Warhammer 40K Darktide appears to be headed to Sony’s PlayStation 5 console. The news comes from the ever-helpful Taiwanese rating board (via Gematsu), which recently rated this new version ahead of any announcement from developer Fatshark.
Warhammer 40K Darktide is currently only available on PC and Xbox Series S|X. However, it is likely that Microsoft only secured a timed exclusivity deal rather than a definitive exclusivity deal, and the Xbox Series S|X version launched on October 4, 2023. Most timed exclusivity deals are one year long, so Fatshark might be about to launch the PS5 version in a matter of weeks.
The game originally debuted on PC in late 2022, but it was in rough shape back then. The studio spent a long time afterward fleshing out key systems like loot and class. The next big overhaul is coming to itemization. The two new major systems are called Mastery and Expertise.
Mastery is the core progression system tied to the weapon type/family. As players use a particular weapon, they’ll gain more experience, unlocking new blessings, perks, tokens, and a special weapon cosmetic via the Reward Tracks. As they progress, the potential quality and stats of the weapon will also increase.
Mastery will merge all weapon types/families, meaning Warhammer 40K Darktide players will get to freely switch between different brands of the same weapon type. For example, if you own an Infantry Lasgun, you can unlock all the possible marks for that weapon and switch from one mark to another.
When you view a weapon, you will see the weapon’s maximum potential stats (which are randomly determined). It’s up to the player to decide if the weapon’s profile is interesting enough to commit to and to increase the stats until they reach that potential (which will then be applied to the weapon through the expertise system).
While the Mastery system is where a player unlocks a weapon’s potential, the Expertise system is where players apply those changes through crafting. Players will be able to configure the weapon, change the blessings or perks, and increase the stats. They will no longer be locked out after making two changes to perks or blessings. They will be using resources to make these changes.
The itemization update titled Locked & Loaded will be released on September 26. Obviously, it will be included with the PS5 version when it launches in the near future.
