Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun 2 vs Atomic Heart

• Platforms: PC (Steam), PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2
• Composers: Auroch Digital Audio Team & Mick Gordon (Guest)
• Input Methods: Full Controller Support, Keyboard & Mouse, Steam Deck Verified
• Release Date: October 14, 2026
• Storage Requirement: 13 GB Available Space
• Target Framerate: 60 - 144+ FPS Uncapped
• Voice Cast: Rahul Kohli (Malum Caedo), Alanah Pearce (Nyra Veyrath)

• Perspective: First-Person
• Multiplayer: Single-Player Only
• Setting: Alternate History Soviet Union (1955)
• Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Game Pass
• Art Style: Soviet-Futurism / Atompunk
• Unique Feature: A unique 'Soviet-Futurism' art style combined with a hybrid combat system blending visceral melee, improvised firearms, and elemental polymer abilities.

• Chariton 'Charles' Zakharov (Glove AI): Serves as a constant narrative companion and the primary source of exposition. He interfaces with technology, provides mission objectives, offers tactical advice, and engages in constant sardonic commentary, acting as P-3's foil.
  Artificial Intelligence

• Purity Seals: Hidden behind destructible masonry walls, ventilation ducts, and high gothic balconies across all levels.
• Emperor's Tarot Cards: Concealed in secret reliquary chambers unlocked by discovering hidden skull switches and platforming routes.
• Dataslates of Graia: Scattered throughout battlefields containing narrative logs recorded by fallen guardsmen, tech-priests, and inquisitors.

• Chirpers: Small, bird-shaped audio logs found throughout the game world. They contain conversations from the employees of Facility 3826, providing crucial background lore and context to the disaster.
• Blueprints: Found in chests and hidden in the puzzle-filled 'Testing Grounds'. These are essential schematics required to unlock new weapons and weapon upgrades at the NORA crafting stations.
• Talking Corpses: Deceased individuals that P-3 can communicate with using his glove. They provide snippets of lore, often revealing their last moments in a tragic or darkly humorous way.

• Warhammer 40K
• Grimdark
• Retro FPS
• Boomer Shooter
• Space Marines
• Adepta Sororitas
• Chaos Daemons
• Gore
• Fast-Paced Action

• Alternate History
• Sci-Fi
• Soviet-Futurism
• Atompunk
• Utopia Gone Wrong
• AI Rebellion
• Bio-Horror
• Conspiracy
• Dark Humor
• Transhumanism

• Sternguard Boltgun: Primary Ballistic Rifle
  The classic weapon of the Adeptus Astartes, firing .75 caliber mass-reactive explosive rounds that penetrate armor and detonate internally.
• Ministorum Flamer / Pyreblaster: Incendiary Cleansing Weapon
  Sister Nyra Veyrath's signature weapon, projecting torrents of sacred promethium to reduce swarming cultists and lesser daemons to ash.
• Condemnor Stakethrower: Crossbow / Bolter Hybrid
  A specialized anti-psykana weapon launching silvered, rune-etched stakes that deliver devastating kinetic and spiritual damage to elite daemons.
• Astartes Chainsword: Melee Weapon
  A roaring motorized blade equipped with monomolecular diamond-carbide teeth, tearing through flesh and armor during execution combos.
• Meltagun: Thermal Energy Weapon
  Projects a superheated beam of sub-molecular agitation that instantly vaporizes heavy armor, armored dreadnoughts, and daemon beasts.
• Heavy Bolter: Heavy Support Weapon
  A rapid-firing heavy machine gun delivering overwhelming sustained suppression fire that rips apart lines of heretical infantry.
• Plasma Gun: Energy Projectile Weapon
  Fires concentrated spheres of superheated plasma that disintegrate targets on contact, featuring a powerful charged blast mode.
• Sororitas Bolt Pistol: Sidearm
  A nimble sidearm engineered for rapid target acquisition, quick-swapping, and precision headshots during high-speed mobility.

