Space Marines in Total War: Warhammer 40,000 will monitor reputation and avoid accusations of heresy

Creative Assembly has revealed new details on how relationships within the Imperium will work in Total War: Warhammer 40,000. Space Marines will need to do more than fight xenos – they'll also have to stay on good terms with their fellow servants of humanity.

The biggest difference between the upcoming strategy game and the series historical entries is that factions here aren't equivalent to nations. The Space Marines and Astra Militarum technically serve the same Imperium, so the usual "every faction for itself" logic doesn't really apply.

Journalists already got hands-on time with the demo at Gamescom 2026, playing as the Ultramarines. The settlement garrison turned out to be full of ordinary Planetary Defense Force soldiers, who defended the territory but weren't part of the unit pool available to recruit for the Space Marine faction.

Dave Petry, battle product owner, explained:

The way that the Imperium works together is going to be very important. And working as a Space Marine with local planetary forces and governors to be able to get the support that you need in order to be able to be that tip of the spear, we want that to be the case.

The system governing relations with the Imperium is still a work in progress, but the studio is already experimenting with a mechanic Petry described as "gaining support to be able to bring along units with you to fight your battles." In other words, players might be able to drag along cannon fodder from the Planetary Defense Force or Astra Militarum units to fight alongside the Adeptus Astartes.

A hint of this mechanic already showed up in the demo. In both medium and large-scale battles, Space Marines arrived on the battlefield to find the Astra Militarum already fighting orks. Players couldn't control these units – they acted purely as an allied force – but it looks like groundwork for something deeper.

Petry also hinted at a reputation system that will force players to keep an eye on how their actions look to other factions within the Imperium.

Collaborating among the Imperium is something we really want to be able to do, and managing your reputation in the Imperium as a Space Marine is also something that's very important. Like not doing things that look too much like building an empire or becoming too powerful.

In short, too much independence and power accumulation could lead to accusations of heresy. That fits the Warhammer 40,000 universe well, since the Imperium suspicion toward its own chapters has repeatedly served as a plot device in the source material.

Creative Assembly intends to "fill the galaxy out," meaning other parts of the Imperium will show up in the game too. The studio has already teased new Space Marine chapters, including the Space Wolves, along with xenos threats like Genestealer cults.

There's also good news on the release format front. Unlike the Total War: Warhammer trilogy, the new strategy game is designed as a single sandbox that developers will expand through add-ons rather than a series of separate games. No need to buy three titles just to see the whole galaxy.