Owlcat Games talks to us about about WH40K: Rogue Trader, the next game ‘Dark Heresy’ — and how the studio has leveraged Xbox Game Pass to find new audiences

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Over the past week, I’ve found myself immersed in Warhammer 40K: Rogue Trader, a game that has easily surpassed 200 hours of my time. To be frank, it ranks among the finest computer role-playing games I’ve ever experienced; it even stands out as one of the best video games I’ve encountered in total.

Initially, I approached Warhammer 40K with just a rudimentary understanding of its universe. However, after discovering Rogue Trader, my curiosity has led me to start purchasing books, miniature figures, and even enrolling in painting classes, as I delve deeper into this rich, multi-decade lore.

Experience Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader, available on both Xbox and PC platforms, including Game Pass. This game is often considered an exceptional entry point into the richly complex and ominous universe of one of the most acclaimed fantasy series. I’ve had the pleasure of playing this game across cloud services, PC, and Xbox consoles thanks to Xbox Play Anywhere, and I must admit, it has held my attention as powerfully as Mass Effect did in its days.

We recently had a conversation with Antaoly Shestov, executive producer at Owlcat Games, and Andrey Tsvetkov, head of publishing, to gather insights on their upcoming project, Warhammer 40K: Rogue Trader, as well as updates on Dark Heresy, and to understand more about the studio’s strategy regarding Game Pass.

Owlcat on its WH40K: Rogue Trader learnings

In Warhammer 40K: Rogue Trader, you assume the role of an explorer from the Imperium’s frontiers, granted a certain flexibility in interpreting laws to benefit humanity. This game offers a vast playground for delving into the Warhammer 40K universe, as your adventures as the Rogue Trader will take you to diverse corners and lore elements of this expansive world.

I thought the game’s storytelling method was simply outstanding, with player choices playing a crucial role in the overall experience. The Warhammer 40,000 universe is as grim as it gets, its intense violence and dystopian atmosphere having inspired countless creators across various mediums for generations.

Inquired whether the upcoming game, Dark Heresy, would maintain Rogue Trader’s knack for attracting newcomers to the Warhammer universe, Executive Producer Anatoly Shestov affirmed, “Indeed, that has been a key focus since the inception of Rogue Trader. Our goal was to show the world why we are passionate about Warhammer, and we plan to carry on with this approach.

As a tech-savvy fan of Warhammer 40K, I can’t help but marvel at Rogue Trader. It stands out from games like Space Marine 2 by providing an in-depth exploration of the lore, offering more than just gameplay. What sets it apart is its feature that allows players to highlight terms for additional context, making it easier for us enthusiasts to immerse ourselves even deeper into this captivating universe.

Despite the impressive nature of Rogue Trader as a CRPG, it’s challenging to ignore certain imperfections, particularly in light of the Baldur’s Gate 3 era. In Rogue Trader, combat animations tend to be repetitive and rigid, employing similar character movements for diverse abilities. I posed this question to the team at Owlcat, seeking insights into their key takeaways from Rogue Trader as they embark on Dark Heresy. Anatoly Shestov was open about his thoughts.

“It would be better if friends arrive sooner instead of later. It’s challenging to accommodate a 2×2 creature in spaces not designed for it. If something can potentially pile up infinitely, it most likely will.

In this context, Shestov highlights the “imbalances” that Rogue Trader experienced, particularly during gameplay. For instance, a character later in the game, the Space Wolf named Ulfar, occupied a 2×2 grid space. This arrangement caused some navigation challenges in specific scenarios. Furthermore, it’s worth noting that Owlcat’s RPG is quite “fragile,” as certain abilities and attributes can significantly boost characters’ power levels, even on advanced difficulty settings. This overpoweredness can potentially diminish the impact of key boss battles and pivotal moments within the game.

In the case of Dark Heresy, we’ve chosen not to follow a straightforward evolution path with tweaks and additions built upon existing elements. Instead, we’ve opted for a ground-up redesign. You’ll immediately notice changes in some areas, while others will delve deeper into the game’s essence. The end result is an enriched experience that gives players greater freedom to express themselves, whether it’s during combat, inventory management, cinematic moments, or dialogue interactions.

The darkest heresy cometh

Currently, Dark Heresy is being developed for both consoles and PC, even though Owlcat Games is simultaneously working on two additional expansions for Rogue Trader. The initial two expansions have already incorporated numerous gameplay enhancements.

The original Rogue Trader game was incredibly extensive, with the initial two expansions taking approximately 200 hours for my first playthrough, as I attempted to complete every possible task. However, in contrast, Owlcat aims to make Dark Heresy more compact.

According to Anatoly Shestov, the new version of “Dark Heresy” will have a shorter scope but a broader range, offering more dynamic interactions, reactivity, and diversity. Instead of spreading out over numerous areas, it will concentrate on Calixis, Scintilla, and Tyrantine Cabal. The team has narrowed down their storytelling objectives and believes the focus will be on enhancing the game narrative and player experience rather than restricting them.

