Warhammer: Vermintide 2 brings the rat pack back in March

YouTube

Fatshark announced today that Warhammer: Vermintide 2, the game about turning bipedal rats and other associated vermin into a fine paste with an array of dark fantasy implements and abilities, will be out on March 8. The release date announcement was accompanied by a new gameplay trailer featuring the Bounty Hunter, a brute-force goon who combines melee and ranged combat abilities.

Vermintide 2 looks to be quite a departure from the first game in some important ways, with RPG-style careers for heroes to choose from and "super" abilities reminiscent of Overwatch. For instance, instead of choosing the Bounty Hunter career, Victor Saltzpyre can be a Witch Hunter Captain whose ability pushes enemies back and raises fallen comrades, similar in some ways to Mercy's battlefield abilities.

"Being passionate fans of the Warhammer IP, we’ve always wanted to create a Warhammer sequel that both stayed true to the beautifully dark atmosphere of the world but also brought new ideas and experiences for players," Fatshark CEO Martin Wahlund said. "It's been years of work but on March 8th we look forward to joining forces with players everywhere to defend Helmgart from evil."

Warhammer: Vermintide 2 is available for pre-purchase now on Steam for $27/£21/€25, ten percent off the regular price. Fatshark will take part in a Q&A session at the PC Gamer Weekender on Saturday 17. You can find out more about how the sequel has changed from the original game in our recent look at "new ways to splat rats."

Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill.