Warhammer 40,000: Darktide News

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We’ve long seen the comments from players saying they want more of a challenge from Darktide. Players would like to continually challenge themselves and improve their skills. You want to face the horrors of the tide.

We’re excited to announce the next major game feature we have been working on for Darktide: Havoc.

If you’re a player who relishes overcoming obstacles and seeks to measure and improve your abilities, then Havoc has been crafted specifically for you.

This dev blog is an introduction to Havoc and to answer initial questions. We’re still performing tests for it, and we’ll announce a release date as soon as we are confident! We will be following this dev blog up with another Q&A, similar to what we did with Itemization.


Commissar Dukane and the Moebian 53rd Steelheads have arrived on Atoma, keen to prove their mettle and quash this uprising. Havoc missions represent Dukane’s influence on the war for Tertium. She believes in firm, swift, decisive action, striking at the heart of the traitor forces and ensuring each mission takes the maximum toll on the enemy.

An uncompromising taskmaster, she demands the best from all her charges, rewarding those she deems worthy with yet more perilous missions, or as she might say, opportunities for greatness.

Let’s break this down further.

Havoc is a new tiered progression system we have been working on for Trust Level 30 players.* This system will consist of different levels, known as Order Levels. There will be 40 Order Levels in total for Havoc.

Each Order Level will incrementally increase in difficulty, with increasing negative modifiers and varying mutators. Players won’t only face increased hordes or enemies, they’ll also encounter 4 brand new mutators, including one the community has recently encountered: the Infected 21st Moebians.

** Only Trust Level 30 players will be able to access Havoc.

A player’s Havoc Rank is the highest level they’ve reached and successfully completed in Havoc.

A Havoc Order is the current mission a player is facing. Each Havoc Order is unique and personal to the player in terms of what mission and what mutators.


[h2]1. Tiered Challenges[/h2]

There will be 40 Havoc Order levels for players to progress through for Havoc. With each level missions will become incrementally more difficult, allowing players to gauge their skill progression. To unlock Havoc, players must first complete an Auric or Non-Auric Maelstrom mission.

For each Order level, more negative modifiers are introduced. This increase is additive, meaning the previous modifiers will carry over to the next Havoc Order, plus any new ones on top of it. For example, if an Order level 1 reduces toughness regeneration, then Order level 2 will reduce toughness regeneration and another negative modifier on top of it. So on, and so forth until Order level 40 provides the most challenging content in the game.

A player will need to beat an Order level once in order to progress to the next Order level. A player will have 3 attempts to beat a Havoc Order level before being demoted down one Order level.

[h2]2. Personalised and Dynamic Havoc Orders[/h2]

While the modifiers are pre-defined for each Havoc Order, the mission and mutators applied to each order level will be unique and randomized for each player. This means Order Level 1 for one player will not look the same as a level 1 Order for another player.

If a player fails to complete the Havoc Order after an attempt, the player can continue to attempt the same unique mission and mutator combination. However, the enemies and spawns will appear in different places throughout the mission, which brings a level of variety and unpredictability so no two runs are the same.

As mentioned above, players will have 3 attempts per Order Level before being demoted one level.

[h2]3. Fluid Ranking System[/h2]

Havoc will update a player’s Order Rank on a weekly basis. If a player was unable to complete their Havoc Order before Havoc is updated for the week, they’ll remain at the same Havoc Order. But they’ll have a different mission and mutator combo to attempt.

If a player does not succeed in progressing forward in any Order Levels during the week, they will be decayed 1 Havoc Order the following week.

[h2]4. Cooperative Gameplay[/h2]

Players are not alone in their journey. Havoc encourages inviting friends to help progress through the Havoc Ranks together. While using the Party Finder to form a team, players will choose which friends’ Havoc Order to challenge together. The only requirement is to be at least level 30. If players form a group, it doesn’t matter if one friend is Havoc Rank 1 and the others are Havoc Rank 20. They can all play together.

For example’s sake, let’s say we had a group of four players: Player A (Havoc Rank 20), Player B (Havoc Rank 19), Player C (Havoc Rank 19), Player D (Havoc Rank 1).

If those players formed a group and successfully beat Player A’s specific Havoc Order 21, at the end of the mission, all of the players will have a new Havoc Rank of 21. However, those players’ Havoc Order (aka the personal mission currently available to them in Havoc) will not change until the following week.

The following week, all players will be Havoc Rank 21 and they’ll have a Havoc Order level 22 to complete.

Players will always be promoted the following week based on their highest completed Havoc Order level the week prior. In this example, even though Player D started at Havoc Order 1, they are brought up to Havoc Rank 21 since this is the highest difficulty they completed the previous week .

[h2]5. Party Finder Integration[/h2]

One of the reasons we wanted to introduce the Party Finder was specifically for Havoc. Because the difficulty is so high, it wouldn’t work to simply Quick Play into a Havoc mission. Because of the varying combinations of mutators and missions, and the increasing difficulty, players will want to prepare their talents and weapons based on the challenge they’re facing. Using Quick Play would not allow players to properly prepare for the challenge.

