It’s time to lay down the law on Atoma Prime with the release of the Arbites DLC for Warhammer 40,000: Darktide.
While this game has received a multitude of updates throughout the years bringing quality of life changes, new game modes and more, this is the first paid expansion that we’ve seen for Darktide. Bringing a fifth class to the game, the Arbites expansion lets you play as a member of the Adeptus Arbites, complete with a cyber mastiff that accompanies you into battle.
The DLC is also releasing alongside the the Battle for Tertium update which is free for all players. This not only revamps the core mission experience to streamline the narrative, but also brings updates to the Mortis Trials game mode along with a handful of quality of life improvements.
For the full details on the Arbites DLC, including talent tree breakdowns, ability descriptions and gameplay, check out the full press release below.
STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN, June 23, 2025. Independent developer Fatshark today releases their first paid class DLC, the Arbites, for Warhammer 40,000: Darktide alongside a free update, the Battle for Tertium. Next to exacting punishment with extreme prejudice with an Arbitrator, players will get a reworked narrative experience and mission board, experience a new difficulty for the Mortis Trials activity, play through the Inferno live event, engage in a new Havoc Campaign and enjoy a QoL changes as well as some weapon balancing.Arbites Class – Release TrailerPlayers can now purchase the Arbites Class! All editions will be available to purchase starting June 23 across all platforms (PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox X|S):Standard Edition: $11.99 / €11.99Deluxe Edition: $18.99 / €18.99Cosmetic Upgrade (Upgrade to Deluxe): $7.99 / €7.99The Adeptus Arbites enforce the Lex Imperialis – the Imperial Law. The institution’s most visible officers, known as Arbitrators, are utterly unforgiving of those who dare transgress the Law.Arbites Class Feature Breakdown:Cyber-Mastiff: The Arbitrator’s loyal companion and best friend will join you in the slaying of lawbreakers. After you’re finished with customizing its name and looks, you’ll soon have it fighting alongside you. The Cyber-Mastiff has its own Passive target selection, which it will use to help you against anything that comes too close. You can also command it to attack a specific target, which will override any behaviour of its own. To command your Mastiff, you simply double-tap your Tag Input on any enemy that is eligible to be Tagged.Talent Tree: As an Arbitrator you have plenty of options when it comes to how you wish to play. Going from left to right in the Talent Tree we will find a few prominent themes. From Elite killing and Cyber-Mastiff handling, to Hybrid Combat and Supportive Utility, and lastly Crowd Control and Melee. While the Cyber-Mastiff is iconic to the Arbites, if you prefer to play without it, take a look at the Lone Wolf Talent (see below)!Blitz AbilitiesArbites Grenade: Your base Blitz is an Impact Grenade that deals high damage and stagger to anything struck by itVoltaic Shock Mine: Throw a Voltaic Shock Mine onto the floor that lies dormant until an enemy comes near. Upon activation the Mine shocks and electrocute enemiesRemote Detonation: Cause an electric Explosion around your Cyber-Mastiff’s position. This deals Damage, Electrocutes, and Staggers nearby enemies.Combat AbilitiesNuncio-Aquila: Iconic to the Arbites, is the Nuncio-Aquila. Deploy it to create an area where allies regenerate Toughness. Additionally, Enemies in the area have increase Damage taken.Castigator’s Stance: Instantly replenishes your Toughness and you enter the Castigator’s Stance for 10s. During the stance you have increased Movement Speed, reduced Damage Taken, reduced Movement Speed Penalties from Actions (e.g. attacking, bracing, aiming, interacting or charging heavy attacks), but you cannot Sprint.Break the Line: Step forward and Bash, causing high Stagger to enemies in front of you, and inflict more damage for a short duration.Cyber-Mastiff Iconics: In addition, there are three Talents that affect the Behaviour of your Cyber-Mastiff.Unleashed Brutallity: Your Cyber-Mastiff prioritises Elite and Specialist Enemies, and deals more damage to them.Go Get ‘Em! Your Cyber-Mastiff prioritises Ranged Enemies, and deals +50% Damage to them.Lone Wolf: You are no longer accompanied by your Cyber-Mastiff. Gain +15% Toughness Damage Reduction, +10% Attack Speed, +10% Damage, +1 increased Charges on your Blitz Abilities, and you replenish a charge of your Blitz Ability every 60s. This Iconic cannot be taken with any other Cyber-Mastiff related talent.Naturally we have more in store with Auras and Keystones nodes! Make sure to check these out in our patch notes!Free Update: The Battle for Tertium includes:The Battle for TertiumThe core player experience has been reworked to provide a new clearer narrative focus, following the conflict of the Battle for Tertium. Players will now experience a linear campaign with new mission debriefs and embedded cinematics. This new progression path is designed to ease in new players and gradually unlock features that were previously gated