In Rogue Trader, we’ve aimed to give each ideology a unique approach for managing the Koronus Expanse. In Dark Heresy, your actions will primarily focus on saving humanity from an imminent, grim fate rather than expressing personal beliefs; these methods may be extreme and desperate.

Sheshtov mentions that while there are some similarities between Dark Heresy and Rogue Trader, they are not identical in many aspects. Specifically, he notes that the overall gameplay structure and exploratory elements may not follow the same path.

Shestov goes on to explain, “There are numerous alterations across all aspects of Dark Heresy’s game elements. The mechanics aren’t excluded from this overhaul. You’ll find archetypes, origins, and backgrounds, some of which will have similar themes or names as those in Rogue Trader. However, they’ll function differently. Moreover, there will be entirely new archetypes introduced.

In the battle, it’ll still follow a turn-by-turn sequence. However, expect substantial modifications to the timing, cover, and visibility mechanics, as well as burst and area-of-effect attacks, among many other enhancements.

As a researcher delving into uncharted territories, I can assure you that the appearance may seem familiar, but the underlying user experience and cognitive processes will be vastly different. The journey will delve deeper than before, offering not an entire sector to discover, but rather a myriad of ground-level elements that will envelop you in a fresh and engaging environment. The traditional space battles won’t feature this time around.

To examine and solve these matters, an innovative investigation method is required. This system should collect, decipher, and evaluate evidence to draw conclusions, even if they contradict existing findings. Enter the Guncutter – it’s on its way.

In Warhammer 40K’s human Imperium, the Inquisition serves as a crucial foundation. Its role includes tackling some of humanity’s most menacing challenges – from heretical groups hidden among us, to traitors undermining the Emperor, extraterrestrial invasions, or daemons from the realm of Chaos. The Inquisition is portrayed as a covert and unyielding force within the storyline. However, it’s also important to note that the Inquisition itself can be prone to corruption. Regular encounters with Chaos daemons can push even the staunchest believers towards madness.

Delving into such topics, particularly the impact of player decisions, played a pivotal role in Warhammer 40K: Rogue Trader. Its intricate storylines could drastically alter the destiny of entire galactic regions. In essence, it appears that Dark Heresy will carry on this legacy by maintaining this focus on player agency.

According to Shestov, one of the fundamental aspects of our games is reactivity. It’s fascinating to watch how the game environment adapts to player decisions and undergoes substantial changes. Our aim is to offer a variety of responses to specific events. Moreover, this aspect is not only a goal for us as a studio, but it is also the primary reason we create the games we are recognized for. And as players, we appreciate these interactive, responsive games ourselves.

In all the games we develop, including Dark Heresy, we’ll consistently emphasize player choice and responsiveness. This principle extends to our alignment system, which is a key component of this broader reactivity focus. It will interact harmoniously with traditional inquisitorial mindsets, such as those held by radicals or puritans.

Owlcat’s (likely glorious) future

It appears that Owlcat Games has a promising future, as they unveiled “The Expanse: Osiris Reborn” during Summer Game Fest 2025. This new game, based on the highly successful science fiction franchise, seems to be the long-awaited successor to Mass Effect. However, fans of Owlcat’s CRPG history, spanning across The Pathfinder and Warhammer 40K universes, can rest assured, according to Anatoly Shestov. In simpler terms, even though they are venturing into a new sci-fi game, Owlcat Games will still maintain their strong roots in CRPGs.

In the Owlcat environment, decisions for new projects follow a unique path. Essential to the process is a devoted team of exceptionally skilled individuals who are fiercely committed to making their specific game concept a reality. Rest assured, there’s no shortage of such passionate and highly-skilled hardcore CRPG enthusiasts within our ranks.

Since I started playing Warhammer 40K: Rogue Trader via Xbox Game Pass, I thought it would be interesting to get your perspective on this subscription service, considering there have been debates within the gaming industry about its business model.

Andrey Tsvetkov, Owlcat’s director of publishing, expressed satisfaction with the inclusion. He stated, “We are delighted with the game’s success on Game Pass.” He continued, “The platform has attracted numerous new players to Rogue Trader who might not have given it a second glance otherwise. Although we can’t disclose specific figures, the level of player engagement for those who tried the game through a Game Pass subscription is quite substantial.

As an admirer, I’ve been truly astounded by Owlcat Games’ meteoric rise in the RPG scene over these past years, a trajectory that puts them on track for their 10-year anniversary in 2026. To me, their rapid ascent to the pinnacle of the RPG world has been nothing short of remarkable. If you’re a fan of RPGs with a darker edge and meaningful choices that carry real weight, I wholeheartedly endorse Warhammer 40K: Rogue Trader. The passion Owlcat Games infuses into their work is palpable throughout the game, and it gives me great confidence in their upcoming projects like The Expanse and Dark Heresy.

A huge thank you to Owlcat for fielding our questions.

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2025-07-09 18:10