Warhammer: Vermintide 2 - Winds of Magic expands the co-op action experience of the base game with a new enemy faction and additional layers of challenge. Released as the first major expansion, it introduces Beastmen as grotesque hybrids of humans and beasts who willingly serve Chaos and seek to bring carnage to the Empire. The story centers on a meteor crash in Reikland that draws these savage warriors from the Reikwald forest toward a Herdstone, forcing the five heroes to intervene before disaster unfolds.
Gameplay
The core loop remains focused on intense melee combat against hordes in a Warhammer fantasy setting, now augmented by encounters with Beastmen. These new foes combine human intelligence with animal cunning and appear across existing maps when the host owns the expansion. Players can quickplay into sessions featuring them, adding variety to standard runs without requiring a dedicated session.
Five new weapons expand the arsenal, one tailored to each hero. Kerillian gains a shield and spear for defensive options. Sienna wields a flaming flail to channel her fire magic in close quarters. Bardin receives throwing axes for ranged precision. Saltzpyre equips a billhook for versatile strikes. Kruber takes up a heavy spear suited to thrusting attacks. A separate progression system tied to the expansion offers Winds of Magic-specific advancement and Weave Forged weapon variants that provide distinct upgrades.
Cataclysm difficulty returns in a tougher form, demanding precise coordination and resource management during prolonged fights. Beastmen encounters emphasize their malice toward order, with groups that exploit terrain and numbers to overwhelm the team.
Game Modes
The expansion centers on the Winds of Magic game mode, a set of escalating challenges built around the eight Winds of Magic. Each weave combines a section of an existing adventure map, a specific wind that alters enemy behavior or environmental effects, a defined objective, and a finale encounter if the objective succeeds. Difficulty scales progressively across the weaves, testing endurance and adaptability in shorter, focused sessions.
A new adventure level called Dark Omens pits players against Beastmen in a dedicated environment filled with hills and high ground that favors enemy archers. This level integrates into the standard rotation and stands out for its verticality and demanding layout on higher difficulties.
Beastmen also integrate into the broader game as an optional faction on legacy maps, allowing hosts to enable them for quickplay or custom sessions. This blends the new content with established maps without altering the fundamental co-op structure.
New Enemies and Progression
Beastmen stand apart from prior foes through their hybrid nature and willingness to embrace Chaos. They lack compassion and prioritize bloody destruction, creating encounters that reward awareness of flanking and ranged threats. Their presence on multiple maps extends the expansion's impact beyond the dedicated mode and level.
The dedicated progression system encourages repeated play in the Winds of Magic weaves. Weave Forged weapons reward investment with enhanced capabilities suited to the mode's modifiers. This system operates independently from the base game's career and item tracks, providing a focused path for players who enjoy the new challenges.
Is It Worth Playing?
Warhammer: Vermintide 2 - Winds of Magic suits players who already enjoy the base game's co-op horde combat and seek additional enemy variety along with steeper difficulty spikes. The Beastmen faction and new weapons add meaningful options to team compositions, while the Winds of Magic mode delivers structured, escalating objectives that differ from standard adventures.
Community reception on the expansion itself has been mixed, with many noting the increased challenge as engaging yet the new mode's structure as occasionally frustrating due to its grind elements. The base game continues to receive updates and additional careers, keeping the overall experience active years after the expansion's 2019 release. Those drawn to precise melee coordination and Warhammer-themed combat will find the added content extends the lifespan for dedicated groups, particularly on Cataclysm difficulty.
- Beastmen integrate into existing maps for broader variety.
- Winds of Magic weaves scale in difficulty with unique modifiers.
- Dark Omens provides a focused Beastmen-themed adventure.
