The new edition of the Space Marine 2 video game implies it might have subscriptions for content and seasons.
The highly anticipated Space Marine 2 video game is set to release on the 9th of September 2024, after a delay from 2023. However, a recent addition to the game’s pre-order options has raised concerns about potential subscriptions for content and seasons. Here’s a look at the pros and cons of season passes and discuss their potential impact on the success of Space Marine 2.
New Edition of Space Marine 2 Implies a Subscription Model
The good news is that now, on the Focus site, there are three versions of the game (with different entries for different consoles), available to pre-order now. Each of the non-base versions has some cool perks. However, the best part is that if you want just the game, it will cost you $69.99, which is what most players would consider a ‘full-priced game’ these days.
New Space Marine 2: Gold Edition
The gold edition runs for $99.99 and gets you early access, the season pass, some DLC skins, and 3-day early access. It’s a solid offering for sure, but let’s take a closer look at the mention of a season pass.
Other games with season passes are paid on top of the cost of the game. The value of season passes isn’t a one-size-fits-all scenario, either. Its effectiveness (for this game and others) hinges on many factors, such as its content, implementation, and strategic planning. Think of it like this: if the pass caters to the PvP aspect of the game and offers a diverse range of cosmetics at a reasonable price, it could be okay. Especially if you don’t really need the pass to play the normal game. However, since the base game is a full-price title (minimum of $69.99), asking players to spend more could be a tough sell, too.
There’s also the possibility that the PvP component is offered as a free-to-play, and the pass will actually be for the normal game. It could be cool if it really gives you a ton of playability and wild skin changes. On the flip side, there’s the possibility that season passes might devolve into offering trivial content for high prices. If you buy the pass for $20 and all it gives you is simple color changes, that may not go over so well…
Either way, Games as a Service (GaaS) are quite common now, and most games that plan on big DLCs run their games this way. Something like Civ6 and Assassin’s Creed both have them, but they give so much extra content people don’t seem to mind.
However, season passes are almost always positive from a business (and supporting artists) perspective. They give the company a constant cash flow, which shareholders never complain about, and they also ensure continued employment for artists and modelers, who often complete their work early in the development cycle and might face big layoffs. It all really comes down to how they use it; it could be good, or it could turn the community against the game. We’ll have to wait and see at this point.
Other Pre-Order Options
If you buy the regular game, you don’t get the season pass or the exclusive pack, but you get some of the same DLC.
The collector’s edition gets you this awesome resin figure, some DLC, an art book, and early access. However, it doesn’t mention the season pass, so you might have to get the collector’s edition and still buy the season pass…
If they do the season pass well with tons of DLC, we don’t see many people complaining, but if they phone it in, it could be a huge problem for a game that has already been delayed multiple times and is a full-price title.
Click Here to Pre-Order the Game!
What do you think about the possibility of subscriptions good or bad for Space Marine 2?
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About the Author: Rob Baer
Rob Baer
Job Title: Managing Editor
Founded Spikey Bits in 2009
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About Rob Baer: Founder, Publisher, & Managing Editor of Spikey Bits, the leading tabletop gaming news website focused on the hobby side of wargaming and miniatures. Rob has won many Warhammer 40k Tournaments over the years, including the Adepticon Team Tournament and American Team Tournaments, and is on a first-name basis with almost every major company in the space.
He’s all gaming all the time. With over 30 years of experience in retail and distribution, Rob knows all the products and exactly which ones are the best. He advocates for gaming stores and manufacturers in these difficult times, always looking for the next big thing to feature for the miniatures hobby, helping everyone to provide the value consumers want.
While he’s played every edition of Warhammer 40k and Warhammer Fantasy (since 5th Edition) and has been hobbying on miniatures since the 1908s, Titans of all sizes will always be his favorite! It’s even rumored that his hobby vault rivals the Solemnance Galleries, containing rulebooks filled with lore from editions long past, ancient packs of black-bordered Magic Cards, and models made of both pewter and resin.
