Fatshark, which successfully completed the Darktide redemption arc last year, is not resting on its Inquisitorial laurels; Darktide's latest update, "Secrets of the Machine God," was released earlier today, and the abandoned Adeptus new missions to resurrect the Mechanicus foundry, and new weapon types. If you're not already excited, you should be: it's never a bad time when a tech priest is nearby.

In the new mission "Clandestium Gloriana," the strike team is sent to the abandoned "Foundryplex" - a massive production facility where admechanical technology priests once created legendary wonders that the Inquisition wants to revive for the war effort! The mission is to infiltrate the -. The mission will feature new Fatshark technology, including a mission giver to accompany the player and a different end-of-mission encounter intended to improve replayability. And then there's the Arctic Mission! We all love the Arctic Mission.

As a reward for their efforts, conscripts will enjoy foundry-plex loot in the form of new weapon types. Ogrin's character has a new two-handed pickaxe, which can pierce skulls and wipe out crowds, depending on the type. It's like playing Deep Rock Galactic, but with Big Sizes instead of Dwarf Sizes. Veterans, Zealots, and Psykers, meanwhile, will share three new weapons: a shock maul that can stun enemies and deal damage over time, a double-barreled shotgun for "ultra-close range" combat, and a bolt pistol for less accurate but more mobile firefights.

Secret of the Machine Gods will also feature quality-of-life updates, including an overhaul of the crosshairs to better reflect the spread of shooting and to make it feel more like you are hacking the heretic's weak spot with a combat axe when you are not, and Additions have also been made. Existing weapon and class skill trees have been rebalanced, and Fatshark has implemented a number of adjustments to improve missions based on player feedback. The combat encounters have been reworked in terms of enemy spawns, layout changes, and cover placement, making this an exciting time for would-be inquisitors.

Having not played much Darktide since its release, this update gave me the excuse I needed to unpack Inquisitor for a long overdue return visit. And apparently I'm not the only one. Since the overnight update, the number of Darktide players has increased significantly. If you want to join them and get slammed into a pile of bolters, shovels, and knives, "Secrets of the Machine God" is now available.