We recently hosted an AMA about the new Archetype and Origin coming in Lex Imperialis — and we were thrilled to see so many thoughtful and creative questions from you. Our game designer, Ilia Politko, took the time to answer them all with great enthusiasm — here’s a look at what he had to say!


Q: It was mentioned shotguns are getting reworked to cost 1AP. Any other weapons having adjustments?
A: No — just shotguns. We really wanted to make them a valid, satisfying weapon choice, and in the hands of a seasoned Arbites, they should now truly shine.
Q: Arbitrator Solomon Vhyr's Armor currently adds “perplexed” to criminal enemies on hit. Will there be an expansion or rework for this armor in the Arbites content?
A: No — the armor will stay more or less as it is in DLC2.
Q: Was there a reason the team chose to go the pet route for Arbites? Were other directions considered?
A: Absolutely, there were — and will be — other ideas! For Lex Imperialis, we felt the familiar archetype had been long overdue. And honestly, it’s hard to imagine a seasoned Arbites without their trusty R-VR unit by their side. Where there's one steel companion — others follow.
As for Arbites as an origin — once we centered the expansion around the Imperial Tithe, we simply couldn’t leave the Arbites out. Everyone loves a good Judge Dredd moment — and this was our chance to deliver that fantasy. After several rounds of discussion, the team agreed that the Arbites would work best as a new origin.
Q: Overseer sounds like it will nuke balance, especially the psyber raven. Are there any challenges designed with that in mind?
A: Maybe! We’ve definitely taken player feedback from Void Shadows encounters into account. In Lex Imperialis, the Rogue Trader will face a wide variety of foes with varying levels of lethality. But of course, an experienced player with a perfect build can still walk through anything.


Q: Will there be any Astartes-sized Arbites (or otherwise) equipment? I wish to give the wolf a big shield.
A: Sadly, no — neither Astartes nor xenos companions can equip Arbites gear or shields. Not exactly made for them.
Q: Curious what kind of role we’ll play in local law enforcement. Would be cool to have some bounties to turn into the Arbites! Also can’t wait to see the Arbites companion react to the Rogue Trader’s House of Xenos/Horrors!
A: No spoilers on how House von Valancius has (or hasn’t) interacted with the Arbites — you’ll find that out yourselves. But rest assured, the new companion will definitely have thoughts about the Rogue Trader’s… choices. Not all of them will be kind.
Q: Is the Arbites another “Dogmatic till Death” type character, or can we still get them on a Heretic run?
A: Much like Kibellah from Void Shadows, Solomorne can show surprising levels of… adaptability once he joins the Rogue Trader’s crew

Q: Will the Overseer be viable for all archetypes? Operative felt lackluster for Executioner, with little synergy. Will we see Operative buffs (or reverted nerfs)?
A: Absolutely — the Overseer was deliberately designed as our most hybrid-friendly archetype, meant to adapt to a wide range of playstyles, origins, and tier-one archetypes. Each familiar is built to have a strong synergy with either the character’s origin or their previous archetype.
For example, a character with a Psyker origin who chooses the Psyber-Raven familiar can finally expand their psychic abilities without being locked into progressing only through their origin tree.
As for Operative — there are no updates planned for that archetype at the moment.
Q: Will the other (forgotten) origins get some touch ups? Naval Officer, Noble, and Astra Militarum Commander are pretty lackluster.
A: No updates planned for other origins at this time.

Q: How does the Arbites Origin compare in power level to the Sanctioned Psyker?
A: We were very cautious when designing this new origin — we didn’t want to unleash another Sanctioned Psyker. Not that it’s a bad thing — let’s be honest, half the team picked that origin themselves — but the Koronus Expanse really couldn’t handle two of them!
Q: There’s a lot of focus on Coercion for the Arbites. Will there be talents that turn that into combat utility?
A: Absolutely. The Arbites origin taps into Coercion in both abilities and talents.

Q: Since the Ar-bi-tes (pls do not call them bites like to bite makes dog sounds) are WE ARE THE LAW FBI Like — will we get special roleplay options, or is it purely mechanical?
A: Of course! We loved seeing how players responded to increased reactivity in Void Shadows — and both the Arbites origin and (especially!) Overseer archetype open up new roleplay interactions. Definitely worth another playthrough just for that.

Q: Will Overseer, like Bladedancer, get a unique weapon and gear set? Also hoping for more Judge Dredd-style dialogue for Arbites.
A: The Overseer archetype will get access to an entirely new type of equipment designed specifically for familiars. And yes — if you want to roleplay as a true enforcer of the law, the Arbites origin has got your back.
Q: Which cyber pet is your favorite and why?
A: Good question! Personally, it’s the Psyber-Raven — good old faithful familiar. But the team seems to lean toward the Cyber-Mastiff R-VR… Well, what did you expect — they're dog lovers.
Q: Will we get new space battles or ship mechanics in this DLC?
A: Yes — though keep in mind, Lex Imperialis has a very different core focus.