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Warhammer 40,000: Gladius - Relics of War

Warhammer 40,000: Gladius - Relics of War

Proxy Studios · released Jul 12, 2018

StrategyPC

Warhammer 40,000: Gladius, Relics of War brings you to a world of terror and violence. Four factions will engage in a brutal war for dominance over the planet’s resources. In the first turn-based 4X strategy game set in Warhammer 40,000 you will lead one of four unique factions.

Steam page ↗Metacritic 71 · users 7.1 ↗
76
VGC Score
■Stablehigh confidence

anchored at patch: “1.18.01 - Patch Notes” (2mo ago)

73%
At launch
82%
Steam all-time
71%
Press
73%
Player sentiment
85%
Recent sentiment

Screenshots & trailers

Review sentiment over time

Weekly positive-review rate (green) and review volume (bars). Dashed lines mark significant patches; the amber line is the start of the current scoring window. Hover the dots to see what drove a dip or a jump.

How this score was computed

The VGC Score is a weighted blend on a press-comparable 0-100 quality scale. Steam approval rates are first calibrated (95% positive on Steam ≈ 89.5 quality, since Steam approval skews high). Press and tracked creator reviews each count ~2x a player review and share one cap against player evidence (creator buy/skip calls pool into an approval rate, calibrated like Steam approval); all-time sentiment is capped and halved (it's context, not verdict); reviews of the current build carry the most weight when a fresh patch anchors the window; and a 'typical game' prior keeps small samples from pegging the scale. Because press reviews and Metacritic user aggregates describe the launch build, their weight decays as the game ages (3-year half-life after a 1-year grace). That's how a game that launched rough can outgrow its old reception once updates win players over. Reviews under 2h playtime (the refund window), non-Steam activations, and free copies are downweighted.

ComponentPositiveQuality (0-100)Weight (pseudo-reviews)
Press reviews (Metacritic)–718
Creator reviews (1 tracked)–700
All-time Steam reviews82%761000
Metacritic user ratings–737
Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted)85%78300
Calibration prior (typical game)–7250

Scoring window: since the last significant patch (Jun 11, 2026) · 300 reviews sampled · 153 total reviews in window · weighted 94.4 up / 16.7 down · computed 3h ago · full methodology →

Press & Creators reviews (24)

Individual verdicts from outlets we track: scored reviews first, most trusted outlets first among them. The small badge is each outlet's trust score: how well its scoring history aligns with players.

  • 70
    The Angry Joe ShowThe Angry Joe Show
    trust 72CreatorJul 19, 2018
    read full review ↗
  • 70
    GameWatcherGameWatcher
    trust 69Jul 9, 2018

    “A pretty and novel use of the 40K license, brought down by uninspired design and plain bad game balance.”

    read full review ↗
  • 68
    Worth PlayingWorth Playing
    trust 67Jan 2, 2019

    “Performance issues, counterintuitive visual design, and lackluster sound are prevalent concerns. It makes for a strategy game that is so close to succeeding but falls short of something special. After spending roughly 30 hours with Gladius and getting familiar with each of the factions, I'm comfortable recommending the game to fans of the genre who are desperate for something new or for those looking for a 4X game they can enjoy at a more relaxed pace. What's more relaxing than smashing Space Marine skulls on a Saturday morning with a maxed-out Warboss? Waaaaaghhh!”

    read full review ↗
  • 50
    GameGrinGameGrin
    trust 65Sep 13, 2018

    “An interesting premise ultimately let down by poor execution and a lack of depth seen in most every other game in the genre.”

    read full review ↗
  • 61
    PC GamerPC Gamer
    trust 64Jul 13, 2018

    “A plodding and predictable 4X strategy game that's relaxing in its own way, but rarely challenging.”

    read full review ↗
  • 60
    FandomFandom
    trust 63Jul 18, 2018

    “Under-cooked is actually a really good way to describe Warhammer 40,000: Gladius, Relics of War. It’s got all these good ideas, but they’re not combined in the right way. There are loads of bugs.”

    read full review ↗
  • 80
    Quarter to Three
    trust 61Aug 27, 2018

    “Too many strategy games mistake detail for design, activity for gameplay. Gladius knows better.”

    read full review ↗
  • 79
    IGNIGN
    trust 61Jul 9, 2018

    “While it didn’t wow me as a competitor to Endless Legend or Civ 6 in the 4X race, there’s a lot of action-saturated, tactically-driven fun to be had when you look at Gladius - Relics of war for what it truly is: a really well-done, turn-based 40K wargame. It’s one of the best turn-based 40K games I’ve played through that lens.”

    read full review ↗
  • 80
    Strategy Gamer
    trust 60Jul 12, 2018

    “Gladius’s attention to combat goes beyond most 4X games, and it works. In the grim darkness of the far future, there is only war.”

    read full review ↗
  • 71
    GameStar
    trust 59Jul 30, 2018

    “Warhammer 40K meets Civilization, but focuses solely on warfare. Only for 40K fans who prefer gameplay to story.”

    read full review ↗
  • 77
    WccftechWccftech
    trust 59Jul 9, 2018

    “Warhammer 40,000: Gladius - Relics of War is a quite enjoyable 4X strategy game set in the Warhammer 40,000 universe, featuring four unique factions, each with its unique campaign, randomly generated maps and an engaging multiplayer mode. With an experience that's focused on war, however, the game can get a bit repetitive after a while, as diplomatic options might have made both single and multiplayer more varied.”

    read full review ↗
  • 59
    Riot Pixels
    trust 56Nov 5, 2018

    “In the dark future, there is only war, but this is not enough for a proper 4X strategy game.”

    read full review ↗

…and 12 more tracked reviews.

