When does Space Marine 2 take place? Warhammer 40k timeline and lore explained

Since Space Marine 2 takes place about two centuries after the 2011 game, here’s a breakdown of how the sequel fits into the Warhammer 40k timeline.

It’s taken 13 years, but Demetrian Titus has finally returned to star in another Space Marine experience. A few things have changed, though.

For one, the character, originally portrayed by Mark Strong, was recast for the follow-up. Clive Standen lent his talents to the role this time, giving Titus’ voice a grizzled edge befitting of someone who spent decades being interrogated by the Inquisition.

The first game ended with Titus – then a Captain – saving the forge world of Graia, before being arrested by the Inquisition for suspicions of corruption. For over a century, the Inquisition kept him in stasis, occasionally freeing him for interrogation.

After an evaluation ruled him free of Chaos corruption, Titus joined the elite Deathwatch and remained in their service until the prologue of Space Marine 2. But what wider conflicts do the Ultramarines face amid Titus’ return? Here’s what players should know.

When is the Space Marine 2 story set?

The Space Marine 2 narrative is set during the Era Indomitus in the 41st Millenium, also known as the Age of the Dark Imperium. Such a period began following the Fall of Cadia and the Great Rift’s dividing the Imperium into two halves.

After the return and subsequent rule of Lord Commander of the Imperium, Roboute Guilliman, the Ultramarines now work tirelessly to reconnect the Imperium and reclaim lost worlds.

Space Marine 2 enters the picture at a time when the Indomitus Crusade has fallen deep in one of the Fourth Tyrannic War’s numerous battles.

How Space Marine 2 fits into Warhammer 40k timeline

Notably, Space Marine 2 takes place during the Fourth Tyrannic War, which started when the largest Tyranid fleet in history, Hive Fleet Leviathan, launched an attack against the Western Reaches of the Segmentum Pacificus.

This segment of the galaxy had little in the way of defense, considering the Imperium’s forces were occupied with the fallout of the Great Rift.

While Tyranids follow the lead of a hive mind, their multi-pronged attack on Imperium space has seen waves of them splintering off to threaten multiple planets simultaneously. The Fleet’s strategy, thus, split the focus of the Ultramarines and their Cadian allies.

Lieutenant Titus leads his squad in several missions to beat back the Tyranid invaders, rescue high-value Imperium assets, and stave off the relentless forces of Chaos. It’s during these operations that Titus finds himself encountering a threat all too reminiscent of the power he defeated two centuries prior on Graia.

Space Marine 2’s conclusion has major implications for Warhammer 40k lore with which players may want to familiarize themselves. Plus, a Year One roadmap shows developer Saber Interactive will dive a bit deeper into the Warhammer universe throughout its ongoing support of the sequel.