Games Workshop's highly anticipated Warhammer 40,000 animation, Astartes 2, has resurfaced with a stunning teaser trailer, captivating fans worldwide. However, a crucial detail emerges: the trailer showcases scenes not featured in the actual animation.
Astartes 2 serves as the sequel to the acclaimed fan-made original, created by Syama Pedersen. Widely considered the pinnacle of Warhammer 40,000 animation, it arguably only trails Amazon's recent Space Marine 2 animation in Secret Level's anthology. Its success even inspired Saber Interactive's popular Space Marine 2 video game, leading Games Workshop to recruit Pedersen for the sequel.
Years of silence surrounding Astartes 2 fueled speculation of cancellation. The January 29th trailer release, however, surprised fans with its impressive visuals.
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 trailer boasts unprecedented scale and quality, depicting melee combat, ranged firefights, vehicle warfare, and even space battles. Various Space Marine chapters clash across diverse environments, facing off against Tyranids, Orks, and Tau.
While the trailer generates considerable hype, Games Workshop's Warhammer Community website clarifies that its content is not from the actual animation:
“This teaser trailer is not actually clips from the new animation, instead showing a compilation of shots that represent the former lives of the characters that will appear in the show. There’s a pretty unsubtle hint at the end as to the nature of the final story...We’ll leave you to speculate and start putting the pieces together yourselves.”
The lack of a disclaimer on the trailer itself is a potential issue, as fans might reasonably assume the depicted scenes will appear in Astartes 2.
Despite this, the trailer sparks excitement and speculation. The final image hints at the characters joining an Inquisition-led Deathwatch Terminator squad. Meanwhile, Space Marine 2 fans express envy, hoping some elements, particularly capes, might find their way into the game. With ongoing updates to Space Marine 2, further inspiration from Astartes remains a possibility.
