UK publisher Slitherine Software has announced that its two Warhammer 40,000 titles—Warhammer 40,000: Armageddon and Warhammer 40,000: Sanctus Reach—will be delisted from Steam on Monday, May 19.
Slitherine revealed the games would be leaving Steam earlier this week. “We want to inform you that the Warhammer 40,000: Sanctus Reach and Warhammer 40,000: Armageddon franchises will soon be removed from Steam and our website,” the publisher wrote in a brief blog post. “Starting May 19th, the games and their DLCs will no longer be available for purchase on these platforms.”
No reason was given for why the games are being pulled from Steam, though the most likely explanation is that the publisher’s licensing agreement with Games Workshop for these games has expired. Slitherine did point out that both games will still be purchasable via GoG, while players who already own the game on Steam will “still be able to download and play as usual.”
With two days left to pick up these games on Steam, one question remains: should you? Well, both games take inspiration from the classic turn-based wargame Panzer General. Armageddon is a 2D, top-down affair, while Sanctus Reach sees you manoeuvring units across 3D, grid-based battlefields. Both games have a ‘Very Positive’ rating on Steam, though the number of reviews for each isn’t enormous. Armageddon has almost 900 reviews, while Sanctus Reach has just over 1,100.
In PC Gamer’s ranking of every Warhammer 40,000 game, Sanctus Reach placed at 36 out of 51 games. “It’s not bad, but it is basic” wrote Jody MacGregor in his summary of Sanctus Reach, highlighting that everything from the presentation to the scenario objectives are built to do the job and not much else. “Other games do this identical thing better,” he concluded.
One of those games is Armageddon, which ranks much higher on the list at 17. Despite its 2D visuals, Armageddon better represents the scale and ferocity of a 40k conflict. Set on a hive world devastated by pollution, it provides broader, chewier tactical scenarios as Jody explains. “Each scenario is a puzzle where you’ll have to decide whether to split your battlegroups or unite them in a single wedge, lock down the bridges or move into the bombed-out buildings, scout ahead with walkers or fliers, and so on.”
Armageddon and its various DLCs are also available at a 90% discount for what time they remain available on Steam. This means can pick up the base game for $4 (£3.35), while adding in all the DLCs will set you back $9.89 (£8.43). Out of the two, then, it’s clear that Armageddon is the superior game and the better deal.
It’s a shame these games are leaving Steam, but on the plus side, we don’t have long to find out what 40k goodness will be coming to the platform in the near future. Games Workshop recently revealed that its annual Warhammer Skulls event returns next week, and that usually brings with it an announcement or two. Moreover, there’s the small matter that Space Marine 3 is officially in development, though don’t expect to be stepping into Titus’ power armour again for at least another few years.
