Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun revels in its retro FPS roots with new gameplay trailer

Promotional in-game screenshot of Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun
(Image credit: Focus Entertainment)

What you need to know

  • A new gameplay trailer has been revealed for Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun, a retro-inspired FPS set in the Warhammer 40,000 universe.
  • The trailer showcases gruesome, DOOM-like gunplay, 1990s FPS-style graphics, and the premise — that you playing as a Space Marine purging the galaxy of Chaos cultists, Chaos Marines, and Daemons,
  • Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun is coming to Xbox and PlayStation consoles, Nintendo Switch, and PC on May 23, 2023.

On May 9, Focus Entertainment unveiled a new gameplay trailer for one of its upcoming titles, Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun. This game is an FPS set in the grimdark universe of the Warhammer 40,000 tabletop franchise, a setting where in the dark future of the 41st millennium, there is only war. 

However, Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun is taking a more lighthearted and tongue-in-cheek but still gruesome and violent take on Warhammer 40,000, as showcased in its latest gameplay trailer.

As you can see from the above trailer, Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun features retro-style pixelated graphics, an over-the-top cheesy tone, and gameplay inspired by the classic first-person shooters from the 1990s like the original DOOM, Wolfenstein 3D, Duke Nukem 3D, and Quake. The premise is that you play as a Space Marine, one of Imperium of Man's finest super soldiers, traveling the universe to purge it of evil cultists and traitorous Chaos Marines causing havoc and summoning vile Chaos Daemons.

This game's 1990s retro-charm and less-serious tone is certainly a refreshing change of pace compared to most Warhammer 40,000 games as they often take themselves super seriously with little to no levity to match the setting. 

Though whether or not this upcoming Xbox title's gameplay and presentation can live up to the quality of its legendary inspirations remain to be seen. Fortunately, we won't have to wait long to find out as Warhammer 40,000 launches on May 23, 2023, for Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam.

Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun

Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun

Unleash the Emperor's wrath upon the vile servants of Chaos in Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun. Don the Power Armor of the mighty Space Marine and begin your one-man crusade across the cosmos to purge your enemies in holy fire in this retro-inspired FPS 

Pre-order from: Xbox

Alexander Cope

Alexander Cope is a gaming veteran of 30-plus years, primarily covering PC and Xbox games here on Windows Central. Gaming since the 8-bit era, Alexander's expertise revolves around gaming guides and news, with a particular focus on Japanese titles from the likes of Elden Ring to Final Fantasy. Alexander is always on deck to help our readers conquer the industry's most difficult games — when he can pry himself away from Monster Hunter that is!