"Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 Dev Rejects Live Service Model Amid FOMO Backlash"

The developers and publishers of *Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2* have firmly stated that they are not aiming to transform the game into a "full live service" model, following a backlash from the community regarding events that were perceived as promoting "FOMO," or the fear of missing out. FOMO is a strategy commonly employed by live service games to drive rapid engagement and spending on time-limited virtual items, suggesting that missing out now means missing out forever.

This approach is often criticized for fostering an unhealthy dynamic between games and their player base. In 2021, research commissioned by the UK's GambleAware charity highlighted that many games use psychological tactics, such as FOMO, to encourage purchases of loot boxes. Although *Space Marine 2* does not feature loot boxes, it does include community events designed to unlock exclusive cosmetics, which have sparked controversy and led some to label the game as a "live service."

In response to the community's feedback, Focus Entertainment and Saber Interactive acknowledged the "cold feedback" regarding these events and the associated FOMO concerns. They reassured players that items made available during these events will be accessible again in the future, for everyone. Here's their statement:

We have noted that the Community Events have received cold feedback since we introduced them as an additional way to unlock cosmetic items. We saw that many of you mentioned FOMO generated by the events. Rest assured, we are not looking to transform Space Marine 2 into a full live service game. The items available through events WILL be available later, for everyone. We want Community Events to be a way to unlock the items in advance, for the most dedicated players, and not to be a source of frustration and stress for everyone.

However, that means we must provide a smooth experience in unlocking said items, which has not been the case so far. We deeply apologize for the trouble, and are currently working on a simplified process to unlock the items, to make the experience less constraining.

As a gesture of goodwill, Focus Entertainment is offering the much-coveted emblem-less Mk VIII Errant Helmet for free to all players who link their PROS account to *Space Marine 2*. This helmet was part of the Imperial Vigil community event, set to conclude on March 3, and was previously only obtainable by achieving a victory with each of six classes in Operations Mode before the deadline.

The *Space Marine 2* community is eagerly anticipating the upcoming 7.0 update, which promises to introduce a new weapon, a new Operations map, and PvE Prestige Ranks. Following last month's response to growing player discontent over a lack of content, Focus and Saber outlined their plans for the game's future updates.

*Space Marine 2* achieved a record-breaking launch late last year, selling 5 million copies and becoming the fastest-selling Warhammer video game of all time.