
26. [Every Warhammer 40,000 game, ranked, PC Gamer](https://www.pcgamer.com/best-warhammer-40k-games/)
27. [Warhammer 40,000: Darktide – SteamStat](https://steamstat.io/app/1361210)
---
*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Video games and digital play › Games and gameplay › Individual game titles › Individual PC and computer-platform game titles › Shooter game titles › Science fiction and fantasy shooters*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license