Warhammer 40k: Eternal Crusade vid shows gruesome close combat

Eternal

Did you know that there's a Warhammer 40,000 MMO in development? Many years ago (two-and-a-bit) Behaviour Studios announced its intentions to create a 40K MMO with proper third-person combat. It's been in closed beta since September, and the latest video gives us a look at some violence from the front lines.

It's quite colourful, with overtones of Relic's satisfying-but-limited third-person Ork masher, Space Marine. According to Behaviour "both ranged and melee weapons have equal emphasis — as in the iconic battles of Warhammer 40,000. Combat begins at a distance with guns and heavy vehicle-mounted weaponry before progressing to bloody blade-on-blade action with brutal executions."

It's due out next year, and won't require a subscription to play. You will be able to try it for free, but only as an Ork character—a neat way of ensuring that the Ork hordes are sufficiently filled out. "There will be post-launch expansions as well as a cash shop for aesthetic customizations and side-grades."

The game revolves around PvP faction battles and PVE horde events. You stock up on missions and then choose a battleground in which to complete them. Instead of leveling up, you gain access to new equipment. "Since this is a PvP-focused game the progression won’t be primarily about increasing power, but rather gaining access to a wider variety of skills and better specialization."

It feels like there's a Warhammer game in development in every conceivable genre at the moment. Warhammer games don't have the most consistent track record, but we really enjoyed Vermintide recently. Could Eternal Crusade be another pleasant surprise? Find out more on the Eternal Crusade site.

Via PCGamesN.

Tom Senior

Part of the UK team, Tom was with PC Gamer at the very beginning of the website's launch—first as a news writer, and then as online editor until his departure in 2020. His specialties are strategy games, action RPGs, hack ‘n slash games, digital card games… basically anything that he can fit on a hard drive. His final boss form is Deckard Cain.