Here’s your guide to everything you need to know about the Games Workshop Warhammer+ Plus streaming service to see if it is worth it!
Before we go too far, we want to start by saying if Warhammer+ Plus is worth it to you and has value, keep it. However, for us, it’s hard to support something where GW constantly changes its offering, narrative, and even its posts on Warhammer Community without notice and with no oversight.
Flip-flopping on all of the promises and literally running out / throttling animation release, which is the main attraction to the platforms, in our opinion, is inexcusable. Once again, if they were just upfront about the fact that animations would be slow for the first few months and the main content would be things other than the animations, it’s possible that hobbyists would be more understanding.
Imagine if Disney had promised 12 new Star Wars shows and starting with Mandalorian and halfway through, invented a midseason break, and then went back and edited all their posts to match their version of events.
How many people do you think would cancel the service? We think a lot. And that is EXACTLY what Games Workshop has done with Warhammer Plus.
Remember, they made the animations center stage when they first marketed this. Then just one month in, the first animation took a mid-season break (what is that after four episodes?), and the other doesn’t even promise to come out in consecutive weeks.
By October 2021, the main value of the service was a free signup mini, battle reports, painting guides, lore, and old White Dwarfs. All of which is well and fine, but guess what? The same content is free from your favorite content creators on YouTube.
Basically, the disingenuous nature of the content makes it hard to support Warhammer+ Plus We’re not just making unsupported claims here either, as you are about to see.
Here’s the latest on Games Workshop and their Warhammer+ Plus subscription:
40k Pariah Nexus Show Finally Hits Warhammer+ Plus: (September 14th, 2023)
From the trailer they initially dropped back in August, the wait for the new Warhammer+ Plus show Pariah Nexus is finally over! Well, at least the wait for the first episode, that is.
All of the promotional material they’ve released, including the trailers, has been super hype leading up to the release, so let’s talk a little about what this whole thing entails now that the first episode has dropped.
The series takes place in the aptly named Pariah Nexus, where humanity has begun to start their new homes. It couldn’t be that easy (it’s the Grimdark, after all), as word of their arrival made its way to a newly awoken dynasty of Necrons.
This includes the infamous Illuminor Szeras, who intends to return the galaxy to its former state of Necron supremacy.
The first move of the Necrons is to head down to the planet of Paradyce.
The Battle Sister, as well as the mysterious Space Marine that was introduced in the initial trailer, are also present in the first episode. They look great on the screen, as the animators did a great job on them.
With a Space Marine in the show, you know the violence will be soon to follow.
However, if you want to see all this gloriously rendered action unfold in motion, you’ll have to go catch it on Warhammer+ Plus.
You can also check out the trailer for the show to see if it’s something you’d be interested in, below.
GW Previews New Warhammer+ Plus Miniatures & Animations: (August 16th, 2023)
The new info about Warhammer+ Plus Animations and 2023 Miniautres comes from Warhammer Community.
Let’s start with the new miniatures. The mini on the right is pretty easy to identify as an Imperial Guard mini, and more specifically, looks very similar to the old Kasrkin Sergeant.
The model on the left is a little more mysterious, as it could easily be a Dark Eldar/Eldar model or obviously could be a Vampire or Elf of some kind.
Warhammer+ Plus Cadian Kasrkin:
In the closeup, it’s hard to say anything other than Kasrkin.
If you look back at the old kit, the outline looks very similar to the old sergeant but mixed in with the new style.
You may remember this model’s pose from an iconic piece of 4th edition Warhammer 40k art by Karl Kopinski:
Warhammer+ Plus Dark Eldar Archon (?):
This looks like a power sword and grail, or is it a vampire and ornate sword? Considering they have done an AoS model the last two years, it would make sense for this to be an AoS mini, but we’re not giving up the idea it could be two 40k models.
It does look very similar to this old Finecast Dark Eldar Archon Model with Bonesword however.
Last year, GW revealed the minis in full in October, so we’ll see if they continue the trend.
New Warhammer+ Plus Animations
Space Marines, Adepta Sororitas, Necrons, and a Chaos Knight? There are a lot of hints in that teaser trailer about some exhilarating animations coming up in the next annual subscription.
The video below has some very small teasers for the upcoming animations, but if you love Knights, Sisters, or Necrons, the new animations might be right up your alley!
The animations have come out a little slower than we had hoped from the beginning, but it’s nice to see some new animations are actually on the way.
