Warhammer: Vermintide 2
Co-op action game set in the Warhammer Fantasy End Times.
Warhammer: Vermintide 2 is a first-person action game from developer and publisher Fatshark, released in 2018. It follows the 2015 title Warhammer: The End Times – Vermintide. The Windows version launched on 8 March 2018, with Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and Xbox Series X/S releases following on 11 July 2018, 18 December 2018, and 3 December 2020, respectively.
The game focuses on cooperative play, with up to five characters battling the Chaos army and the rat-like Skaven in the Warhammer Fantasy setting. Each character can choose from 15 careers (20 with downloadable content), each offering distinct skills. Missions reward players through a randomized loot system. The base game includes 13 missions, over 20 enemy types, and more than 50 weapons.
Set during the early End Times, the story picks up after the first game. Grey Seer Rasknitt, presumed dead, captures the five Heroes of Ubersreik, allowing Clan Fester to take the city. Rasknitt builds a portal called the Skittergate to let Chaos Champion Bödvarr Ribspreader and his Rotblood army invade Helmgart. The portal fails, freeing hero Markus Kruber, who reunites with Victor Saltzpyre, Bardin Goreksson, Sienna Fuegonasus, and Kerillian. They escape to a ruined keep, meeting allies Franz Lohner and Olesya Pimenova. Together, they kill sorcerer Burblespue Halescourge, warlord Skarrik Spinemanglr, and Bödvarr. With Rasknitt’s allies dead, the heroes activate the Helmgart Skittergate, travel to Norsca, destroy the Norscan gate, and slay Rasknitt and his Stormfiend, Deathrattler, before escaping as the lair collapses.
Fatshark, a Swedish studio, announced the game in August 2017, with a worldwide reveal on 17 October 2017. The Windows release was on 8 March 2018, followed by Xbox One on 11 July 2018 (free for Game Pass subscribers) and PlayStation 4 on 18 December 2018.
Post-launch, Fatshark planned support into 2023. Paid DLC “Shadows over Bögenhafen” added two missions in August 2018. “Back To Ubersreik” added four missions and five weapons in December 2018. Free mission “A Quiet Drink” released in March 2019, where heroes fight Skaven in a pub while managing alcohol levels. Expansion “The Winds of Magic” (August 2019 on PC, delayed on consoles) introduced the Beastmen faction, six new enemy types, five weapons, a Weaves challenge mode, Cataclysm difficulty, and a new non-Weave map.
Quick Facts
- Title
- Warhammer: Vermintide 2
- Developer
- Fatshark
- Director
- Anders De Geer · Robin Hagblom
- Producer
- Erika S. Kling · Robert Bäckström
- Designer
- Joakim Setterberg
- Programmer
- Peter Nilsson · Joakim Wahlström
- Artist
- Arvid Nilsson
- Writer
- Matt Ward · Magnus Liljedahl
- Composer
- Jesper Kyd
- Series
- Warhammer Fantasy
- Engine
- Autodesk Stingray
- Platforms
- Microsoft Windows · PlayStation 4 · Xbox One · Xbox Series X/S
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The game is set in the Warhammer Fantasy universe during the early days of the End Times. It follows the Heroes of Ubersreik from the first game against the Skaven hordes of Clan Fester and their new allies, the Rotbloods, a Chaos Warband dedicated to Nurgle. The expansion 'Winds of Magic' introduced the Beastmen, a herd of Chaos mutated humanoids, in search of an object known as the 'Herdstone'.
Reader's Guide
Warhammer: Vermintide 2 is a co-op-focused action game experienced from a first-person perspective. Players battle cooperatively against the Chaos army and the Skaven. The game features five different characters, divided into 15 careers (20 with DLC), each with unique skills. After completing missions, players receive rewards through a randomized loot system. The base game includes 13 missions, over 20 enemy types, and over 50 weapons. The game has significantly increased in size since release due to a stream of both free and paid downloadable content, including expansions such as 'Shadows over Bögenhafen', 'Back To Ubersreik', 'The Winds of Magic', and 'The Chaos Wastes'. Each of the five heroes has received a new career via DLC.
Did You Know?
- The game was announced in August 2017 and its worldwide reveal occurred on 17 October 2017.
- The expansion 'Winds of Magic' introduced a new difficulty called Cataclysm and a challenge mode known as Weaves.
- A free mission titled 'A Quiet Drink' was released for the game's one-year anniversary in March 2019, featuring a unique mechanic where each hero must balance their alcoholic content.
- The 'Chaos Wastes' expansion added a roguelike game mode with randomized level composition and variable buffs and challenges.
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