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Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus II shows that playing as the undead baddies can be fun
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Ana Diaz
Developed by Bulwark Studios (the creators of the original Mechanicus title and several other Warhammer games) and published by Kasedo Games, Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus II is a strategic turn-based game that will be released on Windows PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X. As part of a hands-off preview at Gamescom 2025, a representative showed me about 30 minutes of gameplay on Windows PC in a private session.
As its name implies, Mechanicus II is the sequel to Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus. In the original game, players took control over the Adeptus Mechanicus, a faction (or fantasy race) within the Warhammer universe that consists of hyper-advanced tech-priests. In this next game, players will command not just the Adeptus Mechanicus but also their foes, a race of undead monsters known as the Necrons. For longtime players, this game offers a rare chance to explore the story from the perspective of the Necrons themselves (and also blow up enemy targets using this faction’s unique skillset).
In the setup to the game, the Necrons have lain dormant for tens of thousands of years and wake up after a group of human races known as the Imperium of Mankind, which the Adeptus Mechanicus belongs to, colonizes their lands. Kasedo Games showed me the climax of the first act in the Necron campaign, which allows players to experience the Necron siege of the Adeptus Mechanicus capital city. At this stage in the game’s development, a lot of the story and dialogue before a fight haven’t yet been created, but I did get to see a lot of the actual gameplay and how the Necrons work in this game.
As to be expected with a strategy game like this, the player can command a variety of units with their own specializations. Each squadron of Necrons has a lord. This unit works like the “general” of the fight. It’s specialized and a bit stronger, and I only get to use one per battle. The preview also showed other Necron units like rank and file soldiers, bodyguards that give defensive buffs, and little scarabs that are weak but can move across the map quickly. In addition to those units, some skirmishes also contain Necron NPC allies that will aid my fight and help give players a sense of a wider battle happening around their units.
Although I was new to Warhammer, the UI looked clean and easy to parse. A bar on the right-hand side of the screen showed information like the turn order of the characters. The menu at the bottom showed the attack options for the selected character and contained a green bar labeled Dominion, a new gameplay mechanic unique to the Necrons. As my previewer said, the team hopes that Dominion will encourage a more aggressive playstyle by rewarding players with stronger attacks for doing damage.
When we complete the fight objectives, the previewer shows me a bit of the game systems I can customize in between fights. I can pick between different Necron lords and synergize their powers with my units. I can choose which units I bring into battle and further customize those units with specific buffs. I can spend in-game currency to unlock permanent upgrades to my teams. Each step of the way allows me to put on my tactician's hat and tinker with different team compositions and powers to assign those individual units.
Although this game intrigued me as a newcomer to the series, it’s clear that Mechanicus II aims to please long-time fans of the series. It features complex systems that will require players to spend a considerable amount of time tinkering to find their perfect strategic groove. It gives long-time fans the rare chance to actually play as the Necron faction. Additionally, the game builds on pre-existing stories that I would want to know before starting the game. Even little nods, like the inclusion of NPCs Space Marines in a fight, will be a joyful surprise to long-term fans.
So if you’re a long-time fan of the Warhammer 40,000 series, you might want to keep your eye out for the release of Mechanicus II on Epic Games Store.
