Astartes II, the Most Anticipated Warhammer 40,000 Animation Ever, Has a New Trailer and Confirmation of Key Details

Utsanjan Maity
September 20, 2026

Games Workshop has officially released a brand new trailer for Astartes II, bringing fans another exciting look at what is easily the most anticipated Warhammer 40,000 animation project in history. Scheduled to premiere this December on Warhammer+, the upcoming project promises to bring high-octane Space Marine action to life in unprecedented visual detail.

Astartes II trailer preview screenshot showing Space Marine in action

For long-time fans of the franchise, the hype surrounding Astartes II has been building for years. The project represents a major milestone for community creators and official Warhammer media alike, bridging the gap between passionate fan creations and official high-budget studio releases.

What Is Astartes II and Why Are Warhammer Fans Excited?

To fully understand why the community is buzzing over this announcement, you have to look back at where it all began. The original Astartes fan series was created entirely by a talented visual effects artist named Syama Pedersen. Working independently, Pedersen released a series of short animated episodes that took the internet by storm.

The original project quickly earned a reputation as the single greatest Warhammer 40,000 animation ever created, whether official or unofficial. Pedersen showed a masterclass in weight, pacing, sound design, and tactical realism. He depicted Space Marines not just as oversized soldiers, but as swift, terrifying, and methodical super-humans moving through dangerous combat zones.

The reception was so overwhelmingly positive that Games Workshop took notice. The company brought Syama Pedersen directly into the fold, hiring him as an official creator to make the official sequel, Astartes II. Since then, the original work has set the modern visual standard for cinematic 3D representations of the grimdark universe.

In fact, the influence of the original fan film reaches far beyond animation alone. When developer Saber Interactive was making their hit action video game, it inspired Saber Interactive's hugely successful Space Marine 2 in terms of capturing the proper weight, scale, and combat feel of the Adeptus Astartes. In terms of overall visual quality, only Amazon's brilliant Space Marine 2 animation for the Secret Level anthology series stands as a close rival.

Astartes II Trailer Breakdown: Deathwatch, Terminators, and Space Hulk Vibes

During Games Workshop's Big Autumn Preview event, tabletop hobbyists and lore enthusiasts were treated to a fresh look at Astartes II. The new teaser clip gives a clear indication of the dark and atmospheric tone that the sequel will take when it hits streaming screens later this year.

As Games Workshop highlighted in an official news update on Warhammer Community, veterans of the long-running Space Hulk tabletop game will immediately recognize the distinct environment shown in the footage.

The claustrophobic and tense atmosphere is central to the teaser. Viewers watch as heavy Space Marines stomp through shadowy, narrow interiors where unspeakable alien horrors could be lurking behind every turn. The standout shot of the trailer is a dramatic first-person perspective tracking down a long hallway illuminated only by spotlight beams, perfectly capturing the horror-infused tactical feel of classic tabletop dungeon crawls.

Key Features Confirmed in the New Astartes II Teaser

  • Deathwatch Deployment: The animation focuses on a specialized Deathwatch kill team, indicating an Inquisition-led operation against xenos threats.
  • Terminator Armor: Heavy Tactical Dreadnought Armor is on full display, showcasing massive power fists and intimidating lines of storm bolter barrels.
  • Classic Space Hulk Setting: The dark corridors and spotlight-lit pathways mirror the iconic setting of derelict starships infested with alien dangers.
  • Grizzled Veterans: Alongside iconic helmeted warriors, the teaser shows an unhelmeted veteran battle-brother with a stern, battle-hardened appearance.
  • Multi-Chapter Representation: Visual details on the armor suggest warriors gathered from several renowned Space Marine Chapters.

Analyzing the Space Marine Chapters and Lore Details

Games Workshop dropped several clues regarding the characters involved in Astartes II. The official commentary noted that the crackle of power fists and the imposing sight of Terminator armor give off unmistakable combat power.