Patch history

  1. 1.18.01 - Patch Notes
    Jun 11, 2026significant · resets scoring window
  2. Warhammer 40,000: Gladius | 1.17.2 - Patch Notes
    Jan 21, 2026significant · resets scoring window
  3. Warhammer 40,000: Gladius - 1.17.1 - Patch Notes
    Dec 11, 2025
  4. Warhammer 40,000: Gladius - Rampage Pack out now
    Dec 9, 2025significant · resets scoring window
  5. Update Version 1.16.2
    Jul 29, 2025
  6. Warhammer 40,000: Gladius - 1.16.1 - Patch Notes
    Jun 6, 2025significant · resets scoring window
  7. Warhammer 40,000: Gladius - 1.15.1 - Patch Notes
    Dec 20, 2024significant · resets scoring window
  8. Warhammer 40,000: Gladius - 1.14.3 - Patch Notes
    Nov 21, 2024
  9. Warhammer 40,000: Gladius - 1.14.1 - Patch Notes
    Aug 5, 2024significant · resets scoring window
  10. Warhammer Skulls Festival - Battlesector major update & Gladius Demolition Pack
    May 23, 2024
  11. Warhammer Skulls Festival - Battlesector major update & Gladius Demolition Pack
    May 23, 2024significant · resets scoring window
  12. Warhammer Skulls Festival - Battlesector major update & Gladius Demolition Pack
    May 23, 2024
  13. Warhammer 40,000: Gladius - 1.13.04 - Patch Notes
    Mar 28, 2024significant · resets scoring window
  14. Warhammer 40,000: Gladius - 1.13.03 - Patch Notes
    Mar 19, 2024significant · resets scoring window
  15. Warhammer 40,000: Gladius - 1.12.03 - Patch Notes
    Sep 11, 2023significant · resets scoring window
  16. Warhammer 40,000: Gladius - 1.12.2 - Patch Notes
    Jul 12, 2023significant · resets scoring window
  17. Warhammer 40,000: Gladius - 1.12.1 - Patch Notes
    May 31, 2023significant · resets scoring window
  18. Warhammer 40,000: Gladius - 1.12.0 - Patch Notes
    May 25, 2023significant · resets scoring window
  19. Warhammer 40,000: Gladius - 1.11.4 - Patch Notes
    May 5, 2023significant · resets scoring window
  20. Warhammer 40,000: Gladius - 1.11.3
    Apr 20, 2023significant · resets scoring window
  21. Warhammer 40,000: Gladius - 1.11.2 - Patch Notes
    Mar 30, 2023significant · resets scoring window
  22. Warhammer 40,000: Gladius - v1.10.01 Update
    Jul 18, 2022significant · resets scoring window
  23. Warhammer 40,000: Gladius - v1.10.00 Update
    Jun 1, 2022significant · resets scoring window
  24. Warhammer 40.000: Gladius - Community Update - v.1.9.3
    Mar 15, 2022significant · resets scoring window
  25. Warhammer 40,000: Gladius - v1.9.2 Update
    Dec 3, 2021
  26. Warhammer 40,000: Gladius - v1.9.1 Update
    Nov 26, 2021significant · resets scoring window
  27. Warhammer 40,000: Gladius - v1.9.0 Update
    Nov 22, 2021significant · resets scoring window
  28. Warhammer 40,000: Gladius - v1.8.4 Update
    Aug 24, 2021significant · resets scoring window
  29. Warhammer 40,000: Gladius - v1.8.3 Update
    Jul 13, 2021
  30. Warhammer 40,000: Gladius - v1.8.0 Update, New Specialist Pack DLC and new item
    Jun 3, 2021significant · resets scoring window
  31. Warhammer 40,000: Gladius - v1.7.6 Update
    May 5, 2021significant · resets scoring window
  32. Warhammer 40,000: Gladius - v1.7.5 Update
    Mar 4, 2021significant · resets scoring window
  33. Warhammer 40,000: Gladius - v1.7.4 Update
    Jan 15, 2021significant · resets scoring window
  34. Warhammer 40,000: Gladius - v1.7.3 Update
    Dec 15, 2020significant · resets scoring window
  35. Warhammer 40,000: Gladius - v1.7.2 Update
    Nov 19, 2020significant · resets scoring window
  36. Warhammer 40,000: Gladius - v1.7.0 Update
    Nov 12, 2020significant · resets scoring window
  37. Warhammer 40,000: Gladius - v1.6.4 Update
    Aug 20, 2020significant · resets scoring window
  38. Warhammer 40,000: Gladius - v1.6.2 Update
    Jun 12, 2020significant · resets scoring window
  39. Warhammer 40,000: Gladius - v1.6.1 Update
    Jun 4, 2020significant · resets scoring window
  40. Warhammer 40,000: Gladius - v1.6.0 Update (Skull Altar & Assault Pack DLC)
    May 28, 2020significant · resets scoring window

…and 22 earlier patch announcements.