Space Marine 2 adds a new free class, the Techmarine—an engineer with the unbeatable combo of an automated sentry turret and a gigantic axe

Almost a year and a half on from its hugely successful launch, Space Marine 2 is still going strong with impressive post-release updates. And if there's one thing I love, it's watching developers add more and more lovingly crafted Warhammer nonsense to their games.

Case in point: today's free update adds a whole new class to the game's PvE and PvP modes. The Techmarine is the nerd of the space marine world, tasked with keeping their chapter's vehicles and equipment in good working order. But because this is Warhammer 40,000, even nerds are scary, which is why the Techmarine boasts a giant servo arm and a mounted gun on his backpack, and carries around an axe big enough to decapitate an elephant.

As appears to be mandatory for any engineer type appearing in a shooter videogame, the Techmarine can deploy and repair an automated turret—which should come in very handy for Space Marine 2's many point defence setpieces. But it doesn't look like their role is just to hide behind their sentry. Between that giant axe and the extra firepower provided by their mounted gun, they look more than capable of wading directly into the fray.

It's a fun touch as well that in PvP, when playing on the Chaos side, Techmarines will become Warpsmiths—evil gribbly tech-perverts—with the colours of the piratical Red Corsairs (who are currently enjoying a lovely refresh in the tabletop game right now).

Coming along with the new class is a PvE mission called Disruption—which features a dreadnought and a flying heldrake facing off in style—as well as new cosmetics based on the gloomy Raven Guard and shark-obsessed Carcharodons chapters. You can also now buy the Chapter Voice Pack 1, which adds custom voices for the Blood Angels, Space Wolves, and Black Templars.