Skulls 2025 – The Warhammer video games festival is back!

Welcome one and all to Warhammer Skulls – the annual celebration of all that’s excellent in the world of Warhammer video games. Here you’ll find the latest reveals and announcements from entirely new games and old favourites, as well as exclusive world premiere trailers and first details from some truly unexpected surprises.

Don’t worry if you missed the live show; you can watch the whole thing as it happened below through the magic of the 1s and 0s.

All ready to go? Then let’s see some more from today’s dynamite reveals, beginning with a long-awaited return to Forge World Graia and Captain Titus’ fateful mission.

The monster success of Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 and Secret Level has made Lieutenant Titus a household name, and now it’s time to go back to Graia and experience his first adventure like never before. Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine – Master Crafted Edition brings the 2011 classic into the modern day with full 4k visuals, updated textures and character models, remastered audio, and a modernised UI and control scheme.

You can pick up your boltgun and throw the Orks off-world when the game releases on 10th June on Xbox and PC through Steam and GOG. Crossplay between platforms will also be fully enabled at launch, and to cap it all off, Xbox players can access the game through Game Pass from day one.

If you, like us, spent your time gallivanting across the Koronus Expanse in Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader wondering what it would be like to tackle the galaxy’s terrors as the grubby understudies of an all-powerful Inquisitor, good news! Owlcat aren’t done with the 41st Millennium, and their next major project brings the legendary Warhammer RPG Dark Heresy to PC, Xbox, and Playstation 5.

Dark Heresy sets you up with an eclectic party of eccentric characters, the chosen operatives of your Inquisitorial master, extending their reach across the stars and confronting the enemies of humanity. We’ve already caught sight of the carnivorous Kroot and a dastardly Night Lord in the trailer, so what else could this mysterious adventure have in store?

If you hear the sounds of servitors welding generators in your sleep or can’t help screaming ‘SINDRI’ every time something goes awry, there’s a good chance you grew up with the original Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War. This iconic entry in the Warhammer video game pantheon is a little long in the tooth these days, but wouldn’t you know it – it’s back with a new Definitive Edition that collects all of its awesome expansions together with upgraded visuals, HUD, camera, and more to bring this classic strategy game to a new generation of fans.

Underneath the hood, Dawn of War – Definitive Edition has been rebuilt on a 64-bit platform to support the ongoing efforts of the modding community, while remaining compatible with over 20 years of lovingly crafted mods already available. Look out for release information coming soon for Steam and GOG, and make sure to wishlist it now while you’re waiting!

We couldn't bring Rahul in to host without some kind of Boltgun announcement, but a full-fledged sequel? Colour us surprised. Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun 2 returns players to the armoured boots of the inimitable Malum Caedo – Ultramar’s deadliest one-man army – with an all-new max-action experience playing fond homage to fast-paced boomer shooters of yesteryear.

This game follows on directly from the end of Boltgun with a branching, non-linear single player campaign that stars a new crop of daemonic foes including the bloodthirsty legions of Khorne. Don’t worry about having enough bolt rounds for them all, though – even more weapons are at your disposal this time. Boltgun 2 is coming to Steam, Xbox Series XIS and PlayStation 5

We’ve heard that the pen is mightier than the sword, but is the keyboard mightier than the boltgun? It’s time to find out in Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun – Words of Vengeance, a free typing action game available right now on Steam that challenges Malum Caedo (and by extension you) with spelling words and phrases from Warhammer lore to slaughter his way through levels from the original game.

You can download and play the game right now entirely for free on Steam from the link below, and you should – you’ll be spelling ‘Ghazghkull’ right in no time, trust us.

The tense and deadly Siege Mode for Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 is nearly with us, pitting you and two others against an endless swarm of Tyranids on the surface of Kadaku. Siege Mode is entirely free and fantastic fun with friends, so summon your best Battle Brothers and prepare to fight for the doomed world.

Customise your multiplayer Space Marines further with the impending release of the White Scars Chapter Pack and Blood Angels Cosmetic Pack DLCs for Season Pass owners – both glimpsed during the trailer. On top of that, current and new Warhammer+ subscribers will get an exciting new cosmetic if they’re a member on 1st June – the breastplate of the one and only Sergeant Metaurus from the Warhammer episode of Secret Level.

