Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 announces global release times, won’t use DRM software such as Denuvo

We’re a week out from Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2’s release date, and Saber have put out a final roundup of details in a Steam blog. Alongside a global release time map (or two maps, technically, since they’re pulling that pay-more-to-play-early nonsense), there’s a big Q&A covering all your burning questions about burning 'nids. Among these is a confirmation that, no, the action game won’t be implementing DRM software such as Denuvo.

First up, here’s the global release map. The proper one, not the chump chart:

And here’s a few select items from the Q&A:

• Will the game support crossplay, and can it be toggled off?

Yes, full crossplay between Steam, Epic Games Store, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S players will be supported from Day One.

You will be able to play the Campaign and PvE modes without any restriction, but note that for fairness and balancing purposes, crossplay for the PvP mode “Eternal War” will be split between PC players in one pool (Steam & EGS) and console players in the other one (PlayStation 5 & Xbox Series X|S).

You will also have the option to disable crossplay functionality if you prefer to only play with those using the same platform as yours.

• Are there any restrictions for what classes can be played in “Operations” mode (PvE)? What about “Eternal War” (PvP)?

Your squad may only include one Space Marine of each class in “Operations” mode. In “Eternal War” mode, there is a limit of two players per class and per team.

No all-Sniper teams, but you'll have plenty of strategic variety!

• Will the game be playable on Steam Deck?

We are working on official Steam Deck support, but it's not ready yet. We’re currently targeting the end of the year for full Steam Deck support.

• Will the game have official mod support (e.g., NexusMods, mod.io)?

We currently have no plans for official mod support.

• What anti-cheat system is in place?

We will be using Easy Anti Cheat on PC at launch.

• Does the game use DRM software (ie. Denuvo…)?

No.

Could the lack of DRM be something to do with the entire game already leaking a few months back? Possibly. As is well established now, piracy doesn’t directly translate to lost sales anyway. Denuvo, of course, has a pretty rotten reputation for negatively affecting performance. It’s possible Saber figured that anyone planning to pirate the game has already done so, and so avoiding the much-maligned DRM software was a win-win.

Whether DRM software (and Denuvo specifically) does significantly impact performance is a matter of some debate. Denuvo owner Irdeto doesn't think so. Last July, Steve Huin, their COO of Video Games (great title) vowed to prove that the software wasn't the issue. Speaking to Ars Technica, Huin outlined plans to provide “trusted media outlets” with two copies of a game - one with Denuvo, one without - to perform their own tests.

I’m not saying this didn’t happen, although I’m yet to find any evidence it did. Let me know if you saw any, and I’ll update the article. There’s compelling evidence out there that Denuvo really does make games run worse - including Digital Foundry’s own tests with a cracked version of Resident Evil: Village, but there’s also evidence to the contrary.

What crazy post-truth times we live in! Truly, there’s only two things you can trust in this world: the delicious taste of Biscoff spread, and the guiding light of the Emperor Of Mankind, Ian E. Mporer. Oh, and maybe Saber’s line on microtransactions too, since they’re sticking with their ‘cosmetics only’ approach to optional purchases.