In official commentary, Games Workshop stated, "We knew already that this was likely to feature Deathwatch and Terminators, from the unsubtle hints dropped at the end of the LAST trailer, and now we see them, they look like they mean business. The imposing line of storm bolter barrels and the crackle of a power fist, combined with the ominous surroundings, are certainly giving off some strong Space Hulk vibes."

The company also drew attention to the face of the squad's leadership. "Somehow even more intimidating than the blank visage of the Terminator helms is that unhelmeted Space Marine veteran, who could certainly be described as 'grizzled.' And we think we clocked at least three different characters and Chapters of Space Marines in that trailer."

Identified Space Marine Chapters in the Team

Observant viewers had previously caught early glimpses of the cast during behind-the-scenes previews. In November of last year, Games Workshop revealed animation work on a monitor screen during a broader promotional video. That footage showed an incomplete version of an Inquisition-led Deathwatch squad protecting an unnamed human target.

By studying the pauldron chapter heraldry on the Terminator armor across the teasers, community sleuths have identified several distinct Space Marine Chapters represented in the squad:

  1. Retributors: The custom chapter created by Syama Pedersen in the original series, returning once again to center stage.
  2. Mortifactors: A grim successor chapter known for their dark, ritualistic heritage and relentless combat focus.
  3. Scythes of the Emperor: A famous chapter with a long history of desperate battles against Tyranid hive fleets.
  4. Sons of Medusa: Iron-willed specialists with deep ties to technical efficiency and mechanical warfare.
  5. Angels Vermilion: A mysterious Blood Angels successor chapter bringing fierce martial discipline to the team.

Because the Deathwatch operates as the chamber militant of the Ordo Xenos, veteran warriors from disparate chapters are called upon to serve together under a single squad banner, making this mixture of heraldry entirely lore-accurate.

Clearing Up Misconceptions About Previous Astartes II Teasers

For fans following every step of production, the path to this latest trailer has included a few surprising twists. Last year's teaser generated massive excitement by showcasing massive battles, including brutal hand-to-hand melee combat, heavy gunfights, armored vehicle operations, and massive fleet engagements in outer space. That early clip featured fights across diverse biomes against iconic Warhammer 40,000 alien races such as Tyranids, Orks, and Tau.

However, Games Workshop later clarified that the wide-ranging battles shown in that earlier footage were not actually direct scenes from the story of Astartes II. Instead, they served a very specific narrative purpose.

According to an official post on the Warhammer Community site: "This teaser trailer is not actually clips from the new animation, instead showing a compilation of shots that represent the former lives of the characters that will appear in the show. There's a pretty unsubtle hint at the end as to the nature of the final story... We'll leave you to speculate and start putting the pieces together yourselves."

This clarification explains why the new teaser narrows the focus down to a single Deathwatch squad investigating a Space Hulk. The broad combat sequences from earlier promos were retrospective glimpses into the storied pasts of these veteran warriors before they were seconded to the Deathwatch.

Significantly Longer Runtime for Astartes II

One of the best pieces of news for fans is that Games Workshop confirmed Astartes II will be significantly longer than its predecessor. While the original fan project was universally lauded for its quality, its total runtime was understandably limited by the fact that it was produced entirely by a single creator working alone.

With official funding, added production assets, and full studio support from Games Workshop, Syama Pedersen has been able to expand the scale of the narrative. A longer runtime will allow the project to build deeper tension, showcase more tactical squad combat, and flesh out the dark atmosphere of a Space Hulk investigation without rushing the pacing.

When and Where Can You Watch Astartes II?

Fans won't have to wait much longer to see the full project in action. Games Workshop has confirmed that Astartes II will release this December on Warhammer+, the company's dedicated digital streaming platform.

Subscribers to the service can look forward to seeing the completed story unfold in full fidelity, continuing the saga that began as an ambitious fan project and evolved into a cornerstone of official Warhammer 40,000 animation.

Whether you are a veteran tabletop player who loves Space Hulk or a newcomer introduced through modern video games, Astartes II promises to deliver the ultimate cinematic vision of Grimdark combat this December.



from IGN India
-via DynaSage