Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 Shadowdrops Purgation Update, Patch 13 Adds New PvE Mission and a Lot More

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 Shadowdrops Purgation Update, Patch 13 Adds New PvE Mission and a Lot More

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 has officially shadowdropped its major Purgation Update, coinciding with the Warhammer Skulls showcase. Patch 13 is now live across all platforms, bringing a significant expansion to the game’s content library.

This latest update introduces a brand-new PvE mission, a massive overhaul to Siege Mode, a new sidearm weapon, and the highly anticipated Iron Hands Chapter Pack. Additionally, players can now access a new Practice Arena on the Battle-Barge to refine their combat skills.

New Content and Features

The Purgation Update brings several key additions that expand both the narrative and customization options for Space Marines.

New Operation: Purgation

• Combat Squad Veridian must reclaim a Mechanicus facility located in the Kadaku swamps.
• Communication with the team is lost, and Nozick's Research remains trapped inside the laboratory.

Battle Simulator and Loadouts

• A new customizable battle arena allows players to practice against various enemy combinations.
• Players can now switch perk loadouts alongside weapons during a session, with perks tied directly to weapon loadouts for strategic preparation.

Wargear 2.0

• Expanded customization options allow each class to wear multiple wargear items simultaneously, such as capes, iron halos, and sensor antennas.
• Future updates will add robes and tabards to the shared wargear pool, though players will need to earn these items through gameplay.

Iron Hands Chapter Pack and Season Pass

The Iron Hands Chapter Pack marks the final DLC for the First Founding loyalist Chapters. It is available for free to all Season Pass 2 owners.

The pack includes:

• A Techmarine Champion skin.
• An exclusive Omnissian Axe skin.
• Four unique, mechanical armor pieces honoring the 10th Legion.

Siege Mode Overhaul: Siege 2.0

Patch 13 delivers a massive update to Siege Mode, known as Siege 2.0. This update introduces:

• New items available in the Siege shop.
• Fresh boss encounters.
• Additional objectives.
• A brand-new Blessings and Atonements system.

Additionally, the Trials of Resolve feature introduces new challenging Ordeals with unique rewards for players to conquer.

New Weapons and Equipment

New Weapon: Bolt Carbine

• A new one-handed secondary weapon for the Assault and Bulwark classes.
• Developers hint at more interesting sidearms on the horizon.

New PvE Equipment: Pyreblaster Canister

• Functions like an incendiary grenade but requires the player to shoot it to explode.

New Heroic Items Three new Heroic Weapons have been added, unlockable via Accolades:

• Plasma Pistol: Relic Battle-Worn Plasma Pistol.
• Chainsword: White Scars Chainsword (Block).
• Power Axe: Encarmine Axe (Block).

Gameplay and Balancing Tweaks

The developers have implemented significant changes to firearms and melee combat in PvE to improve balance and clarity.

Firearms in PvE

• Non-headshot damage for bolter weapons has increased by approximately 30%.
• The global headshot modifier has been removed from Majoris and Extremis enemies.
• Headshot bonus now depends directly on the weapon’s stats rather than the target’s stats.
• Known Issue: Gunstrike damage for secondary weapons may have shifted unintentionally due to body shot rebalancing; this will be addressed in an upcoming hotfix.

Weapon Specific Updates

• Neo Volkite Pistol: Heat status effect accumulation increased by ~16%; contested health recovery increased by 18%.
• Plasma Pistol: Common shot damage increased by ~30%. The cooling speed version now features increased max ammo, while the default version is now damage-focused.
• Plasma Incinerator: Common shot damage increased by ~40%; charged shot damage increased by 10%.
• Terminus Enemies: Take 20% less burning damage over time on all difficulties.

Melee in PvE

• Power Axe: Fixed an issue with the "Power Wave" perk not working as intended. The cooldown value for the "Restoration" perk was corrected in the description (changed from 20 to 15 seconds), though the actual gameplay value remains unchanged.
• Power Sword: Attack speed for all weapon versions has been slightly increased.

Heroic Weapons and Perk Balance

Three new Heroic Weapons have been added to unlock with Accolades:

• Plasma Pistol - Relic Battle-Worn Plasma Pistol
• Chainsword - White Scars Chainsword (Block)
• Power Axe - Encarmine Axe (Block)

Regarding perk balance, the developers note that few perks remain with less than 20% relative pick rate on the hardest difficulty. Current vision focuses on stabilizing the existing pool rather than major rebalancing in this patch.

Known Issues and Future Plans

• Iron Halos: Cannot be customized depending on the equipped Backpack for Tactical & Bulwark classes.
• Storm Shields: Cannot be customized if the Bulwark has an Iron Halo equipped.
• Wargear Availability: Some wargear items are not available if the player selects an Armour Set Template.
• Contested Health Rework: This major change is still in development and requires extensive playtesting. It will not be included in Patch 13.

For a full breakdown of the announcements made at Warhammer Skulls 2026, players can refer to the dedicated coverage for a complete catch-up on all revealed content.