'Warhammer 40,000: Darktide' has surged to the number two spot on the global Steam best-seller charts, following the arrival of a fresh class DLC.

Developed by the Swedish studio Fatshark, Warhammer 40,000: Darktide is a cooperative first-person shooter that drops you into the hive city of Tertium. You join a squad under the Inquisition to purge the dark tide threatening the planet. Much like the developer’s previous 'Warhammer: Vermintide' series, it’s all about tight-knit teamwork and turning hordes of enemies into paste with visceral, high-octane action.

The third class expansion for Warhammer 40,000: Darktide, 'Skitarii Alpha Primus', dropped on the 23rd. The Skitarii are soldiers of the Adeptus Mechanicus, fanatical worshippers of the Machine God, Omnissiah. These are heavily augmented warriors, though the version you get to play is the 'Skitarii Alpha Primus'—a veteran who has undergone even more extensive cybernetic enhancements than your average grunt.

Combat revolves around a charge system powered by the Motive Engine. You build up electric charges by slaying enemies or simply waiting, which fuels abilities like the 'Voltaic Expander' and its upgraded form, the 'Voltaic Emitter'—perfect for zapping and stunning groups of foes. You’ll also get your hands on the 'Chordclaw Strike', a brutal melee heavy attack, and 'Advanced Combat Doctrine' to sharpen your shooting precision.

Every Skitarii comes with a 'Servo-skull' sidekick. It provides cover fire, handles mini-games for you, or can be upgraded to unleash flamethrowers, revive allies, or grant defensive buffs. If you prefer to go without the Servo-skull, you can swap it for an Arc Grenade that triggers electrical bursts or a Refractor Field that shuts down incoming ranged damage.

Along with the new class, there’s a live event and a host of fresh threats. Players can tackle relic retrieval missions to earn faction-specific buffs and loot. On the opposing side, Scab and Dreg Vanguards have joined the fray with destroyable shields that make them a genuine nuisance to clear. Additionally, the AI for Pack Masters and their Pox Hound companions has been tuned to be more aggressive and mobile.

The Skitarii Alpha Primus launch has sent both the sales ranking and the concurrent player count for Warhammer 40,000: Darktide into the stratosphere. The base game is sitting at 2nd place, the DLC at 4th, and it hit a peak of 56,866 concurrent players—the highest number since 2023.

However, the player reception for the DLC is currently 'Mixed (68% Positive)'. While the customization and build variety are getting a thumbs up, technical gremlins are biting back. Players are reporting broken skills and the game’s notorious server lag—which is particularly lethal when you’re trying to land precise shots with the Skitarii. There’s also the immersion-breaking annoyance that, despite being an elite tech-priest soldier, your character is still addressed as a 'prisoner' or 'vagabond' in campaign dialogue.

Elsewhere in the charts, Path of Exile 2 saw its peak concurrent players dip by another 10,000 to 168,400, sliding down to 9th place. Warframe has slipped out of the top 20, replaced by Stardew Valley, while Slay the Spire 2 managed to climb up one spot.