SEGA and Games Workshop presented us with a challenge we've been looking forward to for years. Leading this extensive modernization of a truly beloved 2011 cult classic – Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine.

Reintroduced as the Master Crafted Edition, we remastered the title to meet the expectations of today’s players – technically, artistically, and experientially.

The opportunity to lead this project came after years of successful collaborations with some of the industry’s biggest companies. Already trusted within SEGA’s network, we’re proud to say that SneakyBox grew to become the ideal partner for a high-stakes IP relaunch like this.

"Partnerships like this are built on mutual understanding, strategic thinking, and clear communication. We commit to projects fully. For us, it's more than outsourcing – it’s co-creating."
– Liudas Ubarevičius, CEO of SneakyBox

Key Enhancements & Modernization

The team approached the modernization of Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine – Master Crafted Edition as a full-scale restoration, not just a remaster. The original game, built for 32-bit systems using DirectX 9, required extensive reengineering to meet modern technical standards.

Engine Port and Architecture Upgrade

What began as a straightforward update quickly evolved into digital archaeology.

The original engine only supported 32-bit operating systems, with code written assuming fixed 4-byte pointer sizes. Our engineering team meticulously combed through the codebase, modifying it to work with both 4-byte and 8-byte pointers.

To ensure thoroughness, we developed a clever detection method—requesting high-range memory addresses that would cause 4-byte pointers to overflow, revealing potential issues we could then address.

Third-party integration presented unique challenges. For the Havok physics engine, we discovered custom code written by Relic that never made it back to the main library. Rather than struggling with a problematic update, we ported the existing library to Xbox—a solution that required minimal changes with crucial support from Havok's team.

The Wwise audio engine update was more straightforward, though it required careful reimplementation of deprecated APIs that needed various fixes discovered during the audio mastering phase.

We migrated the entire rendering pipeline from DirectX 9 to DirectX 12, creating an internal abstraction layer for the graphics device rather than attempting a direct 1:1 implementation (which would have been impossible in many cases).

On Xbox Series X|S, we used precompiled shaders tailored to the platform’s Instruction Set Architecture (ISA) and addressed a few minor Direct3D 12 API differences.

Build System Rework

The original build process was very inefficient - a complete build took approximately 20 hours on modern hardware due to its single-threaded nature and reliance on distributing tasks across multiple machines.

We redesigned this system to leverage multi-core processing on a single machine, with a robust fallback mechanism for handling rare file access conflicts. This overhaul dramatically reduced build times and enabled our continuous integration system to deliver daily builds across multiple PC platforms for QA testing.

Visual Asset Overhaul

A substantial part of the project involved upgrading in-game textures from the original 512px base resolution to 2048px and 4096px, dramatically increasing visual fidelity. Where possible, we returned to the original high-poly sculpts to regenerate normal maps, enhancing surface detail and realism for models and environments.

The restoration process required reviving proprietary custom tools originally created for 3Ds Max 2011 and adapting them for 3Ds Max 2024 - a 13-year technological gap. We began by exporting existing assets with minor modifications to prove the concept before advancing to creating entirely new assets. The higher minimum hardware requirements gave us freedom to enrich environments with additional VFX, decals, and dressing items without sacrificing performance.

Ork Clan Modernization & Lore Alignment

Since the release of the original game in 2011, Warhammer 40,000 lore has significantly evolved, particularly regarding the Ork faction. In the current lore, Orks now belong to specific clans with unique characteristics and appearances.

Working closely with Games Workshop, we undertook the significant task of modernizing all Ork enemies to represent the ruthless Goff clan, known for their love of brutal close-quarters combat.

This comprehensive rework wasn't merely cosmetic - it represented a fundamental alignment with current Warhammer canon, enhancing authenticity for dedicated fans while introducing newer players to the rich faction diversity of the 40K universe. Every Ork model in the game received this treatment, creating a cohesive enemy faction that reflects the current state of the IP.

Combat and Enemy Variety Enhancements

To complement the Ork clan rework and address the repetitive nature of enemy encounters in the original game, we expanded combat variety with:

• 12 new Ork Boy variants, each showcasing the distinctive Goff clan aesthetic.
• A dynamic random spawn system ensuring that even replaying the same encounter feels fresh, as different Ork variants appear each time.
• Over 100 new voice lines recorded by three voice actors, bringing personality and variety to every Ork encounter.

"Orks aren't just enemies – they're characters. Their crude charm had to come through in every grunt and shout."
– Vaidas Mikelskas, Producer

User Interface & HUD Modernization

The original UI was built in Scaleform, a Flash-based system discontinued in 2018 and incompatible with DirectX 12. We completely rebuilt every interface element using Gameface, a modern HTML/CSS-based middleware that leverages web technologies for superior scaling and visual fidelity.

We undertook a full and comprehensive redesign:

• Full UI rebuild from the ground up, covering menus, HUD, pause screens, and mission prompts.
• Transition from raster images to vectorized graphics, allowing perfect scaling at any resolution.
• Creation of 300+ new 2D assets, from icons and reticles to updated achievement and challenge visuals.
• Complete reconstruction of the Wargear customizer with a modernized flow, enabling faster and more efficient Marine customization while preserving the essence of the original.
• Enhanced control device detection that instantly updates UI elements to reflect the player's active input method.

Our goal was to create a UI that feels native on every platform: effortlessly readable, useful, and modern, without losing the charm of the source material or distracting from gameplay. We hope returning players experience hints of the original design while benefiting from the improvements that come with current usability standards.

Controller Support Enhancement

The original PC version only supported XInput devices with clunky implementation that required manual activation. We've expanded support to a wide range of controllers with seamless hot-swapping - no configuration required beyond simply plugging in and playing.

DualSense and DualShock controllers were integrated through Sony's official library, enabling proper rumble effect synchronization with Wwise and laying groundwork for potential future DualSense-specific features.

Audio Remastering

Our audio engineer upgraded the Wwise implementation to fully support surround sound, allowing the chaos of battle to envelop players from all directions. The remaster includes refined UI sounds, carefully balanced Ork voice frequencies, and enhanced reverb effects in select environments to maximize immersion for those using home theater sound systems.

Crossplay Integration

We enabled full crossplay across PC and Xbox to futureproof multiplayer and expand the player base. This required building custom back-end systems and reworking how player sessions are discovered and synced in-game, especially given the different requirements of each platform's online infrastructure. This helps prolong the life of the online community through accessibility.

Looking Ahead

Our work on Space Marine – Master Crafted Edition is already shaping how we approach new projects, both original titles and collaborations. With a wide range of skills, the team at SneakyBox is skilled in releasing and supporting video games on all major platforms - honouring the past while pushing toward the future. More importantly, it’s contributing to the growth and credibility of Lithuania’s game development scene on the global stage. We’re beyond proud to be a part of it.

TECHNOLOGIES AND TOOLS

Game engine: Proprietary engine
Languages: C++, Lua
IDE: Visual Studio 2019/2022
Assets Used:

• Proprietary level editor - environment updates
• Blender - 3D asset upscaling
• WWise - remastering Audio
• Gameface - UI
• Plastic SCM - repository