What You Need to Know About Dark Heresy — a New CRPG Set in the Warhammer 40,000 Universe

Yesterday marked the official start of the alpha test for Warhammer 40,000: Dark Heresy — the next major role-playing game from Owlcat Games, the studio behind Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous and Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader. Here’s what this project is about and what sets it apart.

Warhammer 40,000: Dark Heresy is not directly connected to Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader, but it clearly builds on it as a foundation — much like Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous expanded and refined the ideas introduced in Pathfinder: Kingmaker. New protagonists, a new story, a different sector of the galaxy, and a wide range of new mechanics, but the same engine (albeit heavily improved), familiar UI elements, and several recognizable systems, classes, and skills.

For example, the turn-based combat in Dark Heresy largely functions in the same way as in Rogue Trader, but with several important caveats. Tactical depth has increased thanks to changes in how armor works. It now has a separate durability bar that must be taken into account before dealing damage. Some enemies — as well as player characters — have abilities that specifically affect armor.

The new defense system also impacts critical hits, reducing either their chance to occur or their overall effectiveness. In addition, the game introduces a mechanic reminiscent of Fallout’s VATS: critical hits don’t just deal extra damage, but trigger effects based on the body part hit — you can, for instance, cripple an enemy’s legs or blind them.

While Rogue Trader cast the player as a powerful rogue trader with their own ship, immense wealth, and influence over entire star systems, Dark Heresy shifts the focus to operating from the shadows. Like the tabletop RPG it is inspired by, Owlcat’s new title centers on the Inquisition — one of the Imperium’s key organizations, tasked with maintaining order across thousands of worlds.

In Dark Heresy, the player takes on the role of an acolyte in the service of an Inquisitor. No personal armada, no limitless resources. To root out evil in the new Calixis sector, you’ll have to rely on wit, cold calculation, and faith in the Emperor. This remote corner of the galaxy has been cut off from civilization by the Great Rift, allowing heresy, madness, and paranoia to spread across local worlds at an alarming pace. The situation is further worsened by the emergence of a mysterious yet ominous anomaly known as the Tyrant Star, as well as the machinations of the traitorous Space Marine Legion called the Night Lords. They specialize in subversive and sabotage operations in the name of Chaos.

The core mechanic of Dark Heresy is investigation. The game’s quests are built around the idea of detective work. You must gather clues and rumors, pay attention to any possible traces of heretical activity and blasphemous symbols, repeatedly re-examine the sites of mysterious incidents, interrogate witnesses, and compare contradictory testimonies. All evidence is logged directly into the investigation journal, grouped by cases, while the player connects the dots and draws conclusions independently. The game never provides a definitive “correct” answer — meaning it is entirely possible to pass a harsh sentence on an innocent person.

If doubts arise over who deserves execution and who should be spared, it can be useful to consult your companions or rely on special tools like servo-skulls to reconstruct events more accurately or uncover previously unnoticed details.

Despite working for the Holy Inquisition, this does not mean the player’s party will be a living embodiment of Imperial ideals. In reality, the shadowy organization is perfectly willing to employ all kinds of outcasts — and even xenos — in its operations.

Among the potential companions in Dark Heresy is the Ogryn Cogg — not particularly intelligent, but lethally dangerous and, most importantly, unfailingly loyal to any order given. Players will also be able to recruit Ra'akhti, a Kroot tracker who belongs to a species known for consuming the flesh of other sentient beings. Ra'akhti is taciturn, so communication with her relies on gestures.

An Aeldari corsair, Laarthyr Cairnareth, may also join the Inquisition’s ranks. He is an exceptionally powerful psyker, though keeping a close eye on him is advisable — blindly trusting an Aeldari is hardly a sign of good judgment.

The early version became available on Steam December 18 but only for owners of the Developers Digital Pack, priced at $80, or an even more expensive collector’s edition.

The alpha content is designed to offer around 10–15 hours of gameplay. Character creation is unavailable, as the early build begins somewhere in the middle of the main story campaign. However, players can already evaluate the changes to turn-based combat, interact with characters, and dive into the new investigation system. As is typical for Owlcat games, community feedback will almost certainly have a significant impact on the balance of the final release.

That’s all for now, but we’ll be sure to share our impressions of the project in the future. CRPGs set in the Warhammer 40,000 universe remain exceedingly rare, and each new one is worth its weight in gold.

What do you think about the project? Are you planning to try the alpha? Or wait for the full release? Share your thoughts in the comments.