This week, Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 received a new update (patch 4.5) and with it the hotly anticipated Neo-Volkite pistol.
The Neo-Volkite pistol is a powerful thermal ray weapon that shoots lethal beams that burn enemies to ash. It’s available for the Assault, Vanguard, and Bulwark classes and is limited to Operations, Space Marine 2’s three-player co-op focused PvE mode.
And it’s there that Space Marine 2 players are teaming up to form a three-pronged Neo-Volkite pistol death stream, rekindling memories of all those moments when the Ghostbusters use their iconic Proton Packs to trap ghosts.
The Neo-Volkite pistol is unique among Space Marine 2’s armory in that it blasts a heat ray onto enemies, dealing accumulative thermal damage. Focusing on one enemy ramps up the damage until it generates a localized explosion for huge damage to your target and all nearby enemies.
Players have found that while the Neo-Volkite pistol is fun to use, it isn’t that effective especially on harder difficulties where ammo is scarce. At least, that’s the case in isolation. But what happens when all three players use the Neo-Volkite pistol to concentrate three heat rays onto the pesky Terminids? You get satisfying, Ghostbusters-style alien death, that’s what.
Redditor Crimsas demonstrated this in action, showing just how effective three Neo-Volkite pistols all trained on a single, powerful Termanid enemy (in this case a Carnifex) can be brought down to size.
All we now need is a mod that replaces the Neo-Volkite pistol model with an actual Proton Pack and we’ve got Ghostbusters 40k edition.
Publisher Focus Entertainment has said it’s limiting the Neo-Volkite pistol to Operations mode for now “as we continue to experiment with balancing in PvP.” It will be added to Eternal War mode in Space Marine 2’s next major update alongside a new Operations map, a new enemy, and the Dark Angels cosmetics. So, hopefully it won’t be long before even PvP is filled with a spot of Ghostbusters action.
In September, Saber Chief Creative Officer Tim Willits told IGN how the breakout success of Space Marine 2 had “changed everything” for the company. Eagle-eyed fans have spotted the Space Marine chapter now all-but confirmed to get a cosmetic pack after the Dark Angels, too.
Image credit: Crimsas / reddit.
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.