Warhammer 40,000: Astartes 2 Teaser Unveiled With a Twist

Games Workshop has revived the long-absent Warhammer 40,000 animation Astartes 2 with a breathtaking teaser that has thrilled the fan community. However, there's a twist: nothing featured in the teaser will appear in the actual animation.

Astartes 2 is the official follow-up to the original fan-made Astartes animation by Syama Pedersen. Widely regarded as the finest Warhammer 40,000 animation ever produced—official or otherwise—it is perhaps only rivaled by Amazon’s recent and impressive Space Marine 2 short from the Secret Level anthology.

In fact, Astartes was so exceptional that it influenced Saber Interactive’s highly successful Space Marine 2 game, ultimately leading Games Workshop to bring Syama onboard to develop the sequel.

Yet for years, Games Workshop remained silent on Astartes 2, fueling speculation that the project had been quietly shelved. That all changed on January 29, with the unexpected release of a teaser trailer that serves as a visual feast for Warhammer 40,000 enthusiasts.

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 hints at an animation of unprecedented scale and quality for Warhammer 40,000, showcasing close-quarters combat, ranged engagements, vehicle warfare, and even epic starship battles. It features numerous Space Marine chapters fighting across diverse landscapes and includes multiple xenos threats such as Tyranids, Orks, and the Tau.

While the teaser builds considerable excitement for Astartes 2, it turns out that none of its content will be part of the final animation when it launches exclusively on Warhammer+ in 2026. As clarified in a Warhammer Community post:

“This teaser does not contain footage from the upcoming animation. Instead, it presents a series of scenes depicting the past lives of characters who will appear in the show. A rather clear clue about the story’s ultimate direction appears at the end… We’ll leave you to speculate and connect the dots on your own.”

So while the teaser is undeniably impressive, it remains just that—a teaser. We still haven’t seen any actual content from Astartes 2, and the absence of a clear disclaimer in the trailer may lead to confusion. Casual viewers would naturally assume the trailer represents the final product, unaware of the official clarification.

Nevertheless, it's hard not to feel excited and start theorizing about what it all means. Based on the final shot, it appears the characters may eventually join an Inquisition-led Deathwatch Terminator squad—though that’s about all that can be inferred for now.

Meanwhile, Space Marine 2 players are already eyeing the Astartes 2 teaser with envy, hoping some of its stunning visuals and ideas might find their way into the game. The inclusion of capes has been an early fan request. With Saber Interactive continuing to support the game, perhaps it’s time for the developers to draw fresh inspiration from Astartes once again.