The Confrontation Update (Patch 14.0) adds two new PvP arenas to Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2, closing out Year 2 of post-launch content. Both maps drop into the Eternal War rotation right now on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC, and they push very different playstyles.
Quick answer: The two new maps are Sanctum, a medium-sized shrine complex on Avarax built around indoor firefights and high-ground control, and Facility, a compact industrial map on Demerium built for fast rotations and close-quarters flanking. They are Eternal War’s sixth and seventh playable arenas.
Sanctum and Facility side by side
The two arenas sit at opposite ends of the design spectrum. Here is how they compare before you queue up.
| Detail | Sanctum | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Setting | Shrine-world of Avarax | Tomb-world of Demerium |
| Size | Medium | One of the smallest maps to date |
| Layout | Corridors, elevated walkways, open shrine chambers | Dense corridors, low-ceiling bays, choke points |
| Best for | High-ground control, structured objective play | Fast rotations, flanking, close-range brawls |
| Sniper value | Limited; mostly indoor sightlines | Very low; interiors block long shots |
Sanctum: shrine walkways and objective control
Sanctum is a medium-sized arena set on the shrine-world of Avarax, and it is built to force teams into high-stakes firefights. It suits objective modes like Seize & Control, where holding ground matters more than picking off stragglers.
The map connects narrow corridors, elevated walkways, and central open chambers. The upper walkways overlook the main capture zones and give long-range players clean lines of sight, but they carry very little hard cover. Sit up there without ground support and you become an easy target for flankers or heavy fire.
The central objectives sit inside spacious shrine rooms with scattered cover, so squads have to hold several angles at once instead of clustering on a single point. Narrow hall passages link the outer spawn areas to the middle, which rewards teams that clear corners before they push.
Because the interiors limit long-distance sightlines, Sanctum leans into short and mid-range combat. Melee-focused classes can close gaps through the tight corridors without getting shredded across open ground. Weapons like the Heavy Bolt Pistol, Melta Rifle, and Combi-Flamers punch hard when clearing fortified rooms, and a Heavy Bolter or Multi-Melta parked at the end of a corridor can shut down enemy rotations entirely.
The backdrop is a gothic imperial shrine complex, with sunken altars, vaulted arches, stained-glass motifs, and towering aquila statues framing every fight.
Facility: compact corridors and breakneck rotations
Facility sits on the ancient tomb-world of Demerium and stands as one of the most compact PvP environments in the game. Where Sanctum is about controlling the high ground, Facility strips out open space in favor of constant movement and tight sightlines.
The layout is an ultra-dense industrial area of interconnected corridors, low-ceiling bays, and choke points that push players into face-to-face fights. The map is small enough that you can cross from one side to the other in seconds, so rotations happen fast.
Long-range sniper rifles struggle here because interior sightlines are so short. The arena favors high-mobility, close-range builds instead. Vanguard and Assault players can use grapple-hooks and jump-pack drops to break enemy formations, while Tactical and Bulwark players with Melta Rifles and Power Swords thrive in the cramped rooms. Heavy Support still has a role, since a Multi-Melta or Heavy Plasma Incinerator can lock down a narrow corridor during a transition.
Speed is the whole point. Because sectors are so close together, a team wipe on Facility leads to an immediate loss of territory. Winning comes down to mastering the rotate-and-pinch pattern rather than digging in and defending a fixed position. The setting is heavy machinery, conduit pipes, and glowing control panels in a dark, claustrophobic space where footsteps and chainsword revs echo off the metal.
PvP progression is now unlocked from Level 1
The update pairs the new maps with a full rework of PvP gear progression. Every weapon and piece of equipment is available immediately, so you no longer have to grind unlocks before you can bring your preferred loadout into Sanctum or Facility.
Two more changes round out Eternal War. Weekly PvP participation rewards let you earn Accolades and cosmetics by playing matches and completing Datavault challenges. An experimental Team Reshuffle option also reorganizes teams after a match based on results, aimed at keeping games balanced. It is flagged as experimental, so expect it to be adjusted.
Both maps and every PvP change are live now as part of the free Confrontation Update. Queue into Eternal War to try Sanctum’s shrine halls and Facility’s tight corridors, and confirm the update is installed by checking that both arenas appear in the map rotation.