• Swede: Melee Weapon (Axe)
  P-3's reliable starting melee weapon. A versatile axe that can be upgraded for faster attacks or a powerful charged spinning strike.
• Zvezdochka: Melee Weapon (Saw Mace)
  A heavy, brutal melee weapon consisting of a handle with two spinning saw blades. Its charged attack launches the blades forward as a deadly projectile.
• Makarov Pistol: Firearm (Pistol)
  A standard-issue semi-automatic pistol. It's the first firearm players acquire and can be upgraded for better accuracy, damage, and magazine size.
• KS-23: Firearm (Shotgun)
  A powerful pump-action shotgun that excels at close-range combat, capable of staggering or destroying weaker robots with a single blast.
• Kalash: Firearm (Assault Rifle)
  A versatile and iconic assault rifle, effective at medium range. It can be heavily modified with various scopes, magazines, and elemental damage upgrades.
• Dominator: Energy Weapon
  An advanced weapon that fires powerful polymer-based energy projectiles. It has a secondary fire mode that launches a volley of explosive polymer globules.
• Fat Boy: Explosive Weapon (Rocket Launcher)
  A heavy weapon that launches explosive projectiles, ideal for dealing with large groups of enemies or heavily armored bosses. Its rockets can be crafted but are expensive.
• Railgun: Special Weapon
  A high-tech energy weapon that fires a powerful, precise beam capable of penetrating multiple enemies and even some walls. Requires a charge-up time before firing.

• Mark VI Corvus / Mk X Tacticus Power Armor (Malum Caedo): Maximum Armor: 200 pts; 85% kinetic damage mitigation; grants knockback resistance against heavy shockwaves.
• Sabbat Pattern Sororitas Power Armor (Nyra Veyrath): Maximum Armor: 150 pts; +25% sprint and dash velocity; accelerates Faith Shield recharge on holy kills.
• Iron Halo Refractor Shield: Energy barrier that absorbs up to 100 points of high-explosive or energy projectile damage before dissipating.

• Polymer Exoskeleton Upgrades: Atomic Heart does not feature traditional equippable armor pieces. Instead, players upgrade P-3's survivability directly through the 'Character' skill tree in the NORA machines. These upgrades increase base health and provide specific resistances to melee, ranged, fire, ice, and electrical damage.

• Ultramarine Ceremonial Pauldrons and Tabard: Default Cobalt Blue, 1st Company Veteran White Trim, Battle-Damaged Weathered Gold, and Chapter Laurels.
• Order of Our Martyred Lady Vestments: Default Black Armor with Red Robes, Argent Shroud Silver, and Reliquary Scarlet Vestments.

• Weapon Skins (Golden Age): Cosmetic customization is primarily focused on weapons. The Premium Edition and some pre-order bonuses included a set of 'Golden Age' skins, which apply a unique gold-plated appearance to the Swede axe and the Kalash assault rifle.

Features distinct character mechanics and upgrade paths: Malum Caedo excels in heavy forward momentum, utilizing shoulder-charge sprint tackles, brutal ground slams, and ferocious execution dashes that instantly replenish armor. Nyra Veyrath offers superior agility with mid-air dashes, holy zeal charges, and Faith Aura bursts that ignite surrounding heretics in cleansing fire. Throughout levels, players discover Machine Spirit Blessings and Relic Purity Seals that upgrade weapon ammunition capacity, firing rates, and critical strike damage.

Progression is split between weapon crafting and personal abilities. Using 'NORA' a sentient, flirtatious vending machine, players can craft and upgrade a wide array of melee and ranged weapons. The Polymer Glove provides P-3 with special abilities, including 'Shok' (electricity), 'Frostbite' (cryokinesis), Telekinesis, and a Polymer Jet shield. These skills can be upgraded through several skill trees.

Features extensive multi-tiered level maps organized into distinct planetary warzones: (1) Hive Tertium-Sigma: A monumental industrial hive city featuring vertical cathedral spires, crumbling macro-bridges, and grim underhive factorums; (2) Phaedra-Secundus: A hostile death world filled with murky mangrove waterways, corrosive quagmires, and fungal ambush points; (3) Forge Station Omnissiah's Grief: An orbital Mechanicus void station corrupted by Warp corruption, filled with gravity-defying arenas, plasma incinerator cores, and grand basilica halls.

