Key Takeaways
- Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun 2 launches October 14, 2026 on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam. Nintendo Switch 2 version is confirmed but has no release date yet.
- Two playable characters — returning Ultramarine Malum Caedo and brand-new Sister of Battle Nyra Veyrath, each with completely different playstyles and weapons.
- Over 30 levels across a branching single-player campaign, facing all four Chaos god factions: Nurgle, Tzeentch, Khorne, and Slaanesh.
- 40+ new enemies and reworked boss encounters with more complexity and difficulty.
- Mick Gordon — composer of DOOM (2016) and DOOM Eternal — is contributing the final boss battle theme against Vashtorr the Arkifane.
- A free demo is already available on Steam right now, so you can try it before launch.
- AI-controlled Death Korps of Krieg troops will fight alongside you on certain levels.
Boltgun 2 Is Almost Here — And It’s Bringing a Lot More Than Just a Sequel
If you played the original Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun back in 2023 and loved every chaotic, pixel-soaked second of it, then you already know what’s coming. The sequel is basically everything fans asked for after finishing the first game — more characters, more enemies, more weapons, and a story that actually pushes things forward. Boltgun 2 drops on October 14, 2026 on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC, and based on everything we’ve seen so far, it’s shaping up to be one of the better boomer shooter sequels in recent memory.
The original Boltgun was a love letter to old-school FPS games like Doom and Quake, wrapped in Warhammer 40K’s grimdark aesthetic. It nailed that chaos-fueled flow state where you’re constantly moving, constantly shooting, and never really stopping to breathe. It ended up sitting at an impressive 87.43% positive rating on Steam, which tells you the community genuinely embraced it. Now Auroch Digital and Big Fan Games — a Devolver Digital label — are back with a proper follow-up that picks up directly where the original left off.
What’s the Story in Boltgun 2?
Boltgun 2 continues straight from the ending of the first game. Malum Caedo and newcomer Nyra Veyrath travel to an isolated star system after reports of increased Chaos activity start coming in. Things go sideways fast — because of course they do, it’s Warhammer 40K. They come face-to-face with Vashtorr the Arkifane, a demigod of immense power who awakens a massive daemonic machine at the heart of the planet, obliterating much of the Imperial fleet in the process. From there, the two warriors have to race across multiple worlds to purge the corruption feeding Vashtorr’s plans and find a way to banish the demigod back to the Warp before everything is lost.
It’s not deep narrative territory by any stretch, but it absolutely fits the tone of Warhammer 40K — big, loud, and unapologetically brutal. The lore callbacks and grimdark atmosphere were one of the things the original nailed, and Boltgun 2 seems to be doubling down on that.
Two Playable Characters — And They Play Very Differently
This is probably the biggest addition in the sequel. Where the original only let you step into the boots of Malum Caedo, Boltgun 2 gives you a second option right from the start.
Malum Caedo — The Reliable Tank
The original Ultramarine Sternguard Veteran is back and plays exactly how fans remember him. He’s built around raw stopping power and heavy momentum — a walking arsenal who hits hard and keeps pushing forward. His kit includes the Boltgun, Chainsword, frag grenades, and his signature Obliterating Charge, which functions as both a gap-closer and crowd clearer. His Chainsword lunge is also one of the better mobility tools in the game if you know how to use it properly.
Nyra Veyrath — Fast, Aggressive, and Flame-Happy
Nyra Veyrath is a battle-hardened Sister of Battle Celestian, and she brings a completely different energy to the game. She’s voiced by Alanah Pearce, who apparently nails the character’s fanatic devotion and intensity. Her playstyle is built around speed and aggression — she’s got both vertical and horizontal mobility through her Fervent Slide, making her feel much more nimble than Caedo in close-range chaos. Her starting loadout includes a Power Sword and Bolt Pistol, plus a Melta Bomb for crowd control when things get too thick. The developers have said her kit is designed around the Sisters of Battle “holy trinity” — bolters, flamers, and melta weapons — which is a great bit of lore accuracy that fans will appreciate.
Both characters can unlock additional weapons throughout the campaign, including Flamers, Stakethrowers, and Shotguns, among others. You’ll also find weapons unique to each character’s playthrough, which is a solid reason to run the game twice.