Warhammer Plus+ Price Increase Incoming: (August 1st, 2023)
For customers in the UK, the monthly Warhammer+ Plus sub is going up by £1 per month, but as we said, the yearly price (£49.99) will remain the same. Now, this gives you some more value, as you still get the exact same stuff for the same price as before.
One thing to note here, they didn’t give an exact number for other countries’ prices. It does say local currency equivalent, so we’re not sure if this will increase the cost to $6.99 (a dollar more each month) for the US or if they will do a straight currency conversion (it would be about $7.50 if they do that) or choose to not increase any sub-levels outside of the UK.
There was already a lot of debate about whether this was worth the price or not, and now with the price increase, it gets even a little more contested. As we said, though, getting Warhammer Plus will be the only way to get the Battleforge list builder function on the 40k app.
Click Here For Free Alternative Warhammer 40k Army Builder Apps!
However, there is financial value if you sign-up on the launch anniversaries of the Game Workshop releasing Warahmmer+ Plus, which may make it worth it for some hobbyists. From product vouchers to the opportunity to purchase an exclusive miniature, the value is there for collectors and hobbyists alike.
As with anything, vote with your hobby dollars! If this has value to you, sign up; if it doesn’t, don’t spend the extra cash.
Warhammer+ Plus Now That Henry Cavill is Here: (December 27th 2022)
Not only was the community insanely hyped about a Warhammer series on Amazon, but Games Workshop’s stock also soared 20% in a day! Obviously, a lot of this had to do with Amazon and Henry Cavill, but Warhammer+ never really moved the needle (if anything, it caused it to drop- read more about that here).
When Games Workshop first announced all the animations, many people assumed it would be put out to an existing streaming platform (as this new announcement is actually for Amazon’s platform), not something totally their own that you had to pay for.
Perhaps if GW had gone this route to start (with an existing platform), Warhammer + wouldn’t have been so attacked (which we’ve covered fairly extensively). While the platform pays for itself with free merchandise vouchers and the opportunity to buy exclusive miniatures, the animations haven’t done much to get people on the platform.
Warhammer+ Plus Did Nothing For Investors
Warhammer + also never really saw a big increase for investors overall. So, just interesting to think about what the Amazon announcement did for the stock price in just one day compared to how Warhammer+ plus worked out over the past year. As we said, at this point, it basically pays for itself with the vouchers and exclusive minis, but overall, it really hasn’t done much to grow the hobby.
If GW was trying to bring people into Warhammer, this ended up not being the way to do it…
Currently, the only people who will pay for the Warhammer app (i.e., Warhammer+ Plus)are the ones who already like and play Warhammer. It hasn’t really brought new eyes to the game, whereas something on Amazon can get viewed by people who have never even heard of a tabletop game.
At the end of the day, Warhammer+ seems to be more of Games Workshop trying to squeeze every penny out of its existing customer base and not trying to expand it. GW doesn’t have the best track record with apps, and it will be interesting to see how they handle Warhammer+ if the Amazon series does well.
It feels really odd for them to spend all this time building their own platform (instead of just putting animations on something like Amazon, as everyone said back in 2021) and then go this route only about a year later…
Maybe the whole debacle could have been avoided if they had just partnered with an experienced platform, to begin with, and not had to have been carried on the (very strong) back of Henry Cavill.
A Big F-YOU to Everyone Who Subbed Warhammer+ Early: July 7th, 2022
Current annual subscribers who have yet to receive their free model won’t have long to wait. You’ll be able to claim your miniature this August regardless of when you first joined Warhammer+. So if you’re currently enjoying the constant stream of content on a monthly basis, this is the perfect time to upgrade and get your hands on an exclusive piece of Warhammer history.
This is part of the problem, that certain folks have already grabbed the model. However, that’s not really the issue though, its the influx of new signups seem to be able to get the minis around the same time now as well.
So these “exclusive” minis that folks have been waiting around a year for, will only take others way less time to receive now…
You can see the highlighted part here, and it’s just frustrating as GW initially said you wouldn’t get the model until you were subscribed for a year. Now, it means people who supported from the beginning and stayed subscribed all year don’t get anything over people who are just signing up now.
It could mean they are trying to boost numbers, but it makes the current subscriber base feel bad and alienates people who have been actual supporters. Plus, new models are on the way, so people who subscribe now basically get the models for half price…
Let’s check out what models could be coming next and how to get the most from Warhammer+ (spoiler alert: it’s not an annual sub).
