When it launched back in September 2024,Space Marine 2was a much smaller game than what it is now, and few could have suspected that the sequel to a long-abandoned series could be so faithful to its source material. Yet, as various leaks get confirmed by the developer, be they new weapons or even classes,Space Marine 2is becoming the quintessentialWarhammer 40Kgame.
In the recentSpace Marine 2Community Updatefor July, Saber confirmed another one of those leaks, and this time, it’s the return of the Pyrecannon. First featured as a gimmick weapon in the campaign, there were more than a few questions swirling around its full functionality in the game. With successful mods showing how it could be implemented, it seems that Saber heard the community’s prayers, and now burning Promethium can be officially unleashed on the Emperor’s enemies. It’s a great nod to an iconic weapon family in theWarhammeruniverse, but it also comes perfectly timed to coincide with a meta that desperately needs challenging.
The Pyrecannon Is the Perfect Answer to Space Marine 2’s Siege Mode Meta
Siege Mode was the culmination of yet anotherSpace Marine 2leak, and the horde-slaying mode has provided a pretty decent change of pace compared to Operations. The enemies are far more numerous and come with a lot less health, which makes the addition of the Pyrecannon so perfect. The large AOEs of flame are ideal for clearing out waves of Gaunts and Tzaangors alike, and, if tuned right, should be able to put significant hurt to Majoris enemies, too.
What isn’t in the patch notes is how the weapon will feel, but considering the association betweenWarhammer 40Kand enormous flamethrowers, it will probably live up to feeling like a very satisfying weapon for franchise fans.
The Pyrecannon Could Be What the Game Needs to Unseat Melta Weapons
Space Marine 2’s PVE metais in a strange place, and has been for some time. Ever since it launched, it has had periods of flux, but has often been dominated by Melta weapons. While they aren’t always the best thing to bring for every occasion, they are ubiquitous, able to clear hordes and do great burst damage.
Space Marine 2’s Siege Modehasn’t really helped in this regard - if anything, the increased enemy numbers and small maps have incentivized more Melta weapons. Hopefully, then, the Pyrecannon can finally fill the horde-clearing niche that Multi-Meltas occupy, allowing teams to better specialize into more focused roles.
With the Pyrecannon being fully implemented and the Power Axe making a return, there is now a question surrounding what otherWarhammer 40KweaponsSpace Marine 2should add. The answer is probably more single-target, sustained damage weapons, as the thing that’s most likely to sink a run of Siege Mode is not a horde, but an Extremis or Terminus enemy.
Saber has been rolling out waves of buffs for Bolt weapons to address this niche a little, but this staple weapon family still feels lackluster, neither a leader in horde clearing nor sniping elite enemies. The Neo-Volkite Pistol was a great addition to the secondary slot, but without an equivalent weapon for the primary slot, it looks like Bolt Rifles will remain the leaders in that niche, if only by default.