There will be a separate section in the Party Finder for players to create and join Havoc parties. You can create a party based on your own Havoc Order or join others. If friends are forming a party together, they’ll need to choose which player’s Havoc Order they’d like to attempt together.

Again, anyone can join any party regardless of their own Havoc Rank or the current level of their Havoc Order, so long as they’re Trust Level 30.


When Havoc is launched, it’ll have 8 missions in the mission pool. These were chosen based on a few criteria, like zone, mission type, win rate in upper difficulties, etc. Operations (like Rolling Steel) are not planned to be a part of this rotating mission pool at this time, due to them being different in nature to our other missions.

Havoc will introduce 4 bespoke mutators which players will only find in Havoc. Havoc Order levels will be able to have up to 2 mutators active at one time. The community has already encountered one of these during the latest event: the Infected 21st Moebians. We think you’ll enjoy the other ones we have planned. We’re going to keep them as a surprise for now and share them closer to release.

Conditions will also be a part of the mix for possible Order levels for players to tackle. However, not every Order level will include a condition. It’ll be more spread out, with a condition being present ~5 Order levels. This includes Lights Out, Ventilation Purge and Tox Gas. (Note: Ogryns soon will no longer be suffering from the dark.)


In the future, we’ll rotate the missions that are available for Havoc. Also, any time a new mission is added in an update, it will enter the mission pool. (As mentioned above, Operations are not planned to be a part of this rotation.)

We also plan to add more mutators over time for Havoc. So let us know if you have any ideas that you’d like to see in the future.


You might be wondering, how will players be rewarded? Players will receive materials and Mastery XP. There will also be a cache based on your weekly progress within Havoc, where players can earn extra Plasteel and Diamantine.

Beyond materials, there will also be frames, titles and insignia to be earned throughout the Penance system. We’ll also be adding an all black Moebian 53rd cosmetic set, which will be earnable through playing. (Note: Players will not need to get to Order Rank 40 to earn this cosmetic set, don’t worry.)




Alright, that’s a wrap on the Introduction to Havoc. We’re working hard on testing and putting together the final touches for this upcoming game mode. Once we’re ready, we’ll be able to share a release date.

Similar to our Introduction to Itemization, we’ll be following this up with a Q&A dev blog to answer any player questions we see! Please stay tuned and join the conversation.

Thank you for your support.

– The Darktide Team

The Lord of Decay has blessed his most beloved followers with hideous tentacles. So imbued are they with his foul pestilence that they explode when shot.

Dispatch them at close quarters to avoid this.

Complete missions featuring the blessed enemies to progress and collect rewards. This condition will only be available during the event and it will appear on both the Standard and Auric mission terminals. Look out for missions with the “Mutated Horrors” condition.

This event will start on Thursday, November 7, 2024. The rewards will be Ordo dockets, Plasteel and Diamantine. Those who complete the last tier of the event will receive a new Portrait Frame. (Dev Note: Be aware the frame might not show up immediately in players’ inventories after receiving the notification. Players may need to re-log, or at least leave and re-enter the Mourningstar.)

• Fixed an issue where the Social menu could fail to correctly display the status of other players and also block invitations/join requests.
  
• Fixed memory leak crashes which could happen when inspecting weapon stats.
  
• Fixed issues where the max potential for weapon stats could change when empowering a weapon.
  

Dev Note: Weapon level calculation is now handled in a more reliable manner. Some weapons that had their total stats below 380 at max Empower level will now be at 1 level below max (490 instead of 500) - meaning players will need to go to Hadron’s and empower from 490 to 500.

• Fixed an issue where FSR 3.1 Frame Gen would appear as disabled when playing excessive fullscreen effects, using lens distortion or showing certain GUI elements (e.g. the screen effect when a Stimms buff is active).
  
• Fixed an issue where Nvidia DSR/DLDSR would not work in fullscreen display mode.
  
• Fixed an issue where weapon penances were unlocked in the Mourningstar and claimed, but were not shown as completed.
  
• Fixed an issue where the game would sometimes render only in a corner of the screen while in fullscreen display mode but on lower resolution than the monitor.
  
• Fixed an issue where Windows chime sounds could play when using Alt+Tab to switch between fullscreen and windowed display modes.
  
• Fixed an issue where the “activated” status of weapon Special actions could be canceled by getting stunned. Partial Fix. (We've received some reports that this fix does not apply properly to the Power Sword or Thunder Hammer. We're investigating this. Thank you!)
• Fixed an issue where the description text for the Armourbane blessing would display incorrectly for Tiers 3 and 4.
  
• Fixed an issue where some sound effects (e.g. reload sounds) would be played predominantly only on one side.
  

• Fixed an issue where the knife wouldn't keep a backhand grip for blocking while charging a heavy attack.

