What are Penances and How to Complete Them in Warhammer 40K Darktide?

Warhammer 40K: Darktide is a fantastic mad rush of bludgeoning and bashing as you charge your way through hordes of the Chaos filth. Joining up with three others, there is very little standing in your way as you crush through. As you explore the menus and the features of the game, you may have come across the Penances screen, full of tasks and rewards. What are these Penances, and how do you complete them?

What are the Penances in Warhammer 40K: Darktide?

Penances in Warhammer 40K: Darktide are an interesting thematic twist on the achievement menus of other games. Due to being “criminals”, the heroic feats in action aren’t glorious achievements, but you trying to crawl back from your sins. Each Penance you complete isn’t a display of your skills, but a service to the God-Emperor of humanity.

Without the thematic meaning and visuals, however, the Penance menu is simply a set of achievements that you can gain and accomplish as you play, some being class-specific. You can earn the Penances across all of your characters, as your Penance points are tied to your account, not your characters. So you can create and delete characters as you please without impeding on your Penances.

Related: Warhammer 40,000: Darktide Optimization Guide (Best Settings)

Each Penance has values associated with them; the more you complete the more points you will get. The number of Penance Points you have is more of a display of your skill than anything practical.

Why complete them?

So, if the points just add up for the sake of flaunting your skills, why care about actively pursuing them?

Well, some of the Penances give cosmetic rewards. With those Penances, you can click on them to expand them to see the reward you would get. If you want class-specific rewards, then complete the class-specific Penances.

Some Penances will reward you for completing a handful of other Penances, rewarding you with a great cosmetic to signify your great deeds.

So, in other words, completing the Penances gives you a whole load of style.

Keep an eye on Gamer Journalist for more gaming and Warhammer 40K: Darktide content, such as how to claim the Imperial Edition skins.