Warhammer 40,000: Dark Heresy Guide
Warhammer 40,000: Dark Heresy is Owlcat Games' investigation-focused cRPG follow-up to Rogue Trader. You play an acolyte of the Inquisition's Tyrantine Cabal in the Calixis Sector, building a character from five tier-1 archetypes and four origins, recruiting a retinue of companions, and deciding what the truth is worth. It launches on January 28, 2027 for PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, with a Switch 2 version to follow. These pages cover the release date and platforms, the archetypes and how they differ, every confirmed companion, build directions for the beta, the investigation and Conviction systems, combat, co-op, the closed beta, and the Founder's Packs.
Updated Nov 11, 2026
Release: January 28, 2027 · PC (Steam, GOG, Epic), PS5, Xbox Series X|S
Developer: Owlcat Games (Rogue Trader) · self-published
Genre: Party-based, turn-based tactical cRPG · Inquisition investigation
Wishlists: 1M+ on Steam (Nov 2026) · #22 top wishlisted game
Archetypes: 5 tier-1: Warrior, Officer, Operative, Soldier, Mystic
Companions: 8 core at launch · 10 in the closed beta
Beta: Closed beta ends January 7, 2027 (Act 1, ~20 hours)
Languages: English audio · text EN / RU / FR / DE / ES / ZH
Start here
- Dark Heresy release dateWarhammer 40,000: Dark Heresy releases on January 28, 2027 for PC (Steam, GOG, Epic Games Store), PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. A Nintendo Switch 2 version is confirmed but has no date yet. The closed beta ends on January 7, 2027. The price, preload timing and unlock hour have not been announced.
- Dark Heresy system requirementsThe Steam page lists recommended specs only: Windows 10, Intel Core i5-12600 or AMD Ryzen 5 5600, 16 GB RAM, GeForce RTX 3060 Ti or Radeon RX 6700 XT, DirectX 12 and 40 GB of storage. Owlcat has not published a minimum-spec tier, a Steam Deck rating or console performance targets yet.
- Dark Heresy closed beta▶ VideoThe Dark Heresy closed beta covers Act 1, roughly 20 hours, and runs on PC/Steam only. It includes the five archetypes, four origins, three homeworlds, ten companions and the investigation/Conviction systems. Owlcat will close the beta on January 7, 2027, three weeks before launch.
- Dark Heresy Founder's Packs and editionsOwlcat sells Founder's Packs on its official site until early January 2027: digital tiers (Core, Premium, Developers) plus a physical Collector's Edition. They are supporter packs, not the standard game pre-order. The standard edition price and any pre-order bonus have not been announced. Collector's Edition orders ship shortly after launch.
- Dark Heresy FAQDark Heresy releases on January 28, 2027 for PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, with Switch 2 later. The closed beta ends January 7, 2027. Price and preload are not announced. It is a party-based turn-based cRPG with investigation, five archetypes and online co-op.
Character building
- Dark Heresy archetypes and classesDark Heresy has five tier-1 archetypes: Warrior (melee and tanking), Officer (command and support), Operative (precision and stealth), Soldier (ranged firepower) and Mystic (sanctioned psyker powers). Every character also picks one of four origins and one of three homeworlds, then commits to a specialization instead of Rogue Trader's wide talent pool.
- Dark Heresy origins and homeworldsDark Heresy has four origins: Criminal, Astra Militarum, Imperial Noble and Sanctioned Psyker, plus three homeworlds. Origins change starting skills, dialogue and some combat options; the Sanctioned Psyker origin is how any archetype can use warp powers. Owlcat has not published the full homeworld list or every origin bonus yet.
- Dark Heresy companionsDark Heresy's release roster lists eight core companions: Cogg (Ogryn Warrior), Haymar Devos (Catachan Soldier), Ra'akhti (Kroot Operative), Saro (psyker), Discordance (Pariah), Laarthyr Cairnareth (Aeldari Way Seeker), Aspyce Chorda (Rogue Trader) and Touma Ortos (Officer). The closed beta also includes Epione Spes and Hypatia, for ten beta companions in total. Roles below are beta-based and may change at launch.
- Dark Heresy buildsThere is no launch meta yet, but the beta supports clear build directions: Warrior dual-wield or anti-armor melee, Soldier burst-fire suppression, Operative precise-targeting single-target damage, Officer support and action economy, and Mystic psyker disciplines. Specializations and ability modifications matter more than the archetype name, and they can be adjusted outside combat.
Systems
- Dark Heresy investigation and ConvictionDark Heresy's investigation layer has you gather clues, interview witnesses and track statements in a journal that flags contradictions. You then decide what the truth is and who to blame. Your Conviction (puritan, radical or xenos-tolerant) and four faction reputations shape how the Inquisition and the sector react. The beta shows the loop; exact consequences are still being tuned.
- Dark Heresy factions, Ordos and ConvictionDark Heresy is built around the Inquisition's three Ordos: Ordo Malleus (daemons and Chaos), Ordo Hereticus (heresy inside the Imperium) and Ordo Xenos (alien threats). Your Conviction — puritan, radical or xenos-tolerant — and four faction reputations determine who trusts you and which solutions are open.
- Dark Heresy combat systemsDark Heresy is turn-based tactical combat with a few systems that change how you plan: zones of influence instead of pure line of sight, armor as a separate health pool, interruptible concentration actions, body-part targeting for crits, and individual morale that can make enemies surrender. Encounters also have secondary objectives. All of this is beta-based and will be tuned.
- Dark Heresy co-op and multiplayerSteam lists single-player and online co-op for Dark Heresy. Owlcat has not announced the player count, how co-op handles companions and investigations, or whether there is crossplay. Treat any specific player-count claim as unconfirmed.
Live
- Is Dark Heresy down right now?Warhammer 40,000: Dark Heresy has not launched yet — it releases on January 28, 2027 — so there is no public server population to check. The card below pulls the official Steam player count and will show live numbers from launch day. For now, a connection problem before launch is usually the closed beta, the store page, or Steam itself.
- Dark Heresy player countThe number below is the live Steam player count for Dark Heresy, refreshed every 5 minutes. The game launches January 28, 2027, so until then the count is zero or unavailable. After launch, compare the same time of day over several days rather than a single reading.
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