• Fsr 3.1 Frame Generation Does Not Do Anything During Excessive Fullscreen Effects (Fixed in this Hotfix)
• Incorrect Rounding of Weapon Stats (Fixed in this Hotfix)
• Penances Shown As Not Completed (Fixed in this Hotfix)
• Purging Flames Penance is Bugged
• Misaligned Weapon Skins in the Penance Preview Squares
  • There are some weapon skin rewards in the penance previews that are misaligned or don’t fit in the square.

[h3][1]
MILITARUM WARZONE MISSIVE ALPHA-ONE
TO: Astra Militarum (Moebian) Command Staff
FROM: Dukane, D. Commissar
++via astro-node x-sym-226-aleph++[/h3]

My honoured lords militant. I am now in rapid transit to the capital world Atoma Prime, lacking as I am updated orders from you. I intend to build upon the instructions you have already blessed me with, which is to say to inject fire and disciplined determination into our beleaguered forces in the face of this wretched traitor uprising.
There is no time to regroup for direct consultation. In the last few months (relative) the Traitorous 6th have committed sundry crimes of violence and treachery across the Domain. This would be unacceptable from any adversary, but when this horror is perpetrated by soldiers of the Astra Militarum, it is a crime and an outrage against our highest honour. I do not have the words to express my disgust. These were our own people.
The 53rd Steelheads are proud soldiers, impeccable in their loyalty. Moreover, as I need not remind you, they are Branx-born. Like their birth world, they are young and aspirational. Atoma Prime has ruled the Domain for too long. It has grown fat and lazy, and slumped into privileged corruption. How else can one explain the gross deviation of their infamous 6th? Atoma, and the Lord Margrave, has allowed this treason to breed. Yes, Atoma must be freed and delivered. Yes, the traitors must be expunged without delay. But beyond that, I believe that the ancient hive must be soundly purged. The uprising must be put down and the enemy eradicated, but the soil from which this infamy sprang must also be cleansed with fire.
It must be the Astra Militarum that achieves this. I trust, my lords, that you will concur with my intent. The direct military deployment of the Steelheads, their honour bruised and their pride mauled, is the most expedient solution, and it is the most just. Let us clean our own house. Let the Guard restore its own dignity.
I am told, by coded transmission, that an Inquisitorial warband leads the reclamation effort on Atoma. On the one hand, I am reassured by this. On the other, I am dismayed by the lack of material strength. A warband is merely paramilitary. This outrage requires a response of the full force of the Astra Militarum on a formal war footing. Rest assured that, under my direction, the 53rd will execute the matter with the strictest and most steadfast discipline, a credit to the Throne and the Aquila banner.
I invite your response and instruction, but until any such is received, I will press on with my intent as stated above and bring legitimate war and restored honour to the hive of Atoma. The Emperor protects, and the Guard prevails.

[affirmed by my sigil] - Dukane.



[h3][2]
MILITARUM WARZONE MISSIVE ALPHA-TWO
TO: Astra Militarum (Moebian) Command Staff
FROM: Dukane, D. Commissar
++via astro-node z-ki-787-talos++[/h3]

My honoured lords militant. Upon Atoma, in the great and ancient hive of Tertium, things are worse than we feared. The Traitor forces, all soldiers of the once vaunted Moebian 6th, now deplorably transformed by heresy and corruption, have wrought great damage and hardship and, further, have claimed significant areas of territory.
I have conferred with the Inquisitorial undertaking, in the person of one Rannick (though not directly with their Inquisitor himself, an individual known as Grendyl). I fear this Grendyl may be trying to keep me and the Steelheads at arm’s length, out of concern that we might fall as the 6th fell. The Ordos clearly have little faith in the Astra Militarum. Rannick, for his part, insists to me that the corruption of the very Warp itself has lodged within the hearts of the traitors, and that we face a foe empowered by forces beyond mortal limit. I remain unconvinced. I believe we face an enemy driven by disdain, by privation, and by idolatry, and an enemy that has been allowed to breed thanks to the venal weakness of a hive and a ruling society that has fallen prey to its own luxuriating entitlement. I have declared to Rannick that the Steelheads are born of greater mettle, and thus can be fully trusted, for they are not prey to such infantile whimsy.
Of the Inquisitorial warband itself, I have little to remark. They are, for the most part, thugs and rejects, who seem little better or more disciplined than the very traitors we combat. They are ill-tempered, and regulation-shy. They are not soldiers, and they certainly lack the numerical strength to achieve any lasting compliance. Further, their loyalty to the Throne appears shabby and forced, not bright and willing as is the case with the Astra Militarum Steelheads. I will, in fairness and balance, record that this “warband” has fought hard and at great cost thus far, achieving some gains against the enemy. But it is not enough, and they are not enough, and I fear that their morale will soon snap as thoroughly as the loyalty of the Traitorous 6th. I will take field command of their endeavours, and have my trusted sergeants train their rabble squads to something approaching military composure.
This is a perilous situation. For all its wrongs and its canker, Atoma cannot be allowed to fall and give this enemy a foothold in the Domain. The Emperor protects, and in his name, the Steelheads will prevail.

[affirmed by my sigil] - Dukane.



Interested in learning more about Commissar Dukane? Check out our latest Vox Intercept

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