Boltgun 2 is a hunt for Vashtorr the Arkifane: you purge Chaos corruption across several worlds to weaken the daemonic machine that powers him, then face him in a final showdown. The story picks up straight after the first Boltgun, and the ending is the same whichever missions you choose along the way.
What Is the Story of Boltgun 2?
The sequel follows directly from the end of Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun. In the first game, Malum Caedo put down a Chaos uprising on the Forge World Graia, finishing work Captain Titus had started. Now the threat is bigger: Vashtorr, a daemonic demigod, is behind a new surge of Chaos, and his machine draws power from the corruption spreading across the worlds you visit.
Your job is to cleanse that corruption planet by planet, weakening the machine until Vashtorr can be confronted and driven back into the Warp. Along the way you fight forces of all four Chaos gods, Nurgle, Tzeentch, Khorne and Slaanesh, and on some planets the Death Korps of Krieg fight beside you.
Who Do You Play as in the Story?
You pick one hero at the start and play the whole campaign with them:
- Malum Caedo, an Ultramarine Sternguard Veteran and the hero of the first game.
- Nyra Veyrath, a Celestian of the Adepta Sororitas, the Sisters of Battle.
The Boltgun 2 characters page compares the two and their voice actors.
How Does the Campaign Story Unfold?
The campaign branches, so the order of planets depends on your choices. After Chapter 1, you choose between two destinations on the planet Novoza:
- There Is Only War: an arid region where the Astra Militarum is fighting Slaanesh worshippers.
- Nurgle's Nightmare: a rainforest overrun by a Nurgle infestation, where clearing the corruption helps weaken Vashtorr's machine.
Settings range from the heights of a hive city to jungle mangrove swamps and finally the inside of Vashtorr's Ark of Omen. Choosing one branch leaves the other for a later run; see Boltgun 2 levels for how the branches split.
Which Bosses Lead to Vashtorr?
The boss fights build toward Vashtorr in this order:
- Lord of Skulls
- Keeper of Secrets
- Vashtorr, the first encounter
- Lord of Change
- Vashtorr's Gauntlet
- Vashtorr, the final fight
The final battle takes place on a giant elevator. Destroy the healing pylons around the arena first, or Vashtorr keeps recovering while his thralls press in. Mick Gordon's guest track plays during this fight.
What Happens at the End of Boltgun 2?
Spoilers for the final cutscene follow.
After Vashtorr falls, the ending cutscene shows Nyra standing in the middle of a daemon horde, shouting "Come, fiends! My faith shall never be broken!"
A burst of warp energy follows, then a shot of a cracked, burning planet in space.
The last scene settles on a Death Korps of Krieg trooper standing among the ruins before the game returns control.
These scenes come from Nyra's ending. Your mission choices do not change it, so you see the same ending no matter which branches you took.
Where Does Boltgun 2 Fit in Warhammer 40,000 Lore?
Vashtorr comes from the Arks of Omen storyline, where he is a daemonic ally of Abaddon. He rules the Soul Forges, turning mortal souls into fuel for his industry and binding daemons into engines such as Soul Grinders. Because all four Chaos gods rely on what he builds, he holds a powerful place among them, which is why Boltgun 2 has you face forces of every god on the way to him.
With the story covered, the Boltgun 2 enemies page explains how to deal with each faction you meet before the final fight.