Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 has a problem, and the man who runs it has acknowledged it. In a Reddit AMA, game director Dmitry Grigorenko said the Chaos enemies are harder to fight than the Tyranids, and he confirmed the studio is working on fixing it.
Players have complained about this since the game launched in 2024. The Tyranids are a swarm-type enemy that fills the screen with smaller foes and much bigger ones. The Chaos forces, led by the Thousand Sons, spawn aggressively and hit hard. On higher difficulties, the difference gets extreme.
Tyranids vs. Chaos
The Tyranids are a swarm-type enemy that fills the screen with smaller foes and much bigger ones. Fighting them feels like a switch-you-brain-off moment, where you sweep a Power Sword through xenos flesh, parry a strike that gives you a clean response, and punch them in the face with a Power Fist.
Chaos, in contrast, is a measured challenge. You’re facing fellow Space Marines with daemonic forces. They’re supposed to be tough. When Terminators spawn and spam their missile barrages, playing against Chaos feels like pulling teeth.
The harder the difficulty, the more pronounced the difference becomes. At lower settings, Tyranids and Chaos are similar. Ramp it up, and Chaos becomes an absolute bloody nightmare, while the Tyranids often still feel manageable.
Grigorenko’s Response
Grigorenko acknowledged the issue directly in the AMA. “We understand that Chaos is more difficult to fight against Tyranids, yes,” he said. “There will be some pass on this in the future. I don’t think it will be about bots being good vs Chaos specifically.”
That second part answers a separate question about balancing Chaos Operations (PvE missions) so it’s easier to fight against them as a solo player. Grigorenko ruled that approach out. What remains open is how the studio might adjust the Chaos faction itself.
What the Fix Could Be
The simplest fix would be a nerf to Chaos’s stats. Saber could reduce their toughness, lower their damage, or cut down how often they spawn. The fundamentals of how Chaos works versus the Tyranids likely won’t change, since Chaos are Space Marines after all.
But the writer behind the report doubts a tweak will make Chaos fun. “I suspect that no matter what Saber does here, the Tyranids will always be more fun to fight than Chaos,” they wrote. “That’s because you simply can’t beat the feeling that comes from carving your way through the swarm, or pumping scores of alien monsters with bolter fire.”
The Next Swarm
The writer’s thoughts turned to Space Marine 3, which is in development. The “swarm” enemy there remains unknown. Most believe the game will feature the Necrons, based on hints scattered throughout Space Marine 2.
Other possibilities exist:
- A return to the Orks, the primary antagonist of the 11th edition of the Warhammer 40,000 tabletop game.
- The relentless Death Guard and swarms of shuffling Plaguebearers.
The Verdict on Chaos
The admission is refreshing. A developer acknowledging a problem is half the battle. Whether the fix lands is another matter.
The writer’s prediction is that no amount of tweaking will make Chaos as enjoyable as the Tyranids. That’s fine. The swarm will always be more fun to carve through.
Still, a tweak that makes Chaos less miserable is worth having. The future of Space Marine 2 looks brighter.
Source material: “Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 Dev Acknowledges That Chaos Is Harder to Fight Than Tyranids, Confirms Plan to Do Something About It,” IGN.
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