Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun — Everything We Know

Auroch Digital and Focus Entertainment have come together to announce Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun, an all-new retro-style shooter that will take its players on a romp through the galaxy as none other than a battle-hardened Space Marine. As a love letter to OG DOOM and Wolfenstein, Boltgun will conjure a rugged yet satisfying combat system with a plethora of sprites, pixels, and endless bullet-riddled carnage. And that's putting it lightly, too, with plenty more stowed away in the chamber.

So, what more do you need to know about this near-perfect homage to the '90s era of gaming? Well, here's everything we've been able to gather on the matter since first hearing of it, from its story to its combat mechanics. Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun: what is it, and why should you be gearing up to play it later this year on consoles and PC?

What Is Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun?

Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun is an upcoming arcade-style first-person shooter by Auroch Digital. In a similar style to other popular '90s shooters, Boltgun will foster a fast-paced and wildly nostalgic combat system. What's more, it'll also come loaded “with the awesome firepower and heavy metal of a Space Marine’s devastating arsenal.” So, quite the love letter to the retro era of gaming, after all.

“Load up your Boltgun and unleash the awesome Space Marine arsenal to blast your way through an explosion of sprites, pixels and blood in a perfect blend of Warhammer 40,000, frenetic gameplay and the stylish visuals of 90’s retro shooters,” reads the elevator pitch.

Going by what we've caught so far, Boltgun will retain a classic tiered structure—levels in which you will need to eliminate enemies using a series of brutal executions in order to progress deeper into the story. But what is the story, if there is one at all?

Story

You will fill the boots of an elite Space Marine—a soldier whose purpose is to sweep the galaxy of the daemons of Chaos and all the vermin that plague its planets. In a bid to restore some level of balance and order, you will embark on a bullet-soaked quest to banish the Chaos Space Marines and those that taint its biomes and intergalactic borders.

Outside of this, not a great deal more is known about the story. It's a given though that, narratively, there isn't a whole lot to wrap your head around here. On that note, it's very much bog-standard warfare between good and evil, and it's bound to be laced with tropes. But who knows — maybe it'll surprise us with something a little more in-depth? Only time will tell on that one.

Gameplay

It goes without saying that Boltgun, being the ultimate homage to 90's shooters that it is, will pour its effort into delivering the most addictive combat experience its assets are capable of crafting. And while there'll be a few exploration elements to boot, the bread and butter here is evidently the non-stop action that it'll employ. So, expect a wide selection of weapons—both melee and ranged—and a classic sludge through a series of battlefields and arenas. DOOM, basically, but with a Warhammer 40,000 edge.

“In glorious boomer shooter style, unleash your devastating Space Marine arsenal as you blast through an explosion of sprites, pixels and blood,” the description reads in part. “Run, jump and charge across huge levels to shoot, shred and slice the worst heretics across the galaxy!”

“In battle, grav-weaponry affects the local gravity field, using its victim’s own mass against them, an ordeal that will stun those it does not kill outright,” the description adds. “Heavily armoured targets find themselves crushed as if by the mighty fist of a god, while vehicles are left as crumpled, smoke belching wrecks.”

Development

Auroch Digital and Focus Entertainment first lifted the veil on Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun back in June of 2022, at which point it revealed the general outline of the game and a few screenshots. Since then, the game has been available to pre-order on both consoles and PC, and has been stapled to a May 2023 release window.

As with any game that goes under the Warhammer banner, Games Workshop will be playing a crucial role in the development of Boltgun. According to the parties involved, the project has been “brewing” since 2018. It'll finally head to all major platforms of May 23, 2023.

Trailer

Caught your eye? If so, then you'll be pleased to know that Auroch Digital has in fact released a trailer for the game. Need we say more? You can see some of the action for yourself in the video embedded above.

Release Date, Platforms & Editions

Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun will be heading to Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Switch, and PC via Steam on May 23, 2023. Does that mean it could technically find its way over to Game Pass or PlayStation Plus? In theory, yes, though nothing currently suggests it'll plant roots on either as a day-one exclusive.

For now, it seems there are no additional editions to add to your basket outside of the standard one. If anything of the sort does come about, then it'll be announced either through a separate trailer, or over on its official site here. Until then, you can add it to your wishlist over on Steam, or on the consoles' respective marketplaces.

If you're wanting to brush up on all the lates updates for Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun, you can check in with the official social feed here. But if anything interesting pops up ahead of its May launch, we'll be sure to let you know all of the key details right here on gaming.net.

So, what's your take? Will you be picking up a copy of Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun when it drops later this year? Let us know your thoughts over on our socials here.