Long-Awaited Warhammer 40,000 Animation Astartes 2 Is Back From the Dead With Incredible Teaser Trailer — but There’s a Catch

Games Workshop's highly anticipated Warhammer 40,000 animation, Astartes 2, has resurfaced with a stunning teaser trailer, captivating fans worldwide. However, a crucial detail has emerged: the trailer showcases scenes that won't actually appear in the final animation.

Astartes 2 is the sequel to the acclaimed fan-made Astartes animation by Syama Pedersen, often considered the pinnacle of Warhammer 40,000 animation. Its success even influenced Saber Interactive's Space Marine 2. Games Workshop subsequently hired Pedersen to create the sequel.

After a prolonged silence, the teaser trailer dropped on January 29th, 2025, generating significant excitement. The trailer boasts breathtaking visuals, depicting intense melee combat, ranged firefights, vehicle warfare, and even space battles, featuring various Space Marine chapters and enemy races like Tyranids, Orks, and Tau.

[Tweet Embed Here: It's not even February yet and the Ws for 2025 won't stop coming! Astartes is back, Brothers! pic.twitter.com/sYhu5LjwiC — Champions of the Ice (@ChampionsOTIce2) January 29, 2025]

Despite the hype, Games Workshop's Warhammer Community website clarified that the trailer is a compilation of shots representing the characters' backstories, not actual footage from Astartes 2. The final scene hints at the overall narrative, leaving fans to interpret the clues.

This lack of transparency, without a clear disclaimer on the trailer itself, might create confusion and disappointment among viewers who expect to see the trailer's content in the final product. The Warhammer Community post likely won't reach every viewer.

The trailer suggests the characters may eventually form an Inquisition-led Deathwatch Terminator squad. Speculation is rife among fans regarding the trailer's meaning and the final animation's plot.

Meanwhile, Space Marine 2 fans are expressing envy, hoping some elements from the Astartes 2 teaser, particularly the capes, might find their way into the game. Given Saber Interactive's ongoing updates to Space Marine 2, this isn't entirely improbable. Astartes may once again inspire the game's development. Astartes 2 is slated for release in 2026 exclusively on Games Workshop's Warhammer+ streaming service.