Summary

TheWarhammer 40,000universe has featured in a wide variety of video games, and one that’s flown under too many radars is temporarily available for free on Steam. Although its origins lie in miniature wargaming,Warhammer 40Khas become a vast multimedia empire over the years. Strong iconography, memorable storytelling, and a harsh, vividly realized world have made it easy to translate into many different forms, and an approach to video games that focuses on licensing out to many different studios has yielded some excellent results, including the recentWarhammer 40K: Rogue TraderCRPG.

ASteampromotion forWarhammer 40,000: Gladius - Relics of Warmakes the typically $39.99 game available for free, but this deal only runs until May 30 at 1 PM ET, when the game will presumably return to its normal pricing. Clicking the “Add to account” button will take care of everything, as actually downloading the game isn’t necessary to keep it forever once it’s been added to a Steam library.

You’ll need to increase both your reputation and Profit Factor to unlock new items from traders in Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader.

How to Increase Your Reputation In Warhammer 40k: Rogue Trader

If you want to get your hands on more goodies from each faction’s merchant in Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader, you’ll need to raise your Reputation.

Warhammer 40K: Gladius Is A Strong Strategy Experience

The War-Focused 4X Is Largely Well-Liked

Warhammer 40K: Gladius - Relics of Waris a 4X strategy game, meaning it’s built around the four prerogatives to eXplore, eXpand, eXploit, and eXterminate. It’s a genre that might be most widely associated with theSid Meier’s Civilizationgames, but it also has a strong sci-fi legacy through games likeGalactic CivilizationsandStellaris(not to mention theCivilizationvariants with that flavor). True to theWarhammer 40Kbrand,Gladiusputs the emphasis on the “eXterminate,” removing the focus on diplomacy in favor of all-out annihilation.

This actually isn’t the first time thatWarhammer 40K: Gladiushas gone free on Steam, with a similar promotion occuring in May of 2023 as well. Despite that, it’s still not a title that tends to crop up as frequently as something like theTotal War: WARHAMMERtrilogyorWarhammer 40K: Space Marine.“Very Positive” Steam reviews still serve as a strong enough endorsement of the game, and when it’s free, it’s hard to come up with any strong reason not to check it out.

Troops lining up for combat in Warhammer 40K: Gladius.

The sales forWarhammer 40K: Gladiushave both been a part of a promotional event tying in with the annualWarhammer Skullsgame showcase.

It’s worth acknowledging thatWarhammer 40Kcan sometimes seem intimidating to newcomers, but familiarity with the extensive lore isn’t necessary to enjoyWarhammer 40K: Gladius.Having some 4X experience is probably more relevant in general, but even that shouldn’t be crucial.Warhammer 40,000: Gladius-Relics of Warcould end up being a surprise hit for anyone with even minor interest, so securing a copy before May 30 definitely seems like the best tactic to take.