Warhammer 40,000: Darktide is marking its third anniversary by embracing something appropriately filthy. The Hive Scum Class DLC is officially available across all platforms for $11.99, offering players the chance to crawl out of Tertium’s underbelly and fight for the Imperium… at least until someone offers a better gig. Fatshark’s latest class brings a dirt-slicked blend of dual-wield gunplay, toxic chemistry, and the kind of improvised weaponry you pick up only when you’ve lost a fight with a sump monster.
This is the first class in Darktide to fully dual-wield both pistols and shivs, letting Hive Scum players spin into melee range like a caffeinated blender before unloading bursts of fire at point-blank range. Their custom Stimm system lets you mix your own chemical cocktails, and a toolkit of toxin-coated saws, crowbars, shivs, and makeshift explosives means no skirmish ever stays clean.
The talent tree is built around fast, chaotic brawling. Players can lean into glass-jawed hit-and-run assassin builds, explosives-heavy gunner styles, or a hybrid setup that marries blade flurries with bullet storms. Cosmetics play a big role, too. Hive Scum arrive with underhive-authentic tattoos, grimy hairstyles, and face paints – a first for Darktide – plus new premium sets that make your reject look like they’ve survived every bad neighborhood in Tertium.
The Hive Scum Class DLC drops as part of a larger anniversary update, including a fresh mission and a new live event. No Man’s Land sends squads into a never-before-seen area deep beneath the hive, trudging through muddy trenches lit by the distant glow of promethium fires as they investigate heretic activity around the RTX-590 freight line. It’s the kind of miserable front line any proud Guardsman would immediately try to run from.
Later this week, the Atonement Live Event goes live, calling back to the grim decision from the last live event. Players who helped distribute “questionably safe” rations must now make amends by gathering relics and shrine offerings scattered throughout Tertium. Completing the event rewards participants with 500 Aquila and other anniversary goodies.
Other anniversary bonuses include a new Ogryn voice personality performed by fan favorite Tim Bentinck, better known to Vermintide players as Victor Saltzpyre, bringing fresh banter and class-specific lines. Fatshark is also discounting the Arbites Class DLC for the first time, offering a lore-appropriate opportunity for justice-bringers and underhive scoundrels to fight awkwardly side by side.
To cap it all off, Warhammer 40,000: Darktide will be free to play from December 4–8 on all platforms, giving newcomers a perfect chance to see why the Tide series has built a full decade of loyal fans. A limited-time Aquila offer also grants players 4,000 Aquila for just $4.99 – a generous boost whether you’re a fresh reject or a veteran.
With the Hive Scum now in the fight and a truckload of events, updates, and celebrations underway, Darktide’s third anniversary feels less like a milestone and more like a renewed call to arms. The underhive is about to get very loud.