Atomic Heart features a semi-open world structure. The main overworld connects several vast, self-contained complexes or dungeons, such as the Vavilov Complex, the VDNKh exhibition center, and a Theatre. The overworld itself is populated with smaller points of interest, puzzles, and roaming enemies, and can be traversed on foot or by car.

• Space Marine Drop Pod: Orbital Insertion Capsule
  Armored atmospheric entry pod used by Malum Caedo to crash directly into the heart of fortified enemy strongholds.
• Astra Militarum Valkyrie Gunship: Airborne Transport / Assault Craft
  Twin-engine VTOL craft that transports the protagonists between distant planetary sectors and warzones.
• Rhino Armored Personnel Carrier: Tracked Transport Vehicle
  Classic Imperial armored transport used as heavy fortifications, cover, and defensive barriers across urban warzones.

• Bloodletter of Khorne: Daemon of Chaos (Khorne)
  Lesser daemon infantry armed with Hellblades that closes distance rapidly in aggressive packs.
• Juggernaut of Khorne: Daemon Engine / Daemonic Beast
  Armored living battering ram of brass and demonic sinew that charges players across open arenas.
• Nurglings: Daemon of Chaos (Nurgle)
  Swarming pestilent imps that overwhelm players in large numbers and spit caustic bile.
• Chaos Spawn: Chaos Aberration
  Mutated, unpredictable mass of limbs and teeth that thrashes wildly in close-quarters combat.

• Malum Caedo: Protagonist / Ultramarine Sternguard Veteran
  A hardened veteran of the Ultramarines 1st Company, single-handedly responsible for halting the corruption on Graia.
• Nyra Veyrath: Protagonist / Celestian Sister of Battle
  A fierce elite warrior of the Order of Our Martyred Lady dedicated to purging heretics and daemons with righteous fire.
• Lord Sorcerer Azkellion: Antagonist / Chaos Sorcerer
  Mastermind behind the planetary corruption seeking to tear open a permanent Warp rift across the sector.
• Blightlord Champion Thrax: Antagonist / Death Guard Commander
  A hulking plague champion spreading Nurgle's rot through the industrial pipelines of Hive Tertium-Sigma.

• Major Sergey 'P-3' Nechaev: Playable Protagonist
  An emotionally scarred KGB special agent and decorated war hero sent to Facility 3826. He is gruff, single-minded, and frequently annoyed, often clashing with his AI companion.
• Chariton 'Charles' Zakharov: AI Companion / Deuteragonist
  A sentient polymer AI integrated into P-3's glove, created from the mind of a deceased scientist. He provides exposition, tactical advice, and engages in constant, often cynical, dialogue with P-3.
• Dr. Dmitry Sechenov: Primary Antagonist / Scientist
  The brilliant and visionary scientist behind Polymer technology and the Kollektiv neural network. He is the esteemed Minister of Industry of the USSR and leader of Facility 3826.
• The Twins (Left and Right): Antagonists / Bodyguards
  A pair of graceful, deadly, and iconic female robots (named Left and Right) who serve as Dr. Sechenov's personal bodyguards and enforcers. They are the most advanced androids ever created.
• Granny Zina (Baba Zina): Ally / Resistance Fighter
  A mysterious and surprisingly resilient old woman who aids P-3 throughout his mission. She possesses deep knowledge of the facility and its secrets.

• Chapter 1: The Ash Spire Drop: Main Campaign Mission
  Orbital drop-pod insertion into Hive Tertium-Sigma to breach enemy perimeter defenses and secure an extraction point.
• Chapter 2: Blood and Rust: Branching Campaign Mission
  Fight through an infested promethium refinery, sabotaging fuel manifolds to halt a Khorne ritual.
• Chapter 3: Quagmire of Phaedra: Branching Campaign Mission
  Explore a dense alien swamp biome to eliminate subterranean Chaos Spawn nests and recover lost Imperial weapon caches.
• Chapter 4: The Defiled Basilica: Campaign Climax / Boss Encounter
  Ascend the cathedral spire to confront Lord Sorcerer Azkellion and collapse the Warp gate in a multi-phase boss fight.

