Video games Workshop has launched a brand new trailer for Astartes II, essentially the most anticipated Warhammer 40,000 animation ever.
For the uninitiated, the unique Astartes was created by superfan Syama Pedersen, who was subsequently introduced into the fold to make the official sequel. Astartes is broadly accepted as the best Warhammer 40,000 animation ever made, official or unofficial, with solely Amazon’s glorious Space Marine 2 animation for the Secret Level anthology series competing with it in high quality phrases. Certainly, Astartes was so good that it inspired Saber Interactive’s hugely successful Space Marine 2 by way of the feel and appear of the House Marines themselves.
Throughout Video games Workshop’s ‘Huge Autumn Preview’ occasion, followers have been handled to a brand new have a look at Astartes II, which confirms the looks of Deathwatch and Terminators. As the corporate notes in a submit on Warhammer Community, followers of House Hulk will little doubt discover quite a bit acquainted right here.
ASTARTES 2 teaser
Coming DecemberWe get to observe a Deathwatch unit investigating a House Hulk! pic.twitter.com/DgveN5yz6K
— Jesus 40k Worldview (@40kWorldview) September 18, 2026
Certainly, the House Hulk vibes come by loud and clear. We see House Marines stomp a couple of darkish, shadowy inside which you simply know will home horrible, nightmarish issues within the shadows. However the first-person shot of a hall lit solely by spotlights is the clearest signal that the much-loved tabletop sport, House Hulk, was an affect.
Additionally within the submit, Video games Workshop confirmed that Astartes II shall be “considerably longer” than its predecessor, which is music to fan ears. Understandably as a single-person fan venture, Astartes is on the quick aspect.
“We knew already that this was prone to function Deathwatch and Terminators, from the unsubtle hints dropped on the finish of the LAST trailer, and now we see them, they appear to be they imply enterprise,” Video games Workshop stated. “The imposing line of storm bolter barrels and the crackle of an influence fist, mixed with the ominous environment, are definitely giving off some robust House Hulk vibes.
“In some way much more intimidating than the clean visage of the Terminator helms is that unhelmeted House Marine veteran, who might definitely be described as ‘grizzled.’ And we expect we clocked no less than three completely different characters and Chapters of House Marines in that trailer.”
In November final yr, Games Workshop revealed animation work on a monitor screen through the promo video, under, that confirmed a squad of Terminators showing to guard an unnamed human soldier. This was the Inquisition-led Deathwatch Terminator squad from the debut Astartes 2 teaser in incomplete kind, however we all know from their pauldron chapter symbols that they’re the identical as earlier than (Retributors, Mortifactors, Scythes of The Emperor, Sons of Medusa, and Angels Vermilion).
Last year’s teaser steered an animation on a scale and high quality never-before-seen from Warhammer 40,000, with melee fight, taking pictures, car fight, and even spaceship battles all showcased. It confirmed plenty of House Marine chapters in battle throughout diversified environments, and a number of enemy races, together with Tyranids, Orks, and Tau.
Nevertheless it turned out that nothing within the teaser is definitely within the Astartes 2 animation itself. Based on a submit on the Warhammer Community web site: “This teaser trailer will not be truly clips from the brand new animation, as an alternative exhibiting a compilation of photographs that characterize the previous lives of the characters that can seem within the present. There’s a fairly unsubtle trace on the finish as to the character of the ultimate story… We’ll go away you to take a position and begin placing the items collectively yourselves.”
Astartes II is due out this December on Warhammer+, Video games Workshop’s streaming service.
Wesley Yin-Poole
Director, Information
Wesley is Director, Information at IGN. Discover him on Twitter at @wyp100. You may attain Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.