Warhammer 40,000: Dark Heresy
Upcoming isometric RPG set in the Warhammer 40,000 universe.
Warhammer 40,000: Dark Heresy is an upcoming role-playing video game from developer and publisher Owlcat Games. It adapts the tabletop RPG of the same name and is planned for release on PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S.
In the game, players take on the role of an Imperial inquisitor leading a party of companions. They are sent to the Calixis Sector to investigate a string of disappearances and the mysteries surrounding the "Tyrant Star," a force capable of destroying entire planets. Combat is turn-based, similar to Owlcat's previous Warhammer 40,000 title *Rogue Trader*, and introduces a morale system. High morale grants combat buffs to either side, while low morale can cause panic or surrender. The game also features a reworked cover system, improved line of sight, and new character abilities. Players can target specific body parts on enemies to maim them and reduce their combat effectiveness. Some enemies possess a "concentration" ability that allows them to deal heavy damage, but this can be disrupted by damaging them or lowering their morale.
Outside of battle, *Dark Heresy* functions as a detective game. The inquisitor must inspect evidence, identify suspects, and connect events to uncover a conspiracy. Companions provide additional insights during investigations, and a journal tracks progress. The game does not stop players if they wrongly accuse an innocent NPC, but every choice has consequences, and characters in the world react to the inquisitor's decisions.
Owlcat Games rebuilt most systems from scratch for this title, aiming to give players more ways to express themselves in combat, inventory, cutscenes, and dialogue. Compared to *Rogue Trader*, *Dark Heresy* is designed to be a shorter experience with a greater focus on player reactivity. Executive producer Anatoly Shestov noted the narrative is darker and less heroic, deliberately avoiding clear indicators of correct choices to reflect the Inquisition's moral ambiguity. The Night Lords, traitor Space Marines, appear as antagonists, and the team consulted Black Library author Aaron Dembski-Bowden to add depth to these characters. All characters in the game are fully voice-acted. *Dark Heresy* was announced by Owlcat Games and Games Workshop in May 2025.
- Developer
- Owlcat Games
- Publisher
- Owlcat Games
- Platforms
- PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox Series X/S
- Genre
- Role-playing video game
- Based on
- Tabletop RPG Warhammer 40,000: Dark Heresy
- Announced
- May 2025
Lore & Background
Dark Heresy is a role-playing video game played from an isometric perspective. The player assumes control of an Imperial inquisitor and their party of companion characters, who are dispatched to the Calixis Sector to investigate a series of disappearances and uncover the mysteries behind the 'Tyrant Star,' which holds the power to planetwide destruction. The game features turn-based combat and introduces a morale system: high morale grants combat buffs, while low morale can cause panic or surrender. Individual body parts of enemies can be targeted, maiming them and hurting their combat capabilities. Some enemies have a 'concentration' ability that can deal devastating damage, though their attacks can be disrupted by damaging them or lowering their morale.
Reader's Guide
Outside of combat, Dark Heresy functions as a detective game where the Inquisitor must inspect and analyze evidence, identify suspects, and connect threads of events to uncover an underlying conspiracy. Companions provide additional insights, and a journal tracks progress. The game does not halt progress if the player declares an innocent NPC a heretic, but each choice has consequences, and characters react to the Inquisitor's decisions. Development focused on rebuilding most systems from scratch to allow more player expression. The game was designed to be shorter than Rogue Trader, with a larger focus on reactivity and a darker, less heroic tone. The team deliberately avoids indicating whether player choices are correct, aligning with the Inquisition's thematic moral ambiguity. Night Lords, villainous Space Marines who betrayed the Imperium, serve as antagonists, and the team consulted Black Library author Aaron Dembski-Bowden to give these characters more depth. The game includes full voice-overs for all characters.
Did You Know?
- Dark Heresy is Owlcat Games' second Warhammer 40,000 game, following Rogue Trader.
- The game features a morale system where low morale can cause enemies to panic or surrender.
- Players can target individual body parts of enemies to maim them and reduce their combat capabilities.
- The development team consulted Black Library author Aaron Dembski-Bowden for depth on the Night Lords antagonists.
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