• Main Story Quests
  Follow the primary narrative to investigate the robot uprising at Facility 3826, confront key figures like Petrov and Filatova, and ultimately uncover Dr. Sechenov's true intentions for the Kollektiv 2.0 launch.
• Testing Grounds
  Optional challenge dungeons filled with complex environmental puzzles and combat encounters. Completing them rewards the player with rare blueprints for weapon upgrades.

Engineered exclusively as a high-intensity single-player boomer shooter campaign. Multiplayer engagement is supported through global level scoreboards, Chapter Trials, Endless Horde arenas, and weekly curated challenge runs featuring active gameplay mutators.

Standard Edition ($29.99 USD / £24.99 GBP) contains the complete base game with all branching campaign paths and bonus arena modes. Digital Deluxe 'Forgemaster' Edition ($39.99 USD) includes the full game, the Official Digital Soundtrack featuring guest combat tracks by Mick Gordon, an 80-page Digital Artbook showcasing retro sprite development art, and exclusive in-game cosmetic weapon skins including the 'Gilded Relic' Boltgun and 'Saint Celestine's Flame' Pyreblaster.

Post-launch plans detailed by Auroch Digital and Big Fan Games include free content updates featuring an Endless Horde Survival Mode, community speedrun challenge gauntlets, and authentic CRT retro screen filters, followed by a major story expansion DLC titled 'Wrath of the Omnissiah' scheduled for 2027.

The 'Atomic Pass' includes four planned DLC expansions. The first, 'Annihilation Instinct,' released in August 2023, continues the story and adds new enemies, a new area, and a new glove ability. The second, 'Trapped in Limbo,' released in February 2024, explores the bizarre Limbo world and features unconventional, platformer-style gameplay. Two more DLCs are planned to complete the pass.

• Q: When is Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun 2 releasing?
  A: Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun 2 is scheduled to launch worldwide on October 14, 2026.
• Q: What platforms will Boltgun 2 be available on?
  A: Boltgun 2 will release on PC (Steam), PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S, with a Nintendo Switch 2 edition launching shortly thereafter.
• Q: Who are the playable characters in Boltgun 2?
  A: The game features two distinct playable characters: returning Ultramarine Sternguard Veteran Malum Caedo and new Celestian Sister of Battle Nyra Veyrath.
• Q: Does Boltgun 2 feature multiplayer or co-op?
  A: Boltgun 2 is strictly a single-player retro boomer shooter designed for high-intensity solo campaigns, supported by online global scoreboards and speedrun rankings.
• Q: Is Mick Gordon involved in the music of Boltgun 2?
  A: Yes, composer Mick Gordon has contributed original high-intensity combat tracks to the game soundtrack alongside the Auroch Digital audio team.
• Q: What are the new enemy factions introduced in Boltgun 2?
  A: Boltgun 2 introduces Khorne daemons (Bloodletters, Juggernauts), Slaanesh daemons, and Nurgle's Death Guard alongside returning Chaos Space Marine traitors.

• Q: What kind of game is Atomic Heart?
  A: Atomic Heart is a first-person shooter with significant RPG elements, often compared to games like BioShock for its unique setting, narrative focus, and combination of shooting with special abilities.
• Q: Is Atomic Heart an open-world game?
  A: It is semi-open-world. There are large, open areas that connect major story dungeons, but it is not a seamless open world like games in the Fallout or Far Cry series.
• Q: Is there multiplayer in Atomic Heart?
  A: No, Atomic Heart is a strictly single-player experience. The developers have no plans to add multiplayer.
• Q: What are the DLCs for Atomic Heart?
  A: There are four planned DLCs available through the Atomic Pass. The first two released are 'Annihilation Instinct' and 'Trapped in Limbo,' which continue the story and add new gameplay experiences.

Built in Unreal Engine 4 using a proprietary retro-rendering pipeline. Combines 3D level architecture, dynamic lighting, and volumetric smoke with authentic 1990s-era 2.5D pixelated enemy sprites, multi-angle death animations, and permanent floor-and-wall blood splatter.

