XBLA tie-ins are a great way to build hype for an upcoming release. The tactic has been used by two large games recently: Dead Space 2 and Dead Rising 2. The next title to offer a downloadable appetizer will be Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine by way of the newly-announced Warhammer 40,000: Kill Team from THQ. The genres are different – Space Marine is an FPS while Kill Team is a third-person shooter – but Kill Team will serve to introduce new players to the Warhammer Universe without needing to make a $60 investment.

For the low cost of 800 points, Warhammer 40,000: Kill Team allows players to assume control of a space marine attempting to stop an Ork Kroozer on its way to an Imperial Forge World. Four classes are available: Sternguard Veterans and Techmarines are ranged fighters while Vanguard Veterans and Librarians are melee combatants.

Warhammer 40,000: Kill Team will be available this July and supports two-player split-screen. No announcement has been made regarding online play, but the cooperative nature and four character classes make Kill Team a natural fit for cooperative play over Live.