Warhammer 40k Space Marine dev offers full Steam refunds for Master Crafted Edition

Warhammer 40K: Space Marine Master Crafted Edition was released as a remaster of the seventh-generation cult-classic on June 10, 2025. Unfortunately, the launch has been anything but a success.

Despite claiming visual and technical upgrades, remastered audio, modernized control schemes, and an updated UI, the remaster has failed to attract gamers looking to step back into the Warhammer 40K universe.

While the title is free for all Game Pass subscription owners, it does cost a somewhat high $40 for users looking to buy the title outright. This, coupled with users being annoyed about the relatively minor upgrades and a slew of bugs has resulted it in being heavily downvoted on platforms such as Steam.

According to SteamDB, Space Marine: Master Crafted Edition garnered an underwhelming all-time peak of 128 concurrent players since launch. User reviews have been “Mostly Negative” with a 36.48% user score at the time of writing across 103 reviews.

Much of the criticism stems from the perceived high price, especially for owners of the original, awkward AI squad mechanics, and the developers' missed opportunity to implement features that were scrapped from the original game. It must be noted that some of the criticism comes from players who already owned the 2021 anniversary edition and expected a free upgrade. 

Sneakybox and SEGA acknowledged the backlash and have allowed users to claim a full refund, available until July 10, 2025, coinciding with the end of the Steam Summer Sale. Owners of the 2021 Anniversary Edition get a 50% discount during this period.

In an attempt to make amends, the devs have promised a string of patches to address bugs and implement quality-of-life updates in the coming weeks.

According to Focus Entertainment, Space Marine 2 was released in September 2024 and sold 4.5 million copies in its first month, reaching 7 million within a year. The sequel’s critical reception has already greenlit the development of a third installment.

While the Space Marine 2 delivered a defining hit for the franchise in both hype and sales, the Master Crafted Edition fails to justify its existence or offer any meaningful value to gamers looking to revisit the cult-classic in a new light.