Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 was a smash hit for developer Saber Interactive and publisher Focus Entertainment, selling 4.5 million copies in just over a month. Indeed, Space Marine 2 has done so well it “changes everything” for Saber Interactive, Chief Creative Officer Tim Willits told IGN soon after the game came out.
But via new financial results we now know just how much money it has made for Games Workshop, the British company behind the tabletop hobby upon which Space Marine 2 is based. Reporting results for the first half of its financial year ending December 1, 2024, Games Workshop CEO Kevin Rountree hailed the success of Space Marine 2, which contributed significant royalty revenue to the business.
In fact, licensing revenue from royalty income increased in the period by a whopping £18 million (approx. $21.9 million) to £30.1 million (approx. $36.7 million). Earned income, which is the key figure here, was £26.1 million (approx. $31.8 million), up from £5.9 million (approx. $7.2 million), an increase Games Workshop said was mainly from Space Marine 2. 98% of Games Workshop’s total licensing revenue came from PC and console games (Space Marine 2 launched on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X and S).
A win all round, then. As you'd expect, Games Workshop is on the hunt for the next blockbuster Warhammer video game, but Rountree also expressed a degree of caution on potential future video game success, admitting hits like Space Marine 2 are few and far between.
Here’s the statement:
During the period, our licensing partners launched two new video games; Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2, a third person shooter for PC and console and Warhammer 40,000: Speed Freeks, a combat racing game. Established games continue to contribute, alongside royalty income earned following the success of Space Marine 2. We recognise that successes like these for Warhammer are not a given in the world of video games. Clearly we are looking for the next one. We remain cautious when forecasting royalty income.
So, where could this big Warhammer video game hit come from? It seems inevitable that Saber Interactive will get the chance to continue the Space Marine story with Space Marine 3, and indeed has said it has ideas for a third game.
In the shorter term, Bulwark Studios’ turn-based tactics game Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus II looks set to scratch a very different itch. There are also rumblings that Creative Assembly is finally giving Warhammer 40,000 the Total War treatment, something fans have hoped for for years.
As for Space Marine 2, Saber continues to update the game with cosmetics, new Operations, and new weapons. Season 3 is set for launch this spring.
Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
