fbpx JOIN LOGIN JOIN

Will FFG Return As a Warhammer Licensee?

gw logo new long

There is much speculation going around that Fantasy Flight Games may not be returning as a Warhammer Licensee for Games Workshop. Come see the latest!

GW was at the  2016 Licensing Trade Show and Expo in Las Vegas, where over 5000 different brands will be on hand selling the rights to their Intellectual Property, this summer for the first time, and a lot of us took notice.

They were selling licenses to their IP for new products there, but curiously it looks like they may have been trying to sell some that Fantasy Flight Games currently has as well.

Now one site is reporting that there is much speculation that Fantasy Flight Games may NOT be returning as a licensee for Games Workshop:

Source Enworld

Right now, speculation is that Fantasy Flight Games have lost the licensing to the Warhammer and Warhammer 40K franchises from Games Workshop. An unconfirmed source has told EN World that the license is, in fact, ended, but as of the time of publication no official word from either Fantasy Flight Games or Games Workshop have confirmed this information.

The PDFs for the Warhammer Fantasy Role-Play and Warhammer 40K role-playing lines have been removed as being for sale from the Fantasy Flight Games pages on the OneBookShelf sites.

Keep that in mind as we re-examine our exclusive coverage from the Licensing Trade show this summer:

First off An anonymous source sent pictures of GW’s booth at the event, and their “offerings”.

2016-06-22_1400

2016-06-22_1402

Both myself and another gaming site editor both though that it was strange that GW included the fury of Dracula and Talisman in their display at the time, because they are currently licensed to Fantasy Flight Games (see above pic).

Here what properties they had up for license at the show with know licensed properties to FFG in red:

Brands (17)

  • Battlefleet Gothic
  • Blood Bowl
  • Dark Future
  • Dawn of War
  • Dreadfleet
  • Fury of Dracula
  • Horus Heresy
  • Inquisitor
  • Man ‘O’ War
  • Mordheim
  • Necromunda
  • Space Hulk
  • Talisman
  • Warhammer 40,000
  • Warhammer Age of Sigmar
  • Warhammer Fantasy Battle
  • Warhammer Quest

Now remember GW just cited in their trading update for FY 2015 that they expected to post higher profits due to extra income from licenses!  So you have to imagine that this show is super important to them to help with their overall sales goals for FY 2016, as they look to reboot Age of Sigmar, and head into another possible edition of Warhammer 40k.

And it could have also been even more important going forward if indeed Fantasy Flight Games will not be picking up the license to these games as well.

While all this remains pure speculation at this time also consider this, FFG’s GenCon booth was all about the launch of THEIR new miniatures game this year, Runewars that looks to be a combination of the classic tabletop feel with X-wing style dials and maneuvers:

rwm01_box_left

Fantasy Flight Games is proud to announce RuneWars: The Miniatures Game, a new two-player miniatures game of epic, rank-and-file warfare set in the realm of Terrinoth!

rwm01_layout

For years, the armies of Waiqar the Undying have stayed within their borders, launching only minor raids across the border. But now, a nameless threat stirs within the Mistlands, and legions of undead cross into the realm of Terrinoth under Waiqar’s command! The Daqan Lords have sounded the call to war, and their finest generals lead armies of warriors and golems to take up defensive positions in the border territory of Roth’s Vale. The first battles of the next great war are about to begin. 

At this time neither companies are commenting officially, but I doubt this is the last we’ll hear on this topic for sure.

UPDATE: FFG & GW End Their Business Relationship

Time to finish out those RPG Wish Lists?

About the Author: Rob Baer

Virginia Restless, Miniature Painter & Cat Dad. I blame LEGOs. There was something about those little-colored blocks that started it all... Twitter @catdaddymbg