by character level.While previously each new player’s experience was completely random, the Battle for Tertium narrative presents maps, enemies and characters in a specific order, allowing players to discover all aspects of the game at a much better pace.The story missions play the same as regular missions, except that these missions have a more tight control over which enemies spawn. You might also hear some new VO lines during missions, and some brand new mission debrief cinematics when completing each mission.Mission Board ReworkA new mission board system will be bringing several changes to how you engage with missions and difficulties. Missions are no longer tied to a specific difficulty, allowing you to select a mission and then choose the difficulty you want. This will effectively increase the amount of mission options available for players of all difficulty levels. While most circumstances remain consistent across difficulty levels, some are disabled on lower difficulties. Notably, Maelstrom missions are exclusive to the Heresy and Auric difficulties.Additionally, the difficulty system has also been overhauled. You now unlock new difficulties by completing missions rather than leveling up your characters. You must prove your skills at your current maximum difficulty to unlock access to the next one. We intend to create a motivation for new players to master the game step by step, and for veteran players to feel assured that their teammates have earned the right to be there.You will make progress by playing missions at your current maximum difficulty. Completing missions advances your progress. Mission Failures reduce your progress slightly but you will never be demoted to a lower difficulty. Higher difficulties will require you to complete more missions to unlock them.Update to the Mortis Trials activity:The Secrets of the Shipmistress: Sefoni’s indiscretions are getting worse! During Mortis Trials, keen-eared players now have the opportunity to sift pieces of Shipmistress Brahms’ past from the psychic chatter. How did she inherit the Mourningstar? What is she hiding? Delve deeper into all these and more across dozens of new memory echoes, unlockable by claiming victory in the Mortis Trials!New difficulty for Mortis Trials: Since the release of Mortis Trials we have noticed people requesting a higher challenge in Mortis Trials! So, we are adding a new difficulty, Auric, as well as some other small changes.There will now be a shorter time in between waves.Waves will now have more enemies and enemy types increasing variety.We are changing the base difficulty to match an Auric difficulty mission.New In-Game Event: Inferno: starting June 23 and until July 7, the streets of Tertium will be set aflame in missions bearing the Inferno condition. Whether by heretic plot or over-zealous Imperial enforcement makes no real difference. Missions must still run, so be careful down there. You’re literally dropping into a hot zone. The rewards will be Ordo dockets, Plasteel and Diamantine. Those who complete the last tier of the event will receive a cosmetic portrait frame.New Havoc Campaign: Havoc will enter a new campaign featuring a new mission pool and rotation in mutators.Quality of Life Changes:Increased maximum number of operatives to 8.Increased maximum number of weapon loadouts to 8.Added a total of ~900 new banter conversations, both between the original cast and Arbites.About Fatshark®Fatshark is headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, and was established in 2007. More than 100 experienced game developers are part of the independent developer, and we strive to create compelling interactive experiences. Apart from Warhammer 40,000: Darktide, the team has previously developed titles including Warhammer: Vermintide 2, Warhammer: End Times – Vermintide, Lead and Gold, Krater, and War of the Roses. For more information, visit www.fatsharkgames.comAbout Games Workshop®Games Workshop® Group PLC (LSE:GAW.L), based in Nottingham, UK, produces the best fantasy miniatures in the world. Games Workshop designs, manufactures, retails, and distributes its range of Warhammer®: Age of Sigmar® and Warhammer® 40,000® games, miniatures, novels, and model kits through more than 553 of its own stores (branded Games Workshop® or Warhammer®), the www.games-workshop.com web store and independent retail channels in more than 50 countries worldwide. More information about Games Workshop and its other, related, brands and product ranges (including our publishing division ‘Black Library’ and our special resin miniatures studio ‘Forge World’) can be found at www.games-workshop.com.Warhammer 40,000: Darktide © Copyright Games Workshop Limited 2025. Darktide, the Darktide logo, GW, Games Workshop, Space Marine, 40K, Warhammer, Warhammer 40,000, 40,000, the ‘Aquila’ Double-headed Eagle logo, and all associated logos, illustrations, images, names, creatures, races, vehicles, locations, weapons, characters, and the distinctive likeness thereof, are either ® or TM, and/or © Games Workshop Limited, variably registered around the world, and used under licence. © Fatshark AB 2025. All rights reserved to their respective owners.
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