Space Marine 2 has dropped its most significant update yet. Patch 8 introduces the long-awaited Siege Mode, a brutal co-op PvE experience, alongside major gameplay tweaks, new cosmetics, and tech upgrades across all platforms.
Siege Mode Overview
Inspired by the classic Horde Mode formula, Siege pits teams of three Space Marines against escalating waves of Tyranids and Chaos Marines. It’s the first major new mode since the game’s release, and it comes with substantial changes from the version previously tested on the Public Test Server (PTS).
Key Siege Features:
Endless Enemy Waves across three unique sectors
Boss Encounters every fifth wave
Side Objectives to earn tactical resources
Summonable Reinforcements, including Space Marines, Cadian Troopers, and the devastating Dreadnought
Fortified Imperial Stronghold on Kadaku as battlefield
Rotating sectors: Defensive Positions, the Arsenal, Control Room
Dynamic Difficulty Scaling post-wave 15
Improved Wave Timer System (replaces strict per-wave countdown)
Siege Mode Gameplay Flow
Start in one of three sectors, battling five waves per sector.
Advance to the next sector after completing waves.
Intermissions offer brief windows to resupply and strategize.
Complete side objectives like retrieving Data-slates or capturing strategic points.
Spend earned resources at the fortress shop:
Ammo, Medicae Stimms, Armour Boosts
Summon Elite Marines or Cadian Guardsmen
Pool resources for the Dreadnought
Infinite Waves Mode
After wave 15, difficulty spikes rapidly.
Resource drops and prep times shrink.
Timer now tracks the full match session and expands per wave completed.
Players are expected to fall eventually — but not without glory.
What’s New in Patch 8
Graphics & Technical Features
Ray Traced Ambient Occlusion (RTAO) support added (experimental)
DLSS 4 support (multi-frame generation, ideal for RTX 50xx GPUs)
Option to disable bots in Private Mode
New Content & Cosmetics
Siege Mode and associated cosmetic rewards (free)
Paid DLCs:
White Scars Chapter Champion Pack
Blood Angels Customization Pack
New Weapon: Thunder Hammer added for Bulwark class
Red, White, and Blue weapon skins
Left pauldron decal: Ultramarine Sergeant
Gameplay & Balancing Changes
PvE Weapon Arsenal Expanded
Thunder Hammer for Bulwark (replaces Storm Shield)
New Bulwark finishers for Hormagaunt and Tzaangor enemies
Prestige Perk Reworks
Bulwark:
New Perk – Emboldened Stand:
Squad members are immune to knockbacks and control loss within the Chapter Banner zone.
Assault:
New Perk – Unyielding Oath:
Charging Ground Pound grants 3 seconds of invulnerability.
Sniper:
New Perk – Materiel Upgrade:
Equipment damage radius increased by 15%.
Heavy:
New Perk – Honed Precision:
Weapon spread reduced by 25% when hip-firing.
Class Perk Updates
Bulwark
Thunder Hammer integration across multiple perks:
Forward Momentum
Concussive Force
Merciless Resolve
Focused Restoration cooldown: 40s → 30s
Tactical
Final Shot → Emperor’s Judgement: Adds 20% damage for 10s post-finisher
Communion of Fire → Secure Stockpile: Restores equipment charge (60s cooldown)
Steady Aim: Damage bonus vs. Terminus enemies raised to 15%
Assault
Winged Fury: Sprint/dash melee damage +100%
Hammer of Wrath: Knockback immunity duration increased to 15s
Vanguard
Moving Target: Damage reduction increased to 5% per hit (max 30%)
Retribution: Damage bonus increased to 30%; duration to 20s
Sniper
Precision Targeting: Extremis damage bonus increased to 15%
Dexterous Hands: Applies to Instigator Bolt Carbine
Weapon Updates
Inferno Pistol
Gun Strike Damage +20%
Perk “Know no Fear”: Now activates when armor is depleted
Neo-Volkite Pistol
Combustive Momentum: Duration buffed from 2s → 6s
Bolt Pistol
Hip-fire spread reduced by 50%
Mini-zoom spread gain reduced by 15%
Terminus Difficulty Revamp (Absolute Mode)
Dual Terminus enemies scrapped (outside Siege)
HP buffs:
Carnifex, Neurothrope, Helbrute: +33%
Level-specific Terminus: +66%
Spawn tweaks:
Additional elite packs spawn with Terminus entries and 50% HP threshold
Boss missions now include Terminus spawns
Combat QoL Improvements
Jump Pack dodges sniper aim
Neurothrope warp stuns no longer control players
General combat responsiveness and animation tweaks
Customization Overhaul Incoming
Saber is planning a major customization update in a future patch (not Patch 8), allowing reuse of Chapter Champion armor pieces across classes with lore-aware restrictions.
Fixes & Optimizations
General Fixes:
Multiple crashes resolved (especially Xbox Series S black screen freeze)
Interaction button reliability improvements
Animation and UI polish
Matchmaking and stability improvements
AI Tweaks:
Spore Mine damage reduced by 55%
Neurothrope HP reduced by 15%
Many minor bug fixes across enemy behaviors
Looking Ahead
While Patch 8 is focused on Siege Mode, Saber has promised additional content in upcoming seasons:
New class
New PvP game mode
New Chaos enemy
And yes, Space Marine 3 is officially in development — but Saber and Focus reassure fans that support for Space Marine 2 is far from over.
