Warhammer 40,000: Chaos Gate - Daemonhunters will pitch humanity’s greatest weapon, the Grey Knights, against the corrupting forces of Chaos in this brutal and fast-paced, turn-based tactical RPG, and root out and purge a galaxy-spanning plague in a cinematic, story-driven campaign, using the tactics and talents of your own personalised squad of Daemonhunters.

Grey Knights are humanity’s greatest weapon. A secretive yet supremely powerful chapter of Space Marines sworn to eradicate corruption, these legendary Daemonhunters are dedicated to combating the minions of Chaos. Lead your own personalised squad against a galaxy-wide plot to infect worlds with a cosmic plague, The Bloom.

Master a turn-based tactical game full of satisfyingly strategic action. Choose powerful classes, wield incredible weapons, use environments to your advantage, and target specific enemy weak points to hinder the advance of an ever-evolving and mutating threat.

In last week's second Developer Diary for Warhammer 40,000: Chaos Gate – Daemonhunters, Complex Games and Frontier Foundry shared a first look at the game’s antagonist, Daemon Primarch of the Death Guard, Mortarion.

The Pale King’s involvement in this plot highlights the peril faced by the Grey Knights, given his long-standing feud with the sons of Titan. For those unfamiliar with this favoured champion of Nurgle, today they share some additional detail on this imposing character.

Who Is Mortarion in Warhammer 40,000: Chaos Gate – Daemonhunters?

Raised on the toxic world of Barbarus after the twenty Primarchs were scattered across the galaxy, Mortarion and his Legion, the Death Guard,  supported the Warmaster Horus in betrayal of the Emperor of Mankind, a path which led to him pledging his servitude to the Chaos God Nurgle in order to deliver himself and his sons from the Plague God’s Destroyer Plague.

Nurgle’s new Champion was gifted newfound power, becoming fear, death and plague made manifest. Emerging from the warp, the Death Guard’s once gleaming grey armour became rust-ridden and cracked, their bloated plague-ridden bodies spilling out from the joints of their corroded power armour.

Within the Eye of Terror, Mortarion casts his gaze into the physical universe from the warp. Preparing for his next move against the Imperium and preparing Nurgle’s latest and most dangerous gift, The Bloom.

Mortarion and the Grey Knights

The most memorable of clashes between the Grey Knights and the Death Guard came during the Battle of Kornovin, when the Sons of Titan mobilised on a scale few have ever seen in order to repel Mortarion’s incursion into the Imperium. As the battle raged, Supreme Grand Master Geronitan fell to the Death Lord, resulting in the elevation of Kaldor Draigo to lead the Chapter as Supreme Grand Master. Draigo fought his way to face Mortarion, and was able to banish the Daemon Primarch by speaking his True Name, carving Geronitan’s name onto his heart as he did so, earning Mortarion’s eternal hatred.

“Bringing Mortarion to life in Warhammer 40,000: Chaos Gate – Daemonhunters has been a real pleasure for us as a team. For fans of the tabletop game, they’ll be aware of how impressive and fearsome Mortarion’s actual model is, so the team were able to use his datasheets as a base reference and work in a number of unique powers tied to the Bloom plague that he has unleashed.

The Death Lord is known for his strategic prowess in designing cunning battle plans and the management of his forces, so be prepared for well-drilled Plague Marines and a relentless spread of The Bloom across the Tyrtaeus sector. As Force Commander of the Baleful Edict, strategically you’ll be going toe-to-toe with one of the Imperium’s greatest adversaries, which personally I think is an amazing prospect for players. I mean, Mortarion is a huge part of the Warhammer 40,000 Universe and he’s really bringing the fight to your door in Warhammer 40,000: Chaos Gate – Daemonhunters.

We had a lot of fun designing and creating the unique challenges for each boss encounter in the game, we’ve included some interesting gameplay challenges that will force you to change up your style. These take place in some of the most corrupted environments, on the very precipice of real space and the warp.

Perhaps a final word of caution for players, if you do end up treading the battlefield with Mortarion himself, make sure you’re prepared…”

Noah Decter-Jackson – Complex Games, Creative Director

Penned by acclaimed Black Library author Aaron Dembski-Bowden, immerse yourself in a compelling story set in the grimdark universe of Warhammer 40,000. Meet famous faces, engage iconic foes, and discover what it takes to lead a squad of elite warriors battling to prevent galaxy-wide destruction in the 41st millennium.

Lead your own personalised squad of Grey Knights against a galaxy-wide plot to infect worlds with a cosmic plague, The Bloom.

Warhammer 40,000: Chaos Gate - Daemonhunters will release on PC (Steam / Epic Games Store) in 2022.