The release of a new cosmetic pack by Focus Entertainment has sparked excitement to the extent that the community of Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 has gone wild. The official tweet depicting a Space Marine dressed up in the new Champion Pack armor and the caption “Who’s been sporting this Champion Pack in #SpaceMarine2 lately? Raise your hand” has attracted the highest engagement from players. The public reaction is a wild mix of total thrill, detailed customization feedback, and a few reiterations of old complaints regarding DLC with a price tag. The new costume is surely the center of conversation in the Battle Barge.
What more can we say about the Champion Pack? Simply put, it is a premium cosmetic set that allows players to decorate their Space Marines with very eye-catching and shiny armor. The Twitter discussion hints that it is somewhat inspired by the Blood Angels chapter with their famous blood drop iconography. Players are gradually unveiling their personalized versions, with Sharazar even forwarding a clip of her ‘tailored version’ of the pack. The enthusiasts’ sentiment is one of pure joy, as seen from Andrew Jones when he says: ‘It’s so good,’ or from the user reddo who even humorously labeled it, ‘Best skin in the game!’ and also joked, ‘Can you envision a whole chapter like this one that could make Space Marine 3 about?’ The hype is real, and for countless players, this armor represents the peak of style in the universe’s dark and grim future.
Of course, it would be an unreasonable and unfair gaming community reaction if there was no criticism involved whatsoever? A major part of the discussion revolves around the limitations of the set. Among the most recurring complaints are from users like PuTiX15 and GreatAngel33 who are not happy about the color customization. Apparently, the properties of the armor are the culprits. TheFleshTearer mentioned that the ‘armor didn’t look bad with Blood Angels Red,’ adding that the metallic base of the armor ‘severely impacting how every color works.’ Others like Danny321178 more than once suggested that the ‘ability to change material properties on armor so you’d be able to mix and match more parts.’ The lack of a second color option has also been a source of great displeasure, especially when players would love to paint trims and details for a more authentic Chapter appearance.
Moreover, the topic of class limitation was raised. User DapperDuka directed a question to the developers, ‘@Focus_entmt It’s cool as fuck but why isn’t it for assault class?’ This question sparked a mini-debate, with TheFleshTearer replying to provides some clarity on the issue, ‘You can put the pieces onto assault though?’ So, is it a case of misunderstanding or a real limitation? This back-and-forth illustrates how challenging it can be to handle the rules that dictate the use of cosmetics and how they can frustrate players who just want the best-looking class for their character. And naturally, the age-old debate around paid cosmetics cropped up once again. User DTitanosaur took a firm stance when saying, ‘….if it was paid DLC, I’m not getting it. Drip is temporary, gameplay is eternal.’ A sentiment that is always evoked whenever a new cosmetic DLC is released.
Still, amidst the criticism, there were calls for more content in the future. BayouBomber challenged the developers by saying that this was ‘the hardest champion armor you’ve released to date,’ and adding, ‘Come to me when the Carcharodons cosmetic pack gets released. :)’. Others expressed the need for more Chapter symbols, such as Cutefatflamingo who pleadingly asked, ‘Emperors children decal when? We are starving.’ And Psyko7274 made a very specific request regarding the Blood Angels’ Sanguinary Guard, asking if they could ‘add the old sanguinary guard wings? the primaris ones are terrible.’ Undoubtedly, players are already looking forward to the next pack even though they are fully engaged with the current one.
The conversation even hinted at a kind of social stratification that was somewhat implied in the game. User CARDIFF76 stated that he preferred to earn respect rather than to be given it, saying, ‘I wear armor pieces that are linked to harder accomplishments. The DLC stuff is cool but it doesn’t get the same level in the Battle Barge.’ Onyx replied with, ‘Idk dude I’m gonna associate with the guy who has some sick deathwatch outfit or looks awesome. Pride leads to ego leads to hubris leads to folly.’ Isn’t it a nice little philosophical divide in the community—do you earn your respect or just buy the coolest look?
In conclusion, the reaction to the Space Marine 2 Champion Pack is a perfect reflection of a passionate and very much involved player base. They play the game, they are excited for more content to be released, but they also have the courage to voice their criticisms and suggestions for improvement.
