A new chapter in darkness begins
The Warhammer universe is growing – and this time, the path leads straight into the shadows of the Inquisition. Owlcat Games, known for its profound role-playing games, has officially announced an open alpha for “Warhammer 40,000: Dark Heresy.” It is scheduled to launch in the fourth quarter of 2025, allowing fans to immerse themselves in the new, narratively dense adventure for the first time.
As the successor to the successful “Rogue Trader,” Dark Heresy shifts to the dark side of the Empire. Instead of making merchant decisions in space, here you make life-and-death decisions in the name of the Inquisition. The game plunges players into the moral conflict between duty, faith, and ruin.
A first trailer reveals the oppressive atmosphere: gloomy cathedrals, flickering torches, whispered prayers – and a galaxy seething with heresy. The developers promise that decisions will have even deeper consequences this time around.
“Heresy has many faces” – The new Warhammer adventure is set to be a dark one
In “Dark Heresy,” players take on the role of an Acolyte of the Inquisition who follows the shadow of the Empire. The goal is to hunt heretics, expose xenos, and eradicate unholy corruption in the name of the God-Emperor. “Venture into the shadows as an acolyte of the Inquisition,” is how Owlcat aptly describes the dark starting point.
The game introduces a new band of warriors who couldn’t be more different – from a tough guard from the death world of Catachan to a mysterious Kroot mercenary pursuing his own agenda. With turn-based combat, complex investigations, and fully voiced dialogue, Dark Heresy aims to offer the perfect mix of strategy and story.
Above all, the atmosphere is intended to surpass anything fans have experienced in the Warhammer universe so far. The focus is on the mystery of the Tyrant Star, a mystical phenomenon that plunges entire worlds into ruin. According to Owlcat Games, the aim is to “blur the lines between faith and madness.”
If the alpha launches as planned, the Warhammer community will soon be able to experience for themselves what it feels like to walk through darkness and fanaticism in the name of the Inquisition.
