"Space Marine 2 Dev Denies Live Service Rumors Amid 'FOMO' Event Backlash"

The developers and publishers of Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 have firmly stated that they are not aiming to convert the game into a "full live service" model, following a backlash from the community regarding events that were perceived as promoting "FOMO" (Fear Of Missing Out). FOMO is a strategy commonly employed by developers of live service games to encourage players to engage quickly and spend on time-limited virtual items, with the implication being that missing out now means missing out forever.

This approach is often criticized for fostering an unhealthy relationship between video games and their communities. In 2021, research commissioned by the UK's GambleAware charity highlighted that many games utilize "psychological nudges" to encourage purchases of loot boxes, such as creating a fear of missing out on limited-time items or special deals. Although Space Marine 2 does not feature loot boxes, it introduced community events aimed at unlocking exclusive cosmetics, which sparked a backlash and led some to label the game as a live service.

In response to the feedback, Space Marine 2's publisher, Focus Entertainment, and developer, Saber Interactive, acknowledged the negative reception to the community events. They stated, "We have noted that the Community Events have received cold feedback since we introduced them as an additional way to unlock cosmetic items. We saw that many of you mentioned FOMO generated by the events. Rest assured, we are not looking to transform Space Marine 2 into a full live service game. The items available through events WILL be available later, for everyone. We want Community Events to be a way to unlock the items in advance, for the most dedicated players, and not to be a source of frustration and stress for everyone."

They also apologized for the cumbersome process of unlocking these items and promised to work on a more streamlined experience. As a gesture of goodwill, Focus Entertainment is offering the highly sought-after emblem-less Mk VIII Errant Helmet for free to all players who link their PROS account to Space Marine 2. This helmet, part of the Imperial Vigil community event ending on March 3, was previously only obtainable by achieving victories with all six classes in Operations Mode before the event's conclusion.

Currently, players of Space Marine 2 are eagerly anticipating the 7.0 update, which promises to introduce a new weapon, a new Operations map, and PvE Prestige Ranks. Last month, Focus and Saber addressed the community's growing frustration over the lack of content and outlined their plans for the game's future development.

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 enjoyed a record-breaking launch last year, selling 5 million copies and becoming the fastest-selling Warhammer video game of all time.