Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader just livestreamed some co-op gameplay over on Twitch. We finally get to see more info on the multiplayer mechanics.

Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader Co-Op Mechanics Revealed

In the grimdark future of the 41st millennium, there is only war. And war is quite lonely, especially for a sole Rogue Trader exploring the Koronus Expanse at the behest of the immortal god Emperor of Mankind. Good thing that Owlcat Games’ upcoming CRPG, Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader, will feature cooperative multiplayer. And this will let you play with up to five of your friends.

So sit back, gather your party, and prepare to venture into the unknown. For the Emperor! 

Three’s Company

Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader will feature co-op options for players, and will support up to 6 people at the same time. Since the game is extremely story-heavy, and hinges on the fact that there is only one Rogue Trader running around the Koronus expanse, only one player can take up the role of the game’s titular character. Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader will be quite unlike Baldur’s Gate 3 in this regard, where any number of you can have tadpoles swimming in your head. 

One player chooses to host a multiplayer game and will be the designated Rogue Trader. Jumping into this player’s session will be very easy, as friends can jump in and out at any time. There, the host can choose any number of companions your friends can play with. If you’re playing with a buddy, you can decide if you want to split the group into three. Or if you are three players, you can each control two characters. Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader allows up to six friends to group up, so each player can get 1 character to control. 

Another extremely welcome feature is that anyone joining an online session will retain a copy of the save state of the multiplayer session. This means that they can continue a game on their own if they so wish. 

Beware the Alien, the Mutant, the Heretic

The main character Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader is quite at liberty to select his unique repertoire of allies. They are afforded much freedom and so can make choices that would spell doom and gloom for normal men and women of the Imperium. For example, Rogue Traders are tolerated for making alliances with aliens, mutants, and other heretics, provided these pacts are for the betterment of mankind as a whole. This doesn’t mean though that the Rogue Traders are incorruptible (and depending on your choices, you could lead the entire sector into ruin). 

Your multiplayer party members will each control a character from the colorful cast. They can select among Sister Argenta, a blazing angel of a warrior, Pascal Haneumann, a techpriest from Mars, or even Ulfar of the Space Marines. Each of these companions has their specialties, be it buffing their allies, or murdering enemies. 

Co-op members can suggest what the primary player chooses in dialogue and other activities outside of combat. The keyword here is “suggest”, as they can only highlight their opinions in dialogue choices. Ultimately, the fate of the Koronus Expanse falls onto the shoulders of the Rogue Trader. At least you can blame them if something goes horribly wrong. 

The Eve of Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader

Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader releases this December, just over a month as of writing. They confirmed that it will be released simultaneously on PC, PlayStation 5, and the Xbox Series consoles. Players can fully customize their own Rogue Trader, creating something from a variety of classes, backgrounds, and skills that will ultimately define their build.

Elsewhere in the Warhammer Universe, Space Marine 2 gets some brutal action while Darktide Rejects are still hunting, especially now with their unique talent trees.

In other news, check out World of Warcraft Introduces the Worldsoul Saga, the Game’s Next Three Expansions, and Diablo IV: Everything Announced at Blizzcon 2023.