Is 9th Edition Warhammer 40k really happening? Here’s something we noticed hidden in plain sight that may point to something big on the way from GW.
Rumors of a pseudo-9th edition have been popping up for a while now. While rumors continue to pop up, there is something else that may be hidden in plain sight that can’t quite be classified as a “rumor”, however, it adds weight to what may be coming nonetheless. Check out the earlier rumors to get caught up before we dive into the latest.
RUMORS: Primaris Bikes, Land Speeders & More Spotted
Earlier Rumors of New 40k Edition Arise
Chapter Master Valrak on B&C dropped some added info on what we can expect to see about the rumored “new 40k edition”.
next summer 9th edition, marines and Necrons
Psychic Awakening To 40k 9th Edition?
Spotted on BoLS, the source of an Industry Insider mentioned:
- Psychic Awakening is setting the framework/testing what’s ahead for 9th edition.
- The Psychic Phase is getting reworked. (Which might be why we haven’t seen much psychic support in Psychic Awakening).
- Keywords will be reworked.
- More aspects of AoS will be ported over into the game. (We still don’t know about flat wound rolls).
- More codex supplements will continue to come out before 9th Edition drops.
- Look for 9th Edition 40k to hit sometime in 2020.
Warhammer 9th Edition Psychic Powers?
Coming from BoLS once again, there is even more that’s being tacked on to the rumor details from above.
- About four faction supplement books are left before the new edition arrives. (probably once Psychic Awakening concludes)
- Endless Psychic Powers are coming. Similar to Endless Spells in AoS. (This would make sense to see with the new “awakening” of Psykers across real-space).
- The Endless Psychic Powers will be coming in a small box set similar to Malign Sorcery in AoS when Endless Spells were first introduced.
- Flyers might be getting a total rework on how they operate.
All of these changes seem reasonable and nothing is standing out as too far-fetched. It would definitely be interesting to see the psychic phase expanded on with new “endless powers” moving beyond Psychic Awakening.
Extra Salt Needed: Fresh 9th Edition Rumors & More Emerge
In the wake of all the rumors from above, the latest batch of rumors comes from Faeit 212, which mentioned the source as “anonymous” and pulls more info from comments “that were later deleted“. With those two points mentioned above, it seems very easily-fakable. But jumping right in, they had these three points to make:
the rumour of 2 30k Primarchs (Angron and Fulgrim) returning next year
some comments (later removed) about the article of the Psychic Awakening II Book extra tales containing the “Emperor Angelicus”
This 8th edition is scheduled to stay till half of 2021,
Events within the company could bring 9th even to summer 2020 with few months notice.
Breaking all of the latest rumors down, and remember to talk a healthy dose of salt along with it, it appears that Loyalists aren’t getting any new Primarchs soon. With 9th edition on the horizon for 2021, Fulgrim and Angron may be the next two big models releases between now and then. It would make sense to see those to characters appear first as they’ve been consistently mentioned time and time again in different GW supplements. (Fulgrim way more than Angron).
While Fulgrim has always been mentioned in reports from things like Guard regiments being destroyed or the insane newly-birthed Psykers from Psychic Awakening, Angron has really only ever been mentioned in regards to some kind of vague summoning act by Cultists.
What Could Bring About 9th Edition?
So with two more Daemon Primarchs mentioned, what could usher in a change to 9th edition rules? Faeit had this to say:
so far in WH40K 8th edition, for the Empire – as written in the “Emperor Angelicus” comments – the settings was not so dark as previously (despite the Nihil Empire, the Cicatrix and so forth), but the real tempest will arrive after the end of the Psychic Awakening Series (scheduled to last a year from number 1) when we are supposed to see first something like Vigilus in size and scope, and that will be the grand finale that will lead to the 9th (maybe a book/special characters more around March 2021).
We will certainly have to see it to believe it, but there was mention of some other kind of campaign event in store for 40k (similar to Vigilus in size/structure) that will more or less be all the events that come to a “head” and birth 9th edition. And with 9th edition, is where we could be seeing Endless Psychic Powers themed around the different factions.
Hidden in Plain Sight: MORE Evidence of 9th Edition 40k!
Sepulchre of Heroes messaged us the other day about a little trend that’s been happening in White Dwarf over the past few issues that may be hiding something in plain sight…
Robin Cruddace (right), the lead 40k rules tester/designers usually normally does an Echos In the Warp feature in each White Dwarf Issue. However, he’s been in and out of the pages towards the end of the year, while the White Dwarf jokingly describes the reason for his disappearance. But could this be because he’s working on something big?
Check out the months where he wasn’t in the White Dwarf:
August White Dwarf (Cruddace missing)
In August, Crudace was missing and had James Gallagher fill in for his disappearance. With the running joke that he got sucked into the Warp after rolling double 6’s, it’s easy to overlook what could be happening here. It’s possible that Cruddace was missing because he was finalizing the Chapter Approved 2019 book (which were probably sent to the printers sometime in September as it became available for pre-order in late November). It’s also entirely possible that he was also finalizing the first Psychic Awakening book releases as well around this time.
September White Dwarf (Cruddace back)
October White Dwarf (Cruddace still here)
November White Dwarf (Cruddace missing)
December White Dwarf (Cruddace missing)
The image is a bit blurry, however, this is two months in a row that Cruddace has been missing. While he was only gone for a single issue back in August, something BIG might be around the corner for Cruddace to miss two months in a row…Maybe something like a new edition of 40k.
While obviously nothing is confirmed here, there is definitely a pattern to observe. Another thing worth mentioning is that the WD books are made months earlier than they are published (part of the problem with putting prices and “new releases” in them)
And while White Dwarf jokes about his disappearance, as we said, it’s easy to dismiss. But if the lead rules developer/tester is away, it’s probably because he’s devoting all his work hours into a rule platform of some sort right?
Nothing Seems Too Crazy to Believe
With all of this taken into account, none of the information at face value has seemed too unbelievable. While sources may be a bit salty in some rumors, there seems to be a substantial amount of reasonable talk emerging about a new edition. Plus, with the pattern we’ve just begun to see out in the White Dwarf, there may be something huge underway that will shake up 40k as we know it…
What are your thoughts on all the rumor sources for 9th edition? Is there some merit to be noted about the White Dwarf pattern of rules testers popping in and out around the time of big rules releases?
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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.
