Warhammer 40,000: Gladius – Relics of War is the next Epic Games Store freebie

The only 40K I’m getting for free anytime soon

Epic Games Store has revealed the next title that it will be offering up to its user base free of charge, and hopefully you have plenty of long afternoons to kill, as we’re going 4X with Slitherine Software’s deep strategy title Warhammer 40,000: Gladius – Relics of War, which will be available to download from March 16.

Released on PC and Mac in 2018, and developed by Proxy Studios, Warhammer 40,000: Gladius – Relics of War is a Games Workshop take on the deep, turn-based, 4X action that fills the hours of strategy lovers everywhere. Players choose from one of four races — Imperial Guard, Space Marines, Necrons, and Orks — before engaging in long-form combat in order to hold dominion over the titular world of Gladius. Unlike most 4X titles, there are no “Diplomacy” mechanics.

Well, it’s not called Compromisehammer 40K, is it now?

On release critics praised the title’s adaptation of 4X to the Warhammer universe, as well as the game’s action, but specialist press noted that the title failed to truly capture the intricate nature of 4X titles, resulting in a release that was both engaging and enjoyable, but fails to break the upper echelon of more dedicated brands such as Age of Wonders, Alpha Centauri, or Civilization. For Warhammer fans, however, Gladius — Relics of War will certainly scratch that strategic 40K itch.

Warhammer 40,000: Gladius – Relics of War will be available to download free from Epic Games Store from March 16-23. Until then, you still have time to pick up Raw Fury puzzler Call of the Sea.

Chris Moyse

Senior Editor – Chris has been playing video games since the 1980s and writing about them since the 1880s. Graduated from Galaxy High with honors. Twitter: @ChrisxMoyse