Although it is perfect as a portal to the franchise's universe, Warhammer 40,000: Marine 2 it's just the tip of a titanic iceberg hidden beneath the water's surface. Despite originating from a table game, War Hammer 40K has a hilarious abundance of lore, spanning tens of thousands of years, from when the Necrons became robotic conquerors, to the 41st millennium, where the Ultramarines are desperately trying to reunite the Imperium of Man. Space Marine 2The placement of in the timeline is not as obvious as one might think, and it takes some investigation to find out when exactly this occurs.
It should be noted that Space Marine 2 takes place approximately two hundred years after the first game in the series, and a few hundred years pass quickly in War Hammer 40K with wars tending to last forever. There are some characters who were alive during the Horus Heresy, one of the biggest events in history. 40Khistory, which ironically took place in the 31st millennium, but as far as Space Marine 2 is concerned, that is a distant story. The game takes place in a modern style 40Kwhere humanity is going through particularly difficult times.
Spoilers for Space Marine 2 and Warhammer 40K Lore
Space Marine 2 takes place in the 41st millennium
It's a busy time to be an overseas
Space Marine 2 takes place in the 41st millennium, during the Fourth Tyrannical Warhence why there are so many Tyranids to shoot. The war began after the Hive Fleet Leviathan (the largest Tyranid fleet ever) arrived from Segmentum Pacificus. This was during another event in 40K timeline called the Indomitus Crusade, in which Ultramarines are being deployed to try to reunite the planets of the Imperium of Man. This explains why Titus is once again an Ultramarine and why his squad is being pitted against hordes of Tyranids and the forces of Chaos to defend the Empire.
During this period, a lot is happening with the long-dormant Roboute Guilliman (the Primarch of the Ultramarines and thirteenth son of the Emperor) awakening to essentially take command of the Empire and try to return it to its former glory. As Primarch of the Ultramarines, Guilliman assumes command of the Chapter from Marneus Calgar, the Chapter Master, who appears in Space Marine 2 to save the day before the final battle. At this point, the Ultramarines are deeply involved in the Indomitus Crusade against heretics and xenos.
Exact dates for Space Marine 2 are difficult to find considering the The time of the Indomitus Crusade, also known as the Indomitus Era or Age of the Dark Empire, is plagued by temporal distortions. Still, it is known that the first phase of the Crusade lasted about twelve years and occurred after the 13th Black Crusade and the Great Rift, which literally divided the Empire in half. Space Marine 2 occurs well after the first phase, and in War Hammer 40K tradition, the Indomitus Crusade is considered continuous.
Space Marine 2 is updated with Warhammer 40k Lore
It's as modern as it could be
With Space Marine 2 occurring during the Indomitable Crusade and the Fourth Tyrannical War, is essentially as up to date with War Hammer 40K possible. The evidence comes from the appearance of Marneus Calgar. He is healthy even after being injured at the hands of Abaddon, master of the Black Legion of the Chaos Space Marines. It is known that the game takes place after Calgar's fight with Abaddon during the War of Vigilus, as Titus is asked if he participated in the war, to which he responds that he did not.
This makes sense as it makes the game a perfect entry point into 2024 where modern War Hammer 40K the tradition is being written and updated at approximately the same point as the events of Space Marine 2 are occurring. It should be noted that Space Marine 2 is canonical for War Hammer 40K tradition and although the exact dates are unknown, thanks to temporal distortions, the game fits perfectly into the universe's lore. Titus and his squad begin the game fighting one of the Hive Fleet Leviathan's Tyranid Splinter Fleets on a planet in the galactic west.
Other notable events of the Fourth Tyrannical War have already occurred at this point. The planet Oghram was once consumed by the Tyranids, which was decided by real-life tabletop games between Tyranid and Space Marine players. Battles took place on the Sanctis Line as well. Meanwhile, the Imperium of Man's marginal victory in the Battle of Bastior was achieved, with Imperial forces barely able to contain several of the Hive Fleet's Leviathan tentacles.
The Imperium of Man is in a desperate place in Space Marine 2
But at least they have Roboute Guilliman
The events of Space Marine 2 will take place in a dark time for the Imperium of Man. Countless worlds are under threat from the Tyranid Fleets, the forces of Chaos are still flourishing after their 13th Black Crusade, and the Empire is divided in two. The Black Crusade, in particular, was devastating for the Empireresulting in the fall of Cadia and the death or corruption of tens of billions of people. Almost all of the 850 million people on Cadia were killed, and that was before Hive Fleet Leviathan decided to launch the largest Tyranid attack of all time.
To make matters worse, the end of Space Marine 2 Doesn't do much to solve Tyranid or Chaos problemssince both are still actively attacking other sentient races across the galaxy. This makes Titus a war hero rather than a potential heretic and traitor in the eyes of his fellow Space Marines, but the game's ending implies that the Necrons may soon awaken in Tomb World, where the final battle takes place. Necrons are one of the biggest threats in War Hammer 40K galaxy and most still haven't woken up and rebuilt their empire.
Warhammer 40,000: Marine 2 is exactly what 40K galaxy needed to involve more people with tradition. It's relatively up-to-date, meaning newcomers can go back in time to understand the events that led up to the game, while war hammer History experts can enjoy the continuation of their favorite scenario. Its placement in 40K The timeline implies that Titus has re-entered the fray at a terrible time for humanity, and things will likely get worse for the Empire when the time comes. Space Marine 3 leaves.