The next cRPG set in the grim dark Warhammer 40,000 universe from Owlcat Games (Rogue Trader) puts you in the shoes of an acolyte tasked with leading deep investigations. Here’s everything we know about Dark Heresy so far, plus our hands-on thoughts before its launch.
The ongoing Dark Heresy alpha allows players who have pre-ordered the Developers Digital Pack to play a sizable chunk of the game in its current state ahead of the full release. The generous playtest should also help Owlcat Games’ developers iron things out before the ambitious cRPG is ready to go.
On top of our preview thoughts on this first experience with the game, we’ve collected everything on Dark Heresy’s story, gameplay, platforms, and more. Just scroll down below and learn everything there’s to know about this party-based RPG which will remind you of many old and modern classics.
Warhammer 40,000: Dark Heresy Release Date
Owlcat Games hasn’t shared a specific release window for WH40K: Dark Heresy yet, but considering the current state of the alpha and all the activity on its community and social channels, we’re believe it could hit this year.
- Warhammer 40,000: Dark Heresy release window: 2026
Warhammer 40,000: Dark Heresy Hands-On Preview
After a few hours with the game’s preview alpha build, it’s safe to say Owlcat Games might have another winner in its hands. Even at this early stage, with much of the flourish missing and abundant rough edges, WH40K: Dark Heresy’s soul breaks through the noise and solidifies the studio as an RPG powerhouse to watch out for.
A surprising amount of time of this early-game but in media res chunk of the game is spent walking around a worn-down city’s underbelly and doing some proper detective work which ropes in both low-lifers and righteous members of the Imperial Inquisition. As an acolyte, you’re not exactly at the top of the food chain, and we don’t have the full picture of where our protagonist comes from (even if they’re largely customisable) yet, but with the right stats and dice rolls, you can bruteforce situations and people in a myriad of ways.
Mind you, the starting items, levels, and stats for them and the sizable party of colourful characters are pre-boosted to ensure we can get a proper taste of this part of the game. While I was able to solve pretty much every problem in my way with highly skilled characters, it’s abundantly clear specialised builds will be of key importance here as you try to navigate however you can complicated missions in the final game.
The first impression might be that Dark Heresy is a very linear RPG, with the Inquisitor and their party being pointed towards a clear objective several times… until things really open up. It, at least in its playtest alpha form, takes a while to get going. It demands patience, and lots of reading is part of the pitch here as you try to piece together bits of evidence and guess if the person you just interrogated is telling everything they know.
Those who enjoy good narrative-driven cRPGs should feel right at home with this one if they can stomach WH40K’s downbeat and gory tendencies. It’s a thick atmosphere for sure, and even with the graphics being halfway there at this stage, the immersion is strong with this one. Similarly, its UI and menu work are pretty much good to go, especially when compared to far more confusing RPGs which struggle to relay critical information too often.
Exploring this city’s different areas (there’s a lot of verticality to the overarching design) takes a while, and while some plot beats unfold in front of you, digging through both main and secondary quests (it’s easy to run into walls) is encouraged over aimless wandering around. Pay attention to highlighted words and loose directions. At no point I feel like Dark Heresy is obtuse, as many modern QoL improvements are included, but it’s not a hand-holdy mainstream RPG either. This is good.
Perhaps the biggest surprise when playing through the alpha is how much of the game’s core selection of playable misfits is ready to be tested. From the Ogryn conscript Cogg to a strong Aeldari with a different mission that overlaps with ours, it’s a strong selection of characters, at least on a playable level.
The alpha’s biggest shortcoming is that, despite is length, it doesn’t make me care about this characters, at least not yet. This isn’t a firm criticism as cRPGs are typically huge and this is just a tiny slice of the whole thing, but some downtime outside the investigation and the occasional combat would’ve been nice to have as we go into the marketing campaign’s next phase.
Combat should be familiar to anyone who’s played Rogue Trader or fantasy hits like Baldur’s Gate 3. It’s turn-based, tactical, and not overly complicated even if the depth is there. With different stances, passive modifiers, and specialized active abilities, each party member shines in their own way, though I’m quite fond of the psyker’s crowd-control skills. There are movement points and AP to spend each turn, and executing the actions isn’t as hard as making sense of some of them. Like I said… you’ll be doing a lot of reading. This isn’t a knock on the game (more like the opposite); we all could use denser and less forgiving systems in our RPGs.
I’ve yet to be truly impressed by what Owlcat is cooking here with Dark Heresy’s own style of cRPG, but its skeleton is solid and there’s no reason not to believe this project is on the right path… even if the Inquisitor can stray from it.
Warhammer 40,000: Dark Heresy Gameplay
Even though WH40K: Dark Heresy puts open-ended investigations and storylines at the forefront, it’s a traditional cRPG at its core. Battles are party and turn-based, and familiar elements like ability points (APs) and targeted and AoE abilities are central to the system. It also allows players to fully customise each and every party member’s inventory and loadout, with XP gains opening up new progression paths.
Outside of combat, things are more relaxed, or at least as relaxed as they can realistically be in the Warhammer 40,000 universe. It’s dark, grim, and brutal out there, and the NPCs (important and small) you can interact with make it very clear. Layered investigations are at the centre of this game, supported by semi-open levels where curiosity is rewarded with items and/or information. It’s a winning combination that’s worked in the past and seems to come together nicely in Owlcat’s latest too.
Warhammer 40,000: Dark Heresy Story
WH40K: Dark Heresy follows an Inquisitor tasked with investigating heresy. Over time, they’re allowed to lead a colourful warband of characters that includes xenos put to good use by the Imperium.
The main setting is the Calixis Sector, where justice isn’t common and everyone’s fighting to survive another day. The Inquisition also has its fair share of problems and infighting, so political intrigue and treason are around every corner. How they player chooses to navigate such murky waters is their choice.
Actual plot details are limited at this point, but we should be hearing more from Owlcat in the near future.
Warhammer 40,000: Dark Heresy Price and Platforms
- WH40K: Dark Heresy is coming to PC (Steam, Epic Games Store, GOG), PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
Owlcat Games has already opened pre-orders through its official site, and there are plenty of options for those who wish to join the Inquisition before the storefronts start selling the game:
- Core Digital Pack ($39.99): Digital copy of the game, access to the beta, and official Discord role.
- Premium Digital Pack ($49.99): Everything in the Core Digital Pack plus unique items, digital art book, original soundtrack, and the option to have your name in the game’s credits.
- Developers Digital Pack ($79): Everything in the other two versions with more extra items and cosmetics, Hall of Fame listing, and access to the ongoing alpha we’ve had the chance to play.
- Collector’s Edition ($289): All the previously described digital content plus a physical art book, an Inquisitorial Insignia, a printed Dark Heresy novella, and a Kroot companion statue, all bundled inside a collector’s box.
Warhammer 40,000: Dark Heresy Trailers
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