Powered by Unreal Engine 4, Atomic Heart is renowned for its striking 'Atompunk' or 'Soviet-Futurism' art style. The game features highly detailed environments, from pristine scientific complexes to overgrown landscapes, and unique, often disturbing enemy designs. On PC, it supports advanced features like ray-traced reflections, shadows, and ambient occlusion, as well as NVIDIA DLSS.

Features a punishing industrial metal and dark synthwave soundtrack composed by the Auroch Digital audio team, elevated by headline combat tracks composed by Mick Gordon (Doom, Wolfenstein). Sound design features thunderous weapon clatter, mechanical reload cycles, and full voice acting starring Rahul Kohli as Malum Caedo and Alanah Pearce as Celestian Sister Nyra Veyrath.

The soundtrack is a unique highlight, featuring an intense, industrial score composed by Mick Gordon, known for his work on 'Doom'. This is contrasted with licensed Soviet-era pop songs, remixed for a modern audience by artists like Geoffrey Day, which often play during combat, creating a distinct and memorable atmosphere.

Modeled after classic 1990s PC action shooters, showcasing animated character status face portraits for Malum Caedo and Nyra Veyrath that show visual wear and bloody injuries as health declines. Features retro stylized ammo counters, customizable HUD scaling, and a toggleable Navigation Compass / Route Guide to aid navigation through complex gothic environments.

Features a minimalist and diegetic UI to enhance immersion. Key information like health and energy is displayed on P-3's glove. The weapon wheel allows for quick selection of weapons and abilities. The scanner highlights loot, enemies, and interactive objects in the environment. All crafting and upgrades are handled through the vivid, full-screen interface of the NORA machines.

Extensive accessibility settings including retro pixelation sliders (from crisp modern 4K rendering to 320x240 retro crunch), field-of-view (FOV) adjustment up to 120°, head-bob and screenshake toggles, high-visibility enemy outlines, customizable subtitle styling with speaker names, full button remapping, and assist modes for invulnerability and unlimited ammo.

The game includes a range of accessibility options, such as customizable subtitles (size, background), various colorblind modes (Deuteranopia, Protanopia, Tritanopia), and separate volume controls for music, effects, and dialogue. Controller layouts can be chosen from presets, but full button remapping is limited on some platforms.

• Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system. Built on DirectX 12. Features standard Steamworks DRM with full offline single-player support.
• Laptop Performance Note: The retro sprite-rendering pipeline places substantial demands on single-thread CPU performance and GPU fill-rate. For laptops, running elevated chassis clearance and managing sustained CPU PL1/PL2 power limits prevents thermal throttling during high-density horde arenas.
• Laptop Consideration: G P U T G P: A mobile GPU with at least 45W-60W TGP is required for 60 FPS at 1080p; 95W-140W TGP unlocks high-framerate 144Hz+ performance.
• Laptop Consideration: Cooling Thermals: Ensure unobstructed intake and exhaust airflow; elevate laptop base to keep CPU package temperatures below 85°C under continuous sprite particle load.
• Laptop Consideration: C P U Power Limits: Sustained CPU power delivery of 35W+ is recommended to handle real-time pathfinding and projectile collision for dozens of active AI combatants.
• Laptop Consideration: M U X Switch Optimus: Utilizing a hardware MUX switch or NVIDIA Advanced Optimus bypasses integrated graphics, reducing input latency by 5-10ms for precise twitch-aiming.
• Optimization Detail: Upscaling Tech: Supports AMD FSR 3.1, NVIDIA DLSS 3.7, Intel XeSS, native resolution scaling, and retro CRT scanline toggles.
• Optimization Detail: Key Settings Impact: Adjusting Sprite Resolution, Blood Decal Lifetime, and Ragdoll Limits yields significant performance gains on lower-tier hardware.
• Game Name: Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun 2