An entirely new character class is coming to Warhammer 40,000: Darktide on 23rd June. The Arbites class will be available on all platforms, and to celebrate Warhammer Skulls, a new Nurgle totem event begins today that requires Rejects to decide whether they want to destroy the effigy – summoning a Chaos Spawn in the process – or leave it be and deal with the enemies empowered by its profane aura.

Coinciding with the Arbites DLC release, new players will find the early game and onboarding smoother than ever with new updates and reworks of the opening hours as well as changes to difficulty selection and progression. Don’t forget that Darktide is available now on Xbox Game Pass, and for those that don’t have it, Xbox Free Play Days give you the chance to taste the Darktide experience for a limited time this week. Warhammer 40,000: Darktide is available on PC, Playstation 5, and XBox Series S/X,

The second major DLC for Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader comes to PC and consoles on 24th June, adding a new Adeptus Arbites companion, alongside battle Familiars like cybernetic eagles and cyber-mastiffs. If your Lord Captain wants an animal companion of their own, you can also take up the new Overseer archetype and deploy one of four familiars to the battlefield alongside you, while taking on a new 15-hour story quest that follow the Arbitrator’s challenges on board your vessel.

Owlcat are also proud to announce Season Pass 2 and that work has begun on another two future DLCs for Rogue Trader, though details are locked up tight in the Senechal’s coffers for now. We’ll have more for you when the ship docks at Warhammer Community’s Footfall branch.

Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus 2 was one of the headliners of last year’s Skulls festival, and now it’s back with new gameplay footage teasing the first ever video game appearance of the Leagues of Votann. Will they be allies or enemies to the Mechanicus expedition on Hekateus IV? Time will tell.

This sequel to the wildly successful Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus places your Tech-priests in an even deadlier fight than before, and if you ever get tired of firing sizzling energy out of mechadendrites, the full Necron campaign will shake things up. Whether you’re excited to continue the story or cast the upstarts back into the abyss while your Tomb World stirs. The first game is available on a Free to Try basis on Steam from 22nd to 26th May, while it will also feature as part of the Xbox Free Play Days during the Skulls Event. Wishlist now on Xbox, PlayStation and PC!

Tax your brain with deep and engaging grand strategy in Supremacy: Warhammer 40,000, a new mobile game from the creators of the popular Supremacy 1914. This new entry in the Supremacy franchise is designed to challenge both veterans and newcomers alike, navigating the deadly world of the 41st Millennium as one of four factions vying for control of the planet Vigilus.

Pre-register for this free-to-play strategy extravaganza now on Android (coming soon on iOS) to be notified when it’s time to conquer the world for your chosen faction. Find out more at the Supremacy website.

More game news

Take a moment to catch your breath, because there’s still loads more to see from more of our video game friends. The team behind Total War: Warhammer III have already unveiled the first Legendary Lord from their upcoming Slaanesh-themed DLC – the beguiling Dechala – and now it’s time for a tease of the next, along with the official title: Tides of Torment.

The next surprise video game collaboration with the world of Warhammer 40,000 is the survival masterpiece Rust, bringing the grim darkness of the far future to their stunningly lethal wilderness. Players will soon be able to equip iconic Warhammer 40,000 cosmetic skins to their character, their base and their crafted weapons, with a Death Korps of Krieg Pack – showcasing a perfect synergy of Rust’s dark brutality, and the Krieg’s unrelenting fanatical nature.

The madcap combat racing game Warhammer 40,000: Speed Freeks is leaving early access and version 1.0 launches on PC through Steam during Skulls 2025. The full release features new vehicles and racing levels. Anyone who played the early access version will get the base game for free, so a great time to drive back in if you played it before!

The Verminous Dreams campaign concludes in Vermintide 2 with a brand new, totally free level that tasks the heroes of Ubersreik with infiltrating Skaven tunnels beneath an ancient elven temple. The Well of Dreams update also introduces further quality of life changes and the return of the in-game Skulls event, so join in the action now on Steam, Xbox and Playstation 4 – and if you don’t own it already, you can still play on Xbox Game Pass!

