Will a new edition of 40k go like the End Times of Fantasy? Check out our thoughts on what could happen with 8th edition Warhammer 40k!
There has been a lot of rumors over the past day or so about a new edition of 40k. Some folks say this is happening this fall, others are saying it’s not. No one seems to know specific details, other then it’s pretty much safe to assume that the whole 5 minutes to midnight storyline is at least moving forward in some fashion.
8th Edition 40k Rumors
Personally I think there’s two ways to take this news; the first being OMG the skies are falling, and the second is to embrace it and have faith that Games Workshop knows what they’re doing as of late.
I think we can all agree the Games Workshop is mostly cognizant of the problems relating to Age of Sigmar last summer and are attempting to fix them currently. So I feel like it’s safe to say that not they’re just not gonna “End Times” Warhammer 40k so to speak, which makes me think that there’s two schools of thought that bear examination here:
The first notion is that they are going to put out a new rules set for the Battle of Vedros that new starter game that’s aimed at recruiting and targeting new players in big-box stores.
As we’ve seen the new Ork rules that were posted on GW’s Facebook those rules are a more watered-down version of Warhammer 40k. And to be quite honest these rules may be what some folks have heard is coming out this fall, as they are technically a real rules set for Warhammer 40k as far as any of us can tell.
The second school of thought is that it would be a more simplified, streamlined version of 40k – sort of how they standardized all the Universal Special Rules a few editions ago. A new 8th Edition wouldn’t really be a new version of 40k per ce, it would be more streamlined as to how detachments and formations work, and specific requirements therein.
I don’t think anybody out there can disagree with the statement that it’s even harder now to get in the Warhammer 40k than it was in years past. I suppose this can be true in part because of the number of supplements Games Workshop has been releasing since 2014. It almost seems like currently it’s a scavenger hunt to try to track down all the particular rules for any given faction these days.
For instance the new Space Marines Codex came out about a year ago with 150 pages, and now today with all the supplements that have been released in just one year – that same book would now clock in at around 200 pages!
And that’s not even counting codicies who don’t have a good base book itself like: Tyranids! Good luck tracking down all their current rules if you’re starting to collect them right?
So I conclusion, speaking purely from my heart, I can say that I honestly feel like Games Workshop is doing their market research, listening, and watching for the trends to see what works and what doesn’t work . I also feel that any new addition of Warhammer 40k will not be anything drastic and will support and help to organize the myriad of supplements currently in circulation.
Check out my article from last week about how the hobby seems to be trending upwards according to Google:
GW’s Marketing – Do They Secretly Know What They’re Doing?
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About the Author: Rob Baer
Rob Baer
Job Title: Managing Editor
Founded Spikey Bits in 2009
Socials: Rob Baer on Facebook and @catdaddymbg on X
About Rob Baer: Founder, Publisher, & Managing Editor of Spikey Bits, the leading tabletop gaming news website focused on the hobby side of wargaming and miniatures.
Rob also co-founded and currently hosts the Long War Podcast, which has over 350 episodes and focuses on tabletop miniatures gaming, specializing in Warhammer 40k. and spent six years writing for Bell of Lost Souls.
Every year, along with his co-hosts, he helps host the Long War 40k Doubles Tournament at Adepticon and the Long War 40k Doubles at Las Vegas Open, which attracts over 350 players from around the world.
Rob has won many Warhammer 40k Tournaments over the years, including multiple first-place finishes in Warhammer 40k Grand Tournaments over the years and even winning 1st place at the Adepticon 40k Team Tournament.
With over 30 years of experience in retail and distribution, Rob knows all the products and exactly which ones are the best. As a member of GAMA (Game Manufacturers Association), he advocates for gaming stores and manufacturers in these difficult times, always looking for the next big thing to feature for the miniatures hobby, helping everyone to provide the value consumers want.
While he’s played every edition of Warhammer 40k and Warhammer Fantasy (since 5th Edition) and has been hobbying on miniatures since the 1980s, Titans of all sizes will always be his favorite! It’s even rumored that his hobby vault rivals the Solemnance Galleries, containing rulebooks filled with lore from editions long past, ancient packs of black-bordered Magic Cards, and models made of both pewter and resin.
