Warhammer 40,000: Chaos Gate – Daemonhunters will reboot the turn-based classic

Turn-based classic Warhammer 40,000: Chaos Gate is getting a reboot, and it’s being written by Helsreach author Aaron Dembski-Bowden. Titled Warhammer 40,000: Chaos Gate – Daemonhunters, the game was revealed Thursday during the Warhammer Skulls livestreaming presentation and will be published by a new subsidiary within Frontier Developments (Elite Dangerous, Jurassic World: Evolution). The game is expected to release some time in 2022.

Daemonhunters will tell the story the secretive Grey Knights chapter of Space Marines, a unique chapter genetically different from all other chapters of the Adeptas Astartes. Often confused with their cousins, the Deathwatch, the Grey Knights are dedicated to battling the forces of Chaos. Serving as the military arm of the Inquisitorial Ordo Malleus, every single one of the Grey Knights is a powerful psyker. That makes them equally skilled at doing battle with a sword and bolter, or with the potent magical energies of the warp.

The original Chaos Gate was released in 1998. It told a story from the perspective of the Ultramarines chapter of Space Marines who also went up against the forces of Chaos. The original featured highly configurable squads of soldiers, which could be personalized with names and unique weapons. The game was also characterized by a methodical, turn-based tactical style of play — not unlike its contemporary, the original X-COM: UFO Defense from 1994. You can still pick up and play the original game on GOG for $9.99.

It should be noted that the original Chaos Gate was not a particularly well-written game. It’s perhaps best known for repetitive barks of “kneel before the tractor!” on one side and “come to Chaos!” on the other. That makes the inclusion of author Aaron Dembski-Bowden all the more important.

Dembski-Bowden has written some of the most interesting novels in the Black Library, specifically from the perspective of Chaos Space Marines. They include gems such as Black Legion and the Night Lords trilogy — Soul Hunter, Blood Reaver, and Void Stalker. He’s also responsible for fan favorite Helsreach, which tells the story of Black Templars Chaplain Grimaldus and the defense of forge world Armageddon from a massive ork invasion. That novel served as the foundation for Richard Boylan’s YouTube series Helsreach. Boylan and his team are now working directly with Games Workshop, creating an animated series for the newly announced Warhammer Plus subscription streaming service.

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