Warhammer 40,000's Astartes 2 Returns with Stunning Teaser, but With a Twist

Games Workshop has thrilled Warhammer 40,000 fans by resurrecting the much-anticipated Astartes 2 animation with a stunning teaser trailer. However, there's a twist: the content shown in the teaser won't actually appear in the final animation.

Astartes 2 is the eagerly awaited sequel to the fan-made original Astartes, crafted by the talented Syama Pedersen. Widely regarded as the pinnacle of Warhammer 40,000 animations, both official and unofficial, it's only rivaled by the recent, highly acclaimed Space Marine 2 animation from Amazon's Secret Level anthology series. Astartes' excellence even inspired Saber Interactive's successful Space Marine 2, leading Games Workshop to bring Syama on board to work on this sequel.

Despite years of silence from Games Workshop, leaving fans to speculate about the project's fate, the surprise release of the teaser trailer on January 29, 2025, has reignited excitement. The trailer showcases a spectacular range of action, from melee combat and shooting to vehicle and spaceship battles, featuring various Space Marine chapters and enemy races like Tyranids, Orks, and Tau across diverse environments.

It's not even February yet and the Ws for 2025 won't stop coming! Astartes is back, Brothers! pic.twitter.com/sYhu5LjwiC

— Champions of the Ice (@ChampionsOTIce2) January 29, 2025

The teaser sets high expectations for Astartes 2, promising a level of quality and scale unprecedented in Warhammer 40,000 animations. However, a post on the Warhammer Community website clarified that the trailer is actually a montage of scenes depicting the past lives of characters who will appear in the show, not actual content from the animation. The post hints at the storyline's nature but leaves fans to piece together the clues.

While the teaser is undoubtedly impressive, it doesn't offer a true glimpse into Astartes 2, which is set to launch exclusively on Games Workshop's Warhammer+ streaming service in 2026. The absence of a disclaimer on the trailer might lead to confusion among fans, who might expect the showcased action to be part of the final product.

Despite this, the teaser has sparked excitement and speculation among fans. The final image suggests the characters may join an Inquisition-led Deathwatch Terminator squad, though the full narrative remains a mystery.

Meanwhile, the Astartes 2 teaser has caught the attention of Space Marine 2 fans, who are eager to see some of its elements, like capes, integrated into their game. With Saber Interactive continuing to update Space Marine 2, there's hope that the developers might draw further inspiration from Astartes.