• OFFICIAL PC SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS for Atomic Heart. The game supports Ray Tracing, which requires significantly more powerful hardware than listed in the recommended specs.
• Laptop Performance Note: Actual performance can vary significantly based on the specific laptop model's TGP, cooling solution, CPU, RAM, and software configuration. The game's fast-paced combat benefits from stable, high framerates.
• Laptop Consideration: G P U T G P Impact: Total Graphics Power (TGP) is crucial for laptop GPU performance. Higher TGP variants of the same GPU model will perform better. Check manufacturer specs.
• Laptop Consideration: Advanced Cooling Thermals: Effective cooling is essential to prevent thermal throttling and maintain consistent framerates during intense combat encounters with numerous enemies and effects.
• Laptop Consideration: C P U Performance Sustain: A strong mobile CPU that can sustain good clock speeds is important to complement the GPU, especially in this action-heavy game.
• Laptop Consideration: R A M Configuration Speed: 16GB in dual-channel configuration is recommended for smoother gameplay. RAM speed can also impact performance.
• Laptop Consideration: Display Panel G P U Pairing: Match the GPU's capability to the laptop's display resolution (1080p, 1440p) and refresh rate. Upscaling technologies can help bridge performance gaps.
• Laptop Consideration: M U X Switch N V I D I A Advanced Optimus: Laptops with a MUX switch or NVIDIA Advanced Optimus can offer improved performance by directly connecting the dedicated GPU to the display, reducing latency.
• Laptop Consideration: Driver Updates O S Optimization: Utilize the latest official GPU drivers and ensure Windows is optimized for gaming.
• Optimization Detail: Upscaling Tech: The game launched with full support for NVIDIA DLSS 3 (Super Resolution and Frame Generation), enabling significant performance boosts on compatible hardware.
• Optimization Detail: Key Settings Impact: Shadows, Post-Processing, Textures, and Visual FX quality settings have the most significant impact on performance. Ray Tracing options, if enabled, are the most demanding.
• Game Name: Atomic Heart

• Upscaling Tech: Supports AMD FSR 3.1, NVIDIA DLSS 3.7, Intel XeSS, native resolution scaling, and retro CRT scanline toggles.
• Key Settings Impact: Adjusting Sprite Resolution, Blood Decal Lifetime, and Ragdoll Limits yields significant performance gains on lower-tier hardware.

• Upscaling Tech: The game launched with full support for NVIDIA DLSS 3 (Super Resolution and Frame Generation), enabling significant performance boosts on compatible hardware.
• Key Settings Impact: Shadows, Post-Processing, Textures, and Visual FX quality settings have the most significant impact on performance. Ray Tracing options, if enabled, are the most demanding.

• G P U T G P: A mobile GPU with at least 45W-60W TGP is required for 60 FPS at 1080p; 95W-140W TGP unlocks high-framerate 144Hz+ performance.
• Cooling Thermals: Ensure unobstructed intake and exhaust airflow; elevate laptop base to keep CPU package temperatures below 85°C under continuous sprite particle load.
• C P U Power Limits: Sustained CPU power delivery of 35W+ is recommended to handle real-time pathfinding and projectile collision for dozens of active AI combatants.
• M U X Switch Optimus: Utilizing a hardware MUX switch or NVIDIA Advanced Optimus bypasses integrated graphics, reducing input latency by 5-10ms for precise twitch-aiming.

• G P U T G P Impact: Total Graphics Power (TGP) is crucial for laptop GPU performance. Higher TGP variants of the same GPU model will perform better. Check manufacturer specs.
• Advanced Cooling Thermals: Effective cooling is essential to prevent thermal throttling and maintain consistent framerates during intense combat encounters with numerous enemies and effects.
• C P U Performance Sustain: A strong mobile CPU that can sustain good clock speeds is important to complement the GPU, especially in this action-heavy game.
• R A M Configuration Speed: 16GB in dual-channel configuration is recommended for smoother gameplay. RAM speed can also impact performance.
• Display Panel G P U Pairing: Match the GPU's capability to the laptop's display resolution (1080p, 1440p) and refresh rate. Upscaling technologies can help bridge performance gaps.
• M U X Switch N V I D I A Advanced Optimus: Laptops with a MUX switch or NVIDIA Advanced Optimus can offer improved performance by directly connecting the dedicated GPU to the display, reducing latency.
• Driver Updates O S Optimization: Utilize the latest official GPU drivers and ensure Windows is optimized for gaming.