Warhammer 40K Factions That Should Get Their Own Shooter

Warhammer 40,000 has had several video games attached to its name. Given its roots as a tabletop battle simulator, it's hardly surprising that it inspired a few strategy games like Dawn of War, but they have also experimented with other formats. One particularly successful example was 2011's Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine, a story-driven third-person shooter centered around one of the franchise's most iconic factions. Players got to step into the shoes of a marine, Demetrian Titus, and experience his journey through one of the darkest sci-fi universes ever conceived. Now the sequel Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 has finally been released. The sequel revisits Titus and his squad as they battle against the invading Tyranids. The games do a lot to develop the Space Marines as people and put the player on the front lines instead of commanding from a distance.

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However, while they may be one of the most iconic factions, the Space Marines are just a small part of the 40k universe. In the Imperium alone, there are several different factions with their own unique characteristics. Many of these factions could benefit greatly from the S pace Marine treatment, and given the new game's hype and potential success, there would certainly be demand for seeing other parts of the franchise take center stage. These are other Warhammer 40k factions that should get their own shooter.

Updated on September 8, 2024, by John Hitchcock: With Space Marine 2 finally released, it is a perfect time to discuss other potential avenues for a future game. There are still many parts of the 40k universe that would make a great shooter and offer something very different from the Space Marines. In light of the game's release, four more entries have been added to this list.

11 Adeptus Custodes

Bigger And Tougher Than Space Marines?

Space Marine 1 and 2 already feature larger-than-life super soldiers. A typical Space Marine stands at around 8 feet tall. It would be hard to imagine the Imperium having something bigger and even more powerful at their disposal, and yet they do. The soldiers of Adeptus Custodes easily dwarf most marines. They could be most simply described as paladins who act as a personal guard to the emperor. These space knights are meant to be champions of the Imperium, the best of the best. They fill a few different roles. They can be personal guards to the emperor, keepers of ancient technology (basically Fallout's Brotherhood of Steel taken up to 11), or people called when a problem is too much for Space Marines to handle.

Given their standing, a game centered around Adeptus Custodes would be an opportunity to really examine the core of the Imperium, exploring it at the highest level. This could allow a fun story involving lots of intrigue and political shenanigans while also exploring some of the Empire's darker secrets.

10 Adeptus Mechanicus

The Crazy Techno-Cult

Easily one of the most peculiar factions, at least among humans, Adeptus Mechanicus is a Martian technology cult that worships a “Machine God” and believes all machines have spirits. They also see flesh as an inherent weakness and feel the need to replace body parts with machinery, the most extreme members reaching a point where they are just a brain in a robot suit. This is something a game could take advantage of. From Deus Ex to Cyberpunk 2077, shooters that incorporate bodily augmentations have had a fair bit of success in the past, except Adeptus Mechanicus could go to extreme lengths even by their standards.

One strange thing about the cult is, that despite their reverence for technology, they have a doctrine explicitly against inventing new things. They are only allowed to make use of technology they find or build from pre-existing schematics. This would mean a game centered around Adeptus Mechanicus would want to put a lot of emphasis on scavenging for resources and blueprints, combined with a crafting mechanic for assembling/customizing weapons and augmentations.

9 Asuryani

Warrior Space Elves

After the fall of the Aeldar Empire, their species split into three main factions. One of them, and perhaps the closest thing to a "good" faction among them, was the Asuryani, which strives to preserve their species and fight back against the darkness born out of their empire's collapse. The Asuryani live on massive ships known as Craftworlds, sort of like Mass Effect's Quarians except even bigger, and scattered to the point where each ship basically has its own unique culture. Just one of these ships could make a really cool setting for a game, given they're described as continent-sized, and the unique worlds of each would allow for a lot of creative freedom. One consistent pattern in each Asuryani Craftworld is the importance of choosing a warrior path. Each individual is expected to learn and dedicate themselves to a specific style of fighting.

The Space Marine games already have classes, but the theme of choosing a specific path would take it to the next level and push it into RPG territory. Each individual path an Aeldari can choose grants access to different weapons, skills, and sometimes even powers. This would have the advantage of letting players tailor their character towards a preferred playstyle. Some options might allow them to focus more on melee, some can be more gun-driven. They can choose whether to prioritize durability or mobility. Every choice would have its own strengths and weaknesses, which is an exciting proposition.

8 Cadian Shock Troopers

Military Born and Bred

The average soldier of the Imperial Guard might lack the genetic upgrades of the Space Marines, but they shouldn’t be underestimated. There’s a reason Cadian Shock Troops make up so much of the Imperium’s military might. These are people trained from birth to be soldiers, knowing the basics by five. Not only that but they are expected to be capable of taking on the worst of the galaxy’s many dangers and come out in one piece. This would create a very different experience from being a space marine. It might be harder, but that will make it a lot more satisfying when one finally emerges victorious.

Cadians have one advantage other factions don’t: versatility. They are meant to be adaptable to different situations and capable of working with whatever tools are at their disposal. From a gameplay perspective, this means a lot of variety in what can be thrown at the player and lots of options for how to solve problems. For a shooter, this gives the player lots of room to experiment with different loadouts and find a playstyle that works for them. This could easily work with a Call of Duty- style campaign or a tactical shooter in the vein of Rainbow Six or Ghost Recon.

7 Death Korps of Krieg

Charge into Battle Without a Care

One of the most interesting things about the Imperium is just how many distinct factions it has within it, but the Death Corps of Krieg is easily one of the standouts, a faction that has long resonated with fans both for its World War I-inspired aesthetic and their infamous battle tactics. What makes these soldiers stand out from other Imperial factions is their sheer willingness, even desire, to die for the Imperium. This has given them a habit of employing extremely reckless strategies on the battlefield, ones they know will probably get them killed. And they wouldn’t have it any other way.

