Necromunda: Underhive Wars
Tactical gang warfare in the Warhammer 40,000 underhive.
Necromunda: Underhive Wars is a tactical role-playing game that came out in 2020. It was made by Rogue Factor and published by Focus Home Interactive. The game is based on the 1995 tabletop game Necromunda from Games Workshop, which is part of the Warhammer 40,000 universe. The action takes place on the mechanized planet of Necromunda, where players lead a gang of up to five fighters who battle other gangs for resources. It launched on September 7, 2020, for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Windows.
Development began in 2018 when Games Workshop announced a partnership with Rogue Factor Entertainment, with Focus Home Interactive publishing. A trailer showed a House Escher leader facing off against House Goliath gangers, and a 2019 release was planned. Rogue Factor missed that deadline, and with no further news, many thought the project was canceled. In June 2020, the studio confirmed development was still active, targeting a summer release. They explained the long silence was due to a major overhaul of the game's direction, as early speculation had led many to believe it would just be a reskin of their earlier game, Mordheim: City of the Damned. Rogue Factor also said players could build a gang of up to five gangers (compared to the tabletop's 1–15, depending on the gang), and the game featured a new campaign written by former Games Workshop writer Andy Chambers. Steam started taking preorders in mid-June, setting a release date of September 8, 2020. The game launched on that date.
At release, three gangs were available: Goliath, Escher, and Orlock, each with unique traits. Players hire gang members, but only five can be in a mission at once. Each ganger is customizable and fits into one of five classes: Deadeye, Brawler, Heavy, Saboteur, and Lay-Mechanic. The game has a progression system and permanent injuries, meaning a ganger hurt in battle might not fully recover. In combat, each ganger takes a turn to move and act, controlled from a third-person perspective.
The game received mixed reviews upon release. Critics pointed out problems with AI behavior, bugs, and save file corruption.
Quick Facts
- Title
- Necromunda: Underhive Wars
- Developer
- Rogue Factor
- Publisher
- Focus Home Interactive
- Released
- 7 September 2020
- Platforms
- Microsoft Windows · PlayStation 4 · Xbox One
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 4
- Genre
- Tactical role-playing game, Action game
- Modes
- Single-player, multiplayer
- Composer
- Stéphane Primeau
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Development of Necromunda: Underhive Wars was announced in 2018 by Games Workshop in partnership with Rogue Factor Entertainment, with Focus Home Interactive as publisher. A trailer featuring a House Escher leader confronting House Goliath gangers accompanied the announcement, and a tentative 2019 release date was set. However, Rogue Factor missed this timeline, and a long period of silence led many to believe the project had been cancelled. In June 2020, Rogue Factor confirmed development was ongoing and attributed the delay to a complete revision of the game's direction, as early speculation had led potential players to expect a reskin of their earlier title Mordheim: City of the Damned. The game ultimately released on 8 September 2020.
Gameplay allows players to build a gang of up to five gangers, a reduction from the tabletop game's range of 1–15 depending on the gang. A new campaign was written by Games Workshop alumnus Andy Chambers. On release, three gangs were available: Goliath, Escher, and Orlock, each with distinct traits. Gangers are customizable and belong to five classes: Deadeye, Brawler, Heavy, Saboteur, and Lay-Mechanic. The game features a progression system and permanent injuries, meaning an injured gang member may not recover. During battles, each ganger takes a turn to move and act, controlled from a third-person perspective.
Reader's Guide
Necromunda: Underhive Wars occupies a niche as a digital adaptation of a classic tabletop skirmish game, but its reception was mixed. Critics pointed to issues with AI behavior, bugs, and save corruption as significant drawbacks. The game's development history—marked by a long silence and a complete revision of its design—shaped its final form, which deliberately distanced itself from comparisons to Mordheim: City of the Damned. The inclusion of a campaign by Andy Chambers, a veteran of Games Workshop, lent it some pedigree, but the reduced gang size of five compared to the tabletop's flexibility disappointed some fans. The permanent injury system added a layer of consequence to battles, but technical problems undermined the experience. For players seeking a tactical RPG set in the Warhammer 40,000 universe, it offered a focused gang warfare experience, though its legacy is tempered by the technical flaws noted at launch. The game remains a reference point for video game adaptations of Games Workshop properties from the early 2020s.
Did You Know?
- The game's development was announced in 2018 with a tentative 2019 release, but a long silence led many to believe it was cancelled.
- Rogue Factor revised the game completely after early speculation that it would be a reskin of Mordheim: City of the Damned.
- Permanent injuries mean a ganger injured in battle may not recover.
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