Branching Campaign and 30+ Levels
The campaign in Boltgun 2 is no longer a straight line. The sequel introduces a branching structure, meaning players have more control over the order they tackle content and will need to revisit levels to fully complete the game. It’s a meaningful shift from the original’s more linear approach, and it adds replayability that the first game didn’t really have built in.
Across that branching campaign, you’re looking at over 30 levels spread across multiple worlds. You’ll be dealing with enemies from all four Chaos god factions — the plague-ridden hordes of Nurgle, the twisted sorcery of Tzeentch, the bloodthirsty warriors of Khorne, and the hedonistic forces of Slaanesh. That’s a massive variety of enemy types to fight through, and the game is introducing more than 40 new enemies on top of fan-favorites like the sassy Nurglings and Chaos Cultists who are back to ruin your day again.
Boss encounters have also been completely overhauled. The original’s bosses were fine but fairly straightforward — the sequel is going bigger and harder, with more complex mechanics and increased difficulty across those fights.
Fighting Alongside the Death Korps of Krieg
One of the more exciting additions that hasn’t gotten as much attention is the inclusion of AI-controlled Death Korps of Krieg troops on certain levels. For those who don’t know their lore, the Death Korps are one of the most famous — and grimly fascinating — Imperial Guard regiments in all of Warhammer 40K, known for their unrelenting trench warfare tactics and willingness to throw themselves into any meat grinder in service of the Emperor. Having them show up as battlefield allies is a genuinely cool nod to the wider 40K universe and expands the feel of the game well beyond the original’s scope.
Mick Gordon Is Scoring the Final Boss — Yes, That Mick Gordon
Here’s the part that had a lot of FPS fans losing their minds when it was announced. Mick Gordon — the composer responsible for the legendary soundtracks of DOOM (2016), DOOM Eternal, and Wolfenstein: The New Order — is contributing an original track for the final boss battle against Vashtorr the Arkifane. The developers describe it as a “cameo” appearance, but when Mick Gordon writes you a boss theme, it tends to be an event in itself. You can already hear a teaser of it in the release date announcement trailer, and it’s exactly as intense as you’d hope.
Given how much Boltgun’s DNA is shared with the DOOM lineage — fast movement, arena combat, never stopping — having Gordon on board for this feels like a genuine full-circle moment. If that final fight hits the way the music promises, it’s going to be memorable.
Demo Available Right Now — Don’t Sleep on It
If you’re on the fence about Boltgun 2 or just haven’t had a chance to check out the series yet, there’s a free demo available on Steam right now. It gives you a real feel for both characters and the combat loop before you commit to the full game. That’s the kind of confidence move from a developer that usually means the actual product backs it up.
If you’re coming from games like Doom Eternal or just love that old-school run-and-gun feel mixed with dense lore and amazing pixel art visuals, you’re going to want to spend some time with that demo before October 14 rolls around. And speaking of games with that intense, non-stop action feel — if you’re into Gears of War E-Day’s approach to pushing hardware harder, Boltgun 2 is worth watching for the same reason: it’s proof you don’t need photorealism to make something feel absolutely relentless.
Platforms and Release Date
Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun 2 launches on October 14, 2026 for:
- PC (Steam)
- PlayStation 5
- Xbox Series X|S
A Nintendo Switch 2 version has been confirmed but doesn’t have a firm release date yet. The developers have said it will follow “shortly after” the other platforms, so Switch 2 owners won’t be waiting long.
Should You Be Excited?
If you loved the first Boltgun, this one is basically everything the sequel needed to be — bigger campaign, two distinct characters worth replaying for, a massive jump in enemy variety, and a final boss theme from one of the best composers in FPS history. The boomer shooter genre has seen a real comeback over the past few years, and Boltgun 2 looks like it could be the standout release of that whole wave.
Even if you’re newer to the genre, the free demo makes it easy to find out whether this is your kind of game before spending a cent. The Warhammer 40K license isn’t just window dressing here — the lore, the factions, the aesthetic — all of it is baked into how the game actually plays, and that’s rare enough to be worth calling out. For those keeping up with what’s happening in gaming this fall, this one deserves to be on your radar right alongside other major releases. If you want to stay updated on what else is dropping this season, our deep dive on MW4’s DMZ Extraction mode is worth a read for what’s shaping up in the multiplayer space too.
October 14 can’t get here fast enough. For the Emperor.