A shooter centered around Krieg would have the advantage of providing a different experience from Space Marines. After all, Space Marines, as an elite military force, have to be tactical. They can’t just shoot through things, they have to be smart about how they do it. The Death Korps, on the other hand, is perfect for the player who would rather just charge headlong into danger. That said, since Death Korps soldiers lack the power armor and genetic upgrades of space marines, the game could put more emphasis on cover and agility (especially with the faction’s reliance on trench warfare), mixed with encouraging the player to act recklessly.

6 Genestealer Cults

One Of The Biggest And Least Recognized Threats In The Galaxy

The Tyranids are already frightening enough, even for a Space Marine equipped with top-quality power armor and weapons, but what if there was a way they could be even scarier? Genestealer Cults are formed when a heavily populated area is infiltrated by a creature known as a Genestealer, who will infect locals with Tyranid DNA and brainwash them into seeing it as a messiah. Given enough time, sometimes generations, a cult can gain enough power to hold significant influence, which it will then use to dismantle anything that could potentially complicate a Tyranid invasion, ultimately leaving the world vulnerable to attack. This espionage-based approach adds an extra level of danger to what was already a potentially unstoppable force. There are actually a few different ways a game could approach this.

The obvious approach would be to emphasize stealth and deception. A game centered around a cultist, or even a Genestealer, could emphasize working to quietly advance the cult's interests with various options available, perhaps offering both stealth and combat methods. However, a Genestealer Cult would also make a great antagonist. In this scenario, the game could emphasize stealth and deception from a different perspective, with the player uncovering information about the cult and trying to break it up from the inside. Alternatively, the game could be a straight shooter dealing with a Genestealer Cult in its final stages, with the player having to fight back before the Tyranid invasion force arrives. There are several great options for making a game about this under-recognized faction.

5 Harlequins

Space Jesters Who Moonlight as Vigilantes

Warhammer 40k has some strange factions, but one of the most bizarre is easily the Harlequins, a loosely connected order of space jesters who are also vigilantes dedicated to protecting the Aeldari. Members renounce their old identity in favor of embracing one of several different “characters,” to which they become permanently committed. The character assumed can affect their personality, what roles they can have in performances, and even how other Harlequins interact with them.

The nature of Harlequin recruitment could provide a simple enough starting point for a game- the player is a new recruit, effectively a blank slate since their old life is no longer relevant. The idea of each member assuming the identity of a character easily lends itself to different classes with unique gameplay.

4 Necrons

These Mechanoid Monstrosities Are One Of The Oldest Races In The Galaxy

The Necrons are an ancient race of immensely powerful machines who could take over the galaxy if they weren't so busy fighting each other. Their tragic story is a cautionary tale about the dangers of pursuing immortality. They were once organic beings who were tricked into shedding their bodies for metallic constructs, a decision they've regretted ever since. There are a lot of directions Necrons could take for gameplay. They have access to some ludicrously powerful weapons, and their mechanical nature could easily lend itself to a class system or options for upgrades and modifications. One particularly unique soldier is the Triarch Praetorian, a paladin-like warrior equipped with a levitation device and a powerful staff that can tear through enemies.

A Necron-centered game would have one thing going for it: Necrons are one of the oldest races in the galaxy (at least, of the ones that still exist in some form), predating everyone else by billions of years. Making them the center of a game would allow the narrative to tap into the galaxy's ancient history. There actually is one individual who could be an interesting protagonist: the Silent King Szarekh, who was responsible for the Necron's current state and fled into exile to repent.

3 Orks

A Little Dark Humor Never Hurt Anyone

The core philosophy of Warhammer 40k can be summed up as "the universe sucks." It's a cold, hostile galaxy that consistently brings out the worst in people at best. Fortunately, there is one race that can lighten the mood: the Orks. Sure, they are an aggressive warmongering species who wouldn't know the Geneva Convention from a roll of toilet paper, but they're also one of the wackiest factions available. Ork technology is largely made up of Mad Max-style amalgamations, throwing whatever's available together to create crazy weapons and vehicles. They also literally use lesser Orks (known as snotlings) as ammunition for their bigger weapons.

An Ork game could have some fun deviating from the norm with a Borderlands-style dark comedy approach. A game like this would have to fully embrace the craziness of 40k's Orks. Allowing absurd weapon customization options and ridiculous vehicles would be a good starting point. They've already had some success with this approach in Speed Freeks, but a shooter would need to emphasize over-the-top violence, especially against other factions.

2 Sisters Of Battle

All-Female Battle Squad Driven By Faith

Warhammer 40K has a history of being very male-dominated. The Space Marine games focus on a faction that lacks female members entirely (there's a whole thing about how they go through genetic modifications that only work on men. It's still a point of contention among fans). Fortunately, there is one group that would be great for a strong female lead: The Sisters of Battle. This is the military arm of Adepta Sororitas, an all-female religious order dedicated to the spreading of the Imperium's state religion. Think something like the Bene Jesserit, except with a lot more guns. Their organization has a large arsenal of weapons ranging from pistols to flamethrowers, and even chainsaw swords, so there would be a lot of great options for combat. Depending on how complicated the game wanted to get, it could also experiment with power armor customization.

Story-wise, a game centered around the Sisters of Battle would have to put a lot of focus on one particular aspect - faith. As a religious order, they are driven to a fanatical degree by dedication to their god-emperor and a need to stamp out anyone considered a "heretic." This could actually work in two different ways. One option would be to embrace this aspect, incorporating faith into the gameplay itself and making the story about fighting heresy. The other option would be the opposite — make a story about a sister who is forced to question her faith and use it to explore the atrocities committed by her order.