Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2, the long-awaited sequel to the 2011 third-person shooter from Relic Entertainment, was finally announced at the Game Awards last week. The announcement was accompanied by a cinematic trailer that showcased the return of fan-favorite character Captain Titus, as well as a new threat from the Warhammer 40,000 universe for him to face.
Titus is an Adeptus Astartes, also known as a Space Marine, a genetically and cybernetically-engineered super-soldier. Strengthed by their zealous faith in the God-Emperor, clad in sanctified power armor, and wielding weaponry that a normal human couldn't lift, the Astartes are the elite heart of the trillion-strong armies of the Imperium of Man. When the Imperium was riven by the terrible civil war known as the Horus Heresy in the 31st milennium, the Astartes Legions were divided into countless Chapters, each with their own symbols, traditions, and specialities. In both Space Marine and Space Marine 2, Titus is a member of the Ultramarines, one of the most celebrated Chapters in the 41st Millennium.
Introduction to the Ultramarines in Warhammer 40,000
Although they are now limited to no more than a thousand warriors, the current Ultramarines Chapter continues the legacy of the original Legion that bore their name, a force which numbered a quarter-million Astartes at its peak. Following the teachings of their Primarch Roboute Guilliman, the Ultramarines are a disciplined and analytical Chapter, able to face any kind of tactical situation or enemy.
The Ultramarines are one of the most important Space Marines Chapters in the Warhammer 40K universe, and a favorite of the writers and developers at Games Workshop. This has led to them becoming the face of the Astartes, both in the game's marketing and in the Imperium of Man itself. To many of the human citizens of the Warhammer universe, the Ultramarines are the exemplars of all that a Space Marine should be: Virtuous, heroic, honorable, fearless, and unbeatable.
This reputation comes from their adherence to the Codex Astartes, a vast guide to strategy, military organization, moral behaviour, and tactical doctrine written by Guilliman after the end of the Horus Heresy. While many of the Astartes Chapters follow the Codex, none are more zealous in their devotion than the Ultramarines. This dedication has won them victories that are honored by their fellow Astartes and the Imperium as a whole, but their rigid adherence to the Codex for over 10,000 years has also gained them a reputation for inflexibility.
The History of the Ultramarines in Warhammer 40,000
The Ultramarines Legion was founded by the Emperor of Mankind alongside 19 others on Terra (Earth) in the 29th Millennium. Each Legion was based on the genetic code of a single Primarch, the immortal and superhuman beings created by the Emperor to lead his armies and battlefleets across the galaxy. The Ultramarines' Primarch was Roboutte Guilliman, and from the start his "sons" were found to display a natural inclination toward hierarchy, unit cohesion, and tactical analysis.
When the Horus Heresy split the Imperium a thousand years later, the Ultramarines remained loyal to the Emperor, and were instrumental in the battles against their former comrades. They had always been the largest Legion, and after the Heresy was over it was Guilliman who suggested that the Legions should be divided into much smaller Chapters to prevent another civil war.
In the 10,000 years that followed, the Ultramarines Chapter won countless victories in the name of Emperor and Imperium. Over that time the Chapter also embraced the worship of their creator as a God-Emperor, and hardened their dedication to the Codex Astartes until it reached fanatical levels. It's for this reason that Ultramarines like Captain Titus, who are prepared to step outside the constrictions of the Codex when they deem it necessary, often run into conflict with their fellow soldiers.
Captain Titus in Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2
The story of Captain Titus began in the original Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine, so beware of spoilers ahead for the 2011 title. In that game Titus helped to defend the Forge World Graia from an invasion of both Orks and forces of Chaos. However, his resistance to Chaos magic and willingness to ignore the Codex caused suspicions in his fellow Astartes Leandros, who reported him to the Inquisition as a heretic. The original Space Marine ended with Titus departing willingly with an Inquisitor, in exchange for the ruthless witch-hunters leaving the rest of his comrades alone.
It seems as though he survived his questioning however, and remains an Ultramarine in the cinematic trailer for Space Marine 2. Despite being found innocent, he may still have been demoted, as his helmet in the trailer bears the markings for a lieutenant, not a captain. Even so, this may not be the biggest change in Titus between the two games. Based on his armor and appearance it seems as if he has crossed the Rubicon Primaris, an incredibly dangerous surgical operation to convert a normal Astartes into a Primaris, a new breed of super-soldier with even greater physical and mental capabilities.
With his enhanced abilities Captain Titus will be taking on a new and terrible threat, the Tyranids. The Ultramarines have a special history with the extra-galactic hive mind and its swarm of insectoid horrors, being one of the first Chapters to fight against them.
The Ultramarine homeworld of Macragge was all but destroyed in the First Tyrannic Wars, and the new tactics that the Chapter invented to face the swarms represent the largest divergence from the Codex Astartes in their history. Since that war, the Ultramarines have developed a reputation in the Imperium as experts in Tyranid warfare, so it makes sense that Lieutenant Titus, both an Ultramarine and a Codex Astartes skeptic, would be deployed against them.
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 is currently under development for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
