Space Marine 2 difficulty settings explained – Campaign and Operations

Space Marine 2 has a lot of difficulty options to cater to those that want a gentler time fighting of the Tyranids as well as players that want a gritty, unforgiving experience. Depending on the mode, these different difficulties settings also mean better rewards as a trade-off for an uptick in risk. Enemies are tougher and smarter, sustained damage hits a critical level, and surviving is far from guaranteed. Here’s a breakdown of all the Space Marine 2 difficulty settings in both the Campaign and Operations modes.

Space Marine 2 Campaign difficulty settings

The Campaign features four difficulty settings that tweak how enemies behave but also how well equipped Titus is to take on damage. Here’s a table detailing all the options, including what new challenges you’ll face playing each one:

Difficulty setting	Effects
Easy	– Balanced for the best story experience – Enemies are less aggressive – Health and Armor are greatly increased
Normal	– Fair gameplay challenge – Enemies are moderately aggressive – Health and Armor need to be managed carefully
Veteran	– Default experience – Enemies are aggressive – Tactical and skillful play is rewarded
Angel of Death	– A serious challenge – Enemies are tougher and more aggressive – Recovery after mistakes is much harder

How to change Campaign difficulty

To change Campaign difficulty, load into the Battle Barge and interact with the Battle Map in the Launch Pad or the Strategium near the Captain. Navigate to the Campaign tab, then tap the correponding Change prompt in the top left of the screen (R on PC, for example). Select the desired difficulty level then confirm. You can switch difficulty as soon as you start a new game from the main menu but also once you’ve completed the Rain of Terror prologue mission and reached the Battle Barge.

Space Marine 2 Operations difficulty settings

The PvE Operations mode currently features four difficulty settings, referred to as Threat Levels, that alter how each of the auxiliary co-op missions play out. These tweak how aggressively enemies target your squad, how often you’ll find equipment drops like Stimms and weapons, the effectiveness of Medicae Stimms, the amount and frequency of rewards for completing missions, and how much damage Titus and the gang sustain. Here’s a table laying it all out:

Difficulty setting	Effects	Rewards	Recommend level
Minimal	– Designed for new players – Generous equipment drops – Moderately aggressive enemies – Generous Stimms healing and second Incapacitation Mortal Wound	Master-crafted Armory Data, 630 XP and 35 Requisitions per mission	Level 1
Average	– Designed for experienced players – Reduced equipment drops – Challenging enemies – Less effective Stimms and second Incapacitation Mortal Wound	Master-crafted Armory Data, 945 Xp and 55 Requisitions per mission	Level 5
Substantial	– Designed for skilled players – Even less equipment drops – Highly aggressive enemies – Less effective Stimms and first Incapacitation Mortal Wound	Artificer Armory Data, 1260 XP and 95 Requisitions per mission	Level 10
Ruthless	– Designed for the most skilled players that enjoy a true challenge – Scarce equipment drops and an increased Respawn time – Enemy are extremely aggressive and deadly – Less effective Stimms and first Incapacitation Mortal Wound	Relic Armory Data, 1890 XP and 165 Requisitions per mission	Level 15

We recommended sticking to the recommended level for each option, otherwise the challenge with simply be too tough. Doing it this way allows you to level up classes and weapons steadily, prepping yourself for higher difficulty settings.

✓ Tip

Learning the layout of Operations mission maps, especially equipment drop locations, through replays can help you manage resources more efficiently.

A fifth difficulty setting, called Lethal, is scheduled to be introduced to Space Marines 2 alongside Season 2 sometime in a the tail end of 2024 per the roadmap. There are no details other than the name, but expect another step up in the Threat Level and even more challenging enemies.

How to change Operations difficulty

To change Operations difficulty level, load into the Battle Barge and interact with the Battle Map. Head to the Operations tab, then tap the Threat Change prompt in the top right of the screen (that’s R on PC). Select the difficulty setting you want then confirm, select an Operations mission, then head to the Thunderhawk Gunship to start the mission.