Fatshark has finally announced the new class for Darktide, which they briefly teased during their 10 Years of Tide event a few weeks ago, and the community is a bit puzzled at the upcoming addition. Darktides’ newest class is the Hive Scum, coming to Darktide on December 2, 2025.
The New Darktide Class
Hive City Tertium is, of course, littered with as much trash as it is with people, so while it does make sense that there are thousands, if not more, able-bodied people willing to fight for the planet, is it something the community wants, or are fans too quick to judge?
Previously, we theorized that one of the potential classes coming to Darktide could be the Ratling, which would fit a sniper archetype, based on voice lines mainly spoken by the Veteran. Looking back, the Veteran already covers this archetype. When designing new classes, the developers have begun looking at the archetypes and playstyles already in Darktide, so adding a class that’s a bit too similar to another would cause some overlap.
“[…] so we have the Zealot as an aggressive melee character, but we don’t necessarily have an overly aggressive ranged character that, you know, hovers in close range, almost where other classes would opt into using a melee weapon.” ~ Teodor
While it may not be what the Warhammer community initially expected, Interrogator Rannick is the type that wants his Tertium problem dealt with without drawing too many outside eyes or forces, for whatever reason. So it’s totally within reason that he would rather impoly the thousands of Hive Scum already living in Atoma, than calling for judgmental aid.
Tertium Is Full of Scum
To help separate the Hive Scum from the rest of the rejects, they are bringing a brand new mechanic to the table in the form of Chem Toxin. Similar to Burn or Bleed from Vermintide 2, it’s a damage-over-time effect that the Hive Scum will apply through various ways.
We also know the Hive Scum’s three archetypes! The Gunslinger, Ruffian, and Chemist. The Gunslinger focuses on overwhelming close-range firepower, fitting that run-and-gun playstyle. The Ruffian focuses on mobility, dodging, and going all in on melee. Both of these archetypes allow for lots of mobility and rely on dodging more than other classes, making them one of the more slippery classes. Lastly, Chemist focuses on Chem Toxin mechanics and also buffs your Stimms, both found in missions and from the Stimm Lab.
If you want to know more about each archetype, and some of their talents and abilities, you can read the full blog here.
The New Stimm Lab
Speaking of Stimms, a new Stimm Lab is being added to Darktide. Thanks to the Hive Scum’s underworld connections, the members of the Mourningstar will now be able to craft their own custom Stimms.
Just like the main talent tree, you gain 1 point to spend in the Stimm Lab for every level, picking different bonuses to add to your Cartel Special. Players who opt to make their custom Stimms in the Lab will start each mission with their Stimm equipped and will be unable to use any Stimms found in missions.
But don’t worry, the Cartel Special Stimm will recharge on its own, and its cooldown depends on how many points you’ve spent in the Stimm Lab—the more powerful the effect, the longer the cooldown.
It’s also worth noting that this mechanic is optional: By not selecting any upgrades in the Stimm Lab, your Hive Scum will be able to use normal Stimms like the other classes. At the time of writing, it seems only the Hive Scum can use the New Stimm Lab, but maybe this will change in the future.
But what do you think of the new Hive Scum class? Are you excited for what it brings to the table, or do you still want something else? Be sure to let us know and keep an eye on our other games section for more news.
