Amazon and Games Workshop have revealed fresh details about their Secret Level Warhammer 40,000 episode, confirming it’s a sequel to the recently released Space Marine 2.
Secret Level is an animated anthology series made up of 15 independent episodes, each based on a game. It’s created by some of the people behind Netflix’s animated anthology series Love, Death & Robots, and is set to launch on Prime Video on December 10.
In a post on Warhammer Community, Games Workshop pointed out that executive producer and supervising director Dave Wilson was responsible for one of the first ever Warhammer animations, the iconic opening to the original Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War real-time strategy game. That opening cinematic, now 20 years old, is hugely popular among Warhammer 40,000 fans and is often held up as one of the best Warhammer 40,000 animations ever created.
Perhaps of most interest is the Warhammer 40,000 Secret Level episode’s link to Saber Interactive’s record-breaking Space Marine 2. First up, Games Workshop confirmed actor Clive Standen’s return as Ultramarines lieutenant Titus, the protagonist of the game.
“Players of Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 will have already clocked the iconic figure of Lieutenant Titus in the initial teaser trailer released back in August,” Games Workshop said. “Today it has just been confirmed that the indomitable Clive Standen is reprising his leading role as the voice of Titus in this new animation.”
Games Workshop then confirmed this Secret Level animation is “a sequel to Space Marine 2,” even going as far as teasing that it follows on directly from the events of the game’s campaign.
“Yes, that’s Titus and what’s that fancy laurel on his helmet?” Games Workshop said. “If you’ve completed the game, then you already know! This animation follows the conclusion of the video game like a... secret level.”
Warning! Space Marine 2 spoilers follow.
So, what could this mean? Space Marine 2 ends with Titus vindicated having joined forces with Ultramarines Chapter Master Marneus Calgar to defeat the forces of Chaos. Calgar awards Titus with a new helmet adorned with the Imperial Laurel before calling upon him to take on a mysterious mission. Presumably that’s where Secret Level picks up. (You can check out the ending of Space Marine 2 in the video below.)
Secret Level hits Prime Video on December 10 and includes episodes based on everything from Sony's Concord to Epic's Unreal. The Warhammer 40,000 episode is in the first salvo alongside seven others. The rest of the series drops a week later on December 17.
As for a continuation of the Space Marine 2 story in video game form, Saber has remained coy on the possibility of campaign DLC, although it’s admitted it already has ideas floating around for the seemingly inevitable Space Marine 3.
Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
source https://www.ign.com/articles/amazons-warhammer-40000-secret-level-animation-is-a-sequel-to-space-marine-2