Space Marine 2 has been such a huge success that it "changes everything" for its developers: "You look at yourself through a different lens"

A screenshot of the upcoming PC game, Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2.
(Image credit: Focus Entertainment)

The success of Space Marine 2 means that everything has changed for its developer, according to Saber Interactive CCO Tim Willits.

Speaking to IGN, Willits says, "When you have a big hit, and you have that internet kind of popularity, there's more passion, and there's more responsibility for the quality that you do. And you look at yourself through a different lens." The size of Space Marine 2's success, then, "really does change everything."

Willits says he's already told staff at Saber Interactive that "this changes everything we do moving forward." That even amounts to smaller games, or those that are releasing imminently - "everything we do now, this changes."

That approach can have its pros and cons. Willits notes that when a studio looks at itself with the kind of post-success introspection he's talking about, it "can be a little dangerous because then you get so paranoid about making sure everything is great that you overstress about things." It should still, however, drive Saber towards "amazing games in the future."

Space Marine 2's success hasn't been entirely quantified yet, but Willits mentions a desire for it to match up to Saber's other high-profile horde hooter, World War Z. That game, an adaptation of Max Brooks' novel, has reached 25 million players, and it sounds as though the new game is relatively hot on its heels - earlier this month, Willits suggested that Space Marine 2 was the fastest-selling game he'd ever worked on. Given that Willits is a veteran of Quake, Doom, and Wolfenstein, that's a pretty impressive feat, and it certainly bodes well for the future of the studio - and the series.

Jumping into the far future? Here's our guide to all the Space Marine 2 classes.

Ali Jones
News Editor

I'm GamesRadar's news editor, working with the team to deliver breaking news from across the industry. I started my journalistic career while getting my degree in English Literature at the University of Warwick, where I also worked as Games Editor on the student newspaper, The Boar. Since then, I've run the news sections at PCGamesN and Kotaku UK, and also regularly contributed to PC Gamer. As you might be able to tell, PC is my platform of choice, so you can regularly find me playing League of Legends or Steam's latest indie hit.

Read more
Space Marine 2 4K texture pack shots
Saber CEO knew Space Marine 2 would be a success after playing it for over 300 hours, but he was still surprised when it sold 6 million copies
Space Marine 2 4K texture pack shots
After the success of Space Marine 2, the Warhammer people are "looking for the next one" as CEO says big successes in the franchise "are not a given"
Titus in Warhammer Space Marine 2
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 3 promises to "redefine the standards of third-person action games," but I'd rather it fix Space Marine 2's biggest problem
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 3 reveal art
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 3 is in development following the explosive success of Space Marine 2, and it's promising even bigger battles
A collection of Splitgate 2 screenshots as part of GamesRadar+'s Big in 2025 roundup
"We don't want to just be the 'Halo meets Portal' team": Splitgate 2 wants to to evolve beyond its inspirations
Clashing swords with an enemy in Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2
As nearly 2 million sales laugh in the face of live-service pushes, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2's success "is a reminder" to release "great" games: "High-quality teams need to have the resources and the time to execute their visions"
Latest in Third Person Shooter
Four Helldivers lined up on base ship
A year after Malevelon Creek became Helldivers 2's fiercest battleground, it looks like the Automatons are coming back for more
Helldivers 2 screenshot showing someone using a big gun
Helldivers 2 boss says "death and rebirth" is a natural part of the games industry, but it's "unnecessarily brutal" right now "because we don't diversify enough"
The Invisible Woman in Marvel Rivals
Marvel Rivals devs know exactly how popular Invisible Woman is, and say that "body shape or silhouette" add to a character's popularity in a way far more innocent than the internet deserves
Helldivers 2 Warbond
Helldivers 2 players "became obsessed" with Malevolon Creek, but it was Gabe Newell who really kicked off one of Super Earth's bloodiest battles
Heroes and villains face off in Marvel Rivals key art
Marvel Rivals exec isn't afraid of roster bloat after NetEase promised new heroes every 6 weeks: "There's no limit for the sky. We just throw everything at it"
Marvel Rivals: Ignite #1
Marvel Rivals goes manga in a new comic from Peach Momoko and three other Japanese artists that reveals several new in-game costumes
Latest in News
Dune Awakening
Dune Awakening launches for $50 without a stay in early access, and while the survival MMO "will not have a monthly subscription" it will have "optional" paid DLC
Linda Cardellini as Laura Barton in Hawkeye
Linda Cardellini cast as Jason's mom, the original Friday the 13th killer, for Crystal Lake prequel series
Cyberpunk: Edgerunners
Witcher 3 and Cyberpunk 2077 studio CD Projekt Red won't make survival games just because they're popular, but Netflix's Edgerunners anime is fueling dreams bigger than RPGs
Assassin's Creed Shadows screenshot showing female protagonist Naoe
Assassin's Creed Shadows Naoe actor was terrified to perform until her first mocap scene earned "a standing ovation" on set: "Maybe I can do this mocap thing"
Daredevil: Born Again
Marvel may have just sneakily confirmed one of the biggest Daredevil: Born Again fan theories
Assassin's Creed Shadows cinematic screenshot
Assassin’s Creed Shadows Yasuke actor says that Naoe could beat his samurai in a fight: “Especially with that big a** helmet of mine”