Denuvo DRM is one of the most infamous pieces of software in the modern gaming industry, for very good reason. Nowadays, almost every new release goes out of its way to clarify whether it’s using Denuvo or not, and Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2 is very pointedly saying “no”.
Quite literally, though, that’s what the developer Saber Interactive has to say on the matter: “no” to Denuvo DRM. Or to DRM of any sort, for that matter. According to a recent FAQ posted on the official Space Marine 2 website, the game will not rely on digital rights management for copy protection. The FAQ is a veritable treasure trove of valuable information, in fact, and anyone interested in the game ought to check it out in full, if you ask me. For those who just want a summary of the crucial bits, though, I’ve got you covered.
No DRM for Space Marine 2, but that’s just the start
The fact that Space Marine 2 isn’t going to rely on DRM to annoying paying customers is phenomenal news in and of itself, but there’s more where that came from. Loads more, in fact:
- Space Marine 2 does not have any microtransactions: “All gameplay content and features will be free to all players,” says the FAQ. “Any paid DLCs will be cosmetic only.”
- PvP Eternal War mode features dedicated servers in NA, Europe, LATAM, and SIE regions (!). No LAN, but that was to be expected.
- Space Marine 2‘s main narrative – 10-12 hours long in total – is fully canon to WH40K.
- The game will be available on GeForce Now from day one onwards, with fully functioning cross-platform saves and offline progression. Operations Mode needs online access to play, however.
- The game will not be available via Xbox Game Pass.
- No friendly fire in any game mode.
- DLSS2/FSR2 available on day one, DLSS3/FSR3 coming later on. No plans for raytracing.
- Steam Deck optimizations targeted for the end of 2024.
- Space Marine 2 relies on EAC for anti-cheat coverage.
Granted, some of these bits and pieces were either outright stated or hinted at in prior info-drops, but it’s still good to see Saber doubling down on some of them.
Really, the only problematic bit I’ve found about Space Marine 2 is somewhat arcane: the game will not support “wide screens” on launch day. This ostensibly refers to ultrawide and super-ultrawide monitors (21:9, 32:9) which I myself use, and it is a pretty big shame. Thing is, one of the Saber’s previous games WWZ suffered from this problem on day one as well, and it was resolved some time after release via a dedicated patch. So, not a huge problem in and of itself.
In fact, the recently published post-launch content roadmap clarifies that “wide screen” support will be coming in September. Aside from that, Warhammer 40K and Astartes fans, specifically, have got oodles of goodies to look forward to. Now, let’s see if the game is any good in the first place, right?
Published: Sep 3, 2024 10:12 am