Beware, enemies of the Imperium, for the Adeptus Custodes have joined the ranks of Warhammer 40,000: Tacticus with new events starting right now.

A new Warhammer 40,000: Battlesector narrative campaign starring the Adepta Sororitas kicks off a cavalcade of new content, bringing holy fire and fury to the bestial Orks, while the Black Legion have been teased as the next faction.

Over in Warhammer 40,000: Gladius, the new Onslaught pack adds the much-requested Vyper Jetbike and Rubric Marines among other arrivals, and if you want to see what all the hype is about you can add Gladius to your Steam library for free between now and 29th May. Don’t miss your copy!

Blood Bowl III begins its ninth season shortly, with a new faction jogging onto the gridiron on 10th June – the Khorne team. You can try the game out as part of the Xbox Free Play Days during the Skulls festival, and practice ahead of the brutal blood-crazed blitzers squaring up for a game.

The newly released Emperor’s Children swagger off the tabletop and onto your phones with a new update for Everguild’s Warhammer 40,000: Warpforge, while the bitter battle for Beta-Garmon expansion continues with the Shattered Legions joining the fray in Warhammer The Horus Heresy: Legions.

Warhammer Combat Cards welcomes the unfettered rage of Angron, Daemon Primarch of the World Eaters to the stage as a new Supreme Commander. He’s joined by a new battle pass, and if you want to start adding the bloodthirsty reavers of Khorne to your collection, you can download the game now on Steam, Android and iOS.

Team up with your friends and tackle the world of Talisman co-operatively for the first time with Talisman Alliances: Fate Beckons, a new DLC for Talisman: Digital 5th Edition. Up to four adventurers can band together and take on steadily more difficult trials as they quest across the board, dogged at all turns by mysterious dark forces.

This new DLC will be available on 10th July, so wishlist it now, and head back into the base game with five newly remastered characters specially released for Warhammer Skulls 2025. The Druid and the Minstrel will be free, while the Ranger, the Jester and the Swordsman are available as individual purchases.

DK Books continue their run of awesome Warhammer coffee table books with the beautiful – and highly relevant – The Art of Warhammer Video Games. Just check out some of the incredible page spreads below!

Finally, a quick-fire round:

Xbox Free Play Days give you access to Warhammer 40,000: Darktide, Warhammer 40,000: Chaos Gate - Daemonhunters, Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus, Blood Bowl 3, Warhammer: Chaosbane - Slayer Edition, Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader, Shootas, Blood & Teef, and Warhammer 40,000: Inquisitor - Martyr Definitive Edition from today until 1pm BST/ 8am EST on 26th May.
As mentioned previously, Warhammer 40,000: Gladius is available for free on Steam until 29th May.
Classic 1999 strategy epic Warhammer 40,000: Rites of War is available for free alongside a Goodie Pack on GOG (including Cubicle 7 discount, Warhammer art offers and wall papers), during the week of Skulls.
More Warhammer 40,000 stickers come to Counter-Strike 2 starting now on Steam, featuring the Imperium, Space Marines, Xenos, and Chaos factions decals.
Comfort connoisseurs Secretlab enhance your work and play spaces once again with a Warhammer 40,000 edition of their Magnus Pro Sit-to-stand Metal Desk, also bundled with Warhammer 40,000 Editions of the MAGPAD™ Desk Mat and Secretlab Cable Management Bundle. Don’t worry if you have the desk already – you can buy the bundles separately too.
Warhammer Chaos & Conquest gets quality of life updates plus Warhost Raids content in which prides of Frenzied Manticores soar from the World’s Edge Mountains and attack the Old World!

And… breathe out. This might just be one of the most action-packed Warhammer Skulls events yet, with tons to look forward to, so boot up your favourite games this evening and make your unpainted stack of miniatures jealous. We’d say we’ll see you again next year, but it feels like there’ll be plenty more video game news to chat about before then. In the mean time, make sure to take advantage of all the amazing offers on your platform of choice below.