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To say people were a little disappointed when Fatshark revealed the Hive Scum as their previous class for Darktide would be an understatement. Though the gutter rat's flashy knives and slick gunslinging have assuredly grown on most of us, there's still a portion of Darktide players who mourn the fact we didn't get a member of the Adeptus Mechanicus.
"The Adeptus Mechanicus are such an iconic part of Warhammer 40,000, and Skitarii gave us the perfect chance to explore that fantasy from a perspective players have never experienced before. This class is unlike anything else in Darktide."
What makes the Skitarii special is that you can literally construct this class, choosing material types, augment patterns, and even apparently tweaking voice modulation—we'll no longer have to buy helmets just to achieve that electronic vox quality. They also bring a unique range of armaments, including:
- Arc weapons
- Phosphor Blasters
- Galvanic Rifles
- Transonic Blades (so you can even live out your Sicarian Ruststalker fantasy)
Perhaps my favorite part of all is the "las-pistol wielding servo skull" minion that Skitarii have access to, which can heal, and even apparently equip a flame thrower?? Seems a bit strong, but definitely one that Arbites players will enjoy after micromanaging their cyber-mastiffs.
In terms of specialisms, it sounds somewhat similar to previous classes, with either a ranged focus as a "long-range assassin" or getting in close and personal as a "frenzied servant of the Omnissiah" for more of the berserker Skitarii experience. Either way, it appears there are some added levels of class customisation that weren't present with Arbites or Hive Scum.
To mark the occasion, there's also a bunch of stuff happening in-game on June 23. This includes an Expeditions update with a new area, two new enemies in the form of the Traitor and Cultist Vanguards, and the Dark Rites event which will finally reward premium currency—something long-requested by players—with 500 Aquilas for everyone if we triumph.
You can purchase the Skitarii class for $11.99 on Steam on June 23. With Mechanicus 2 also launching today, AdMech-lovers are eating real good right now. All I can really say is: RIP Sisters of Battle fans, we'll get 'em next time.
