All Space Marine 2 game modes explained

Space Marine 2 features three distinct game modes: Campaign, Operations, and Eternal War. Each one offers a distinct twist on the Ultramarine theme to cater for all types of players from those that enjoy the intensity of multiplayer through to players that prefer a thrilling story mode played solo or in co-op.

All three modes are accessible from the Battle Barge hub via the Battle Map. Players can swap freely between them at any point and Campaign progress is carried over. We’ll walk you through what defines the three modes.

Campaign

The Campaign is your standard story mode that charts Lieutenant Titus as he swaps out the Deathwatch emblem for that of the Ultramarines. Sided by Battle-Brothers Chairon and Gadriel, you’ll make your way to various planets to repel the Tyranid threat and uncover a mystery or two along the way. The Campaign takes roughly 10-12 hours to complete and can be played co-op with up to two other players.

Operations

Operations is Space Marine 2 endlessly replayable PvE mode. Up to 3 players take on auxiliary missions on six different maps with unique objectives and Tyranid threats. The mode offers six distinct classes to play and level up by earning XP through repeated play, along with an arsenal of weapons that can be upgraded and improved with variants and perks.

The six different missions unlock progressively as you make your way through the Campaign and do contain minor spoilers. As such, it’s best to wrap up the story before diving into Operations mode. Operations also features different difficulty settings that alter enemy aggression and equipment drops, but also the type and quantity of rewards. Operations is playable in co-op (crossplay included) with up to two other players or in private lobbies with two AI squadmates.

✓ Tip

To unlock the Operations and Eternal War modes, you’ll need to first complete the Rain of Terror tutorial campaign mission and return to the Battle Barge.

Eternal War

Eternal War is Space Marine 2’s 6 vs 6 PvP mode, where players duke it out as the Imperium or the Chaos in tight, confined arenas in three classic multiplayer game modes. Though not strictly co-op, Eternal War is playable alongside friends.

Mode	Description
Seize Ground (Domination)	Two teams fight against one another to gain control of a shifting zone. Control of the zone earns points and the team that earns the most points wins.
Capture and Control (King of the Hill)	Two teams compete to control three set control zones, earning points for each controlled zone. The first team to reach the points target wins the round.
Annihilation (Team Deathmatch)	The classic Deathmatch format where two teams fight out to earn 50 points first. Each takedown is worth 1 point.

A fourth mode, dubbed Horde mode, is planned to launch alongside Season 4 sometime in 2025. Other than the name, there are not other details, but we expect this to be a wave-based cooperative mode where players try to survive successively larger and tougher waves of Tyranids.