Warhammer 40,000: Darktide Taps Dan Abnett as Writer

Famed comics and novel writer Dan Abnett has joined Warhammer 40,000: Darktide. Games developer Fatshark announced that it would be collaborating with Abnett on its upcoming Warhammer 40,000: Darktide, an upcoming first-person shooter co-op video game coming to PCs and Xbox Series X/S later this year. Abnett is a prolific writer of Warhammer 40,000 novels, having written over 30 novels set in the grim darkness of the far future. Abnett is also well-known to comics fans, having written hundreds of comic books for both Marvel and DC, including the Guardians of the Galaxy run that inspired the Marvel movies.

"Working with Fatshark has been fantastic" Abnett said in a press release. "It's great to partner with them and see their amazing skills create the universe of Warhammer 40K in vivid, realistic and interactive ways. Things I've only imagined before, or created in prose, are exploding into life."

Warhammer 40,000: Darktide will likely benefit from Abnett's immense history with the 40K universe. Darktide stars a group of human soldiers investigating a cult on Atroa Prime. While the famed Space Marines of the Human Empire are known for their near-superhuman powers, Darktide focuses on the "normal" human soldier, who is just as vulnerable in the 41st century as they are today. Many of Abnett's best Warhammer 40K novels are about the average soldier, which makes him a natural fit for the game. " We want to emphasise the human scale, the human 'heart' in the midst of the vastness and cosmic wonder," Abnett said of his work on the game. "And we also want to emphasise the survival and horror aspect. As a human, you're vulnerable: it's all about wit, courage, determination and focus. You're not immortal, invulnerable or wearing a suit of ceramite power armour. It's just you and the darkness, and that makes for a really incredible playing experience."

Previously, Fatshark developed Warhammer: Vermintide and Warhammer: Vermintide 2, both of which are set in the Warhammer Fantasy universe. Those games were also co-op games, but with an emphasis on melee fighting. As the 41st century is filled with all sorts of horrific guns and lasers, Fatshark has promised that ranged combat will have more of a presence in Darktide.

Warhammer 40,000 Darktide will be released on the Xbox Series X/S and PCs later in 2021.