Warhammer+ Plus Year 2 New Miniatures Revealed!
With our two guesses, we were almost dead on! Warhammer Community has just shown off the two models.
First up is Mibyllorr Darkgfang, a brand new Chaos Sorceress model, and the one we couldn’t do as much digging about. We did, however, know it was a new Sorceress!
The second model was exactly what we thought! Thanks to our sleuth work, we matched up all the details and imagery. BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD!
We also got some details to highlight the new miniatures’ images;
These brilliant miniatures accompany the upcoming Chaos releases, from the creepy, capering familiars that accompany Mibyllorr Darkfang to the intimidating presence of Azrakh the Annihilator, who has leapt straight off the cover of a classic issue of White Dwarf.
Getting your hands on these miniatures is easy. Sign up for – or renew – an annual subscription of Warhammer+ and you will receive your choice of miniature one month after subscribing. Monthly subscribers will need to wait the full 12 months to claim their miniature. Like last time, you can buy the one you didn’t choose with your subscription. It’s as simple as that.
How To Get the Most out of Warhammer+ Plus
So, what’s the hack? It’s super simple, Wait until August 2022 to sign up! So why will this get you more (not including the addition of also getting the exclusive)?
Well, you can pay for a single month if you want, and get a year’s worth of content! Especially considering there haven’t been that many insane animations, you could probably watch them all in one month. Then, sign up again next year, and get your fill/
While that may sound sort of obvious, you could get the app for a month if you’re really dying to see the shows, watch them all, then, well… hopefully they have more by then.
From our count of shows previewed below, Warhammer+ never really delivered on a lot of them…
As you can see GW has not even released HALF the titles they announced during their sizzle reel preview from early summer 2021.
Keep in mind too it wasn’t that long ago they walked the schedule back on the show releases and we expect them to continue to re-write the narrative as long as it suits them.
Now they are walking back the schedule on the rollout of the exclusive miniatures as well, just before they start dangling the new ones in front of subscribers to get them to re-up for another year.
Just keep in mind, if you only do a month’s sign up to watch all the shows they did actually produce, you might not get any of the free stuff, but you will get to watch your favorite shows, which in turn support the creators you love!
Is Warhammer+ Worth It?
To us no Warhammer+ Plus is not worth it because of the double talk on animation releases, army builder apps that do not function as intended, and the way they constantly change their narrative- even editing their posts without any notification.
However, there is financial value if you signed up when Game Workshop release Warahmmer+ Plus back in August of 2021 which may make it worth it for some hobbyists.
There is also perhaps a bigger issue in play now that is repeating a not unfamiliar pattern.
At the end of the day, it seems that not only can Games Workshop not be trusted to put out a quality product with regards to animations, but they really rattle the community in the process.
Nearly one year later in 2022, they are already rewriting the narrative on the sign-up bonus minis after not delivering on even half the promised shows.
Not to mention the fact the goodwill earned from the 8th edition 40k (needing fewer books etc.) has disappeared amid nearly two editions of paywalls and rules bloat.
Oh, and the 40k APP that Mike Brandt promised us back in 2020 still does not work correctly, even after he promised us in April 2022 it was being fixed…
Can we really afford to keep rewarding Games Workshop’s bad behavior while expecting them to change?
The Value of Warhammer+ Plus.
Let’s start out with the actual on-paper value of the service if you subscribed from day one:
Editor’s note the voucher was confirmed as being $16, and the post was updated as such.
Cost for a year $59.99
- Subscribers in August got a $16 voucher (announced Aug 23rd, 2021)
- Choice of Exclusive Figure $35 (announced June 25th, 2021)
- 5 Worldwide Entries for Paint Giveaway (announced Oct 1st, 2021)
The actual cost for a year subscription is$9, which breaks down to less than $1 a month for initial subscribers.
When you look at the value of Warhammer+ in hobby dollars, the monthly rate is probably the best value in hobby content that ever existed.
But that was never the main issue, and we praised this service’s unlimited potential back in July 2021.
Is it Time to Cancel Warhammer Plus?
Let’s start with something that really, really put a bad taste in our mouths. This is the picture of their Sunday teaser release. It shows nothing about any animation, doesn’t talk about a mid-season break, or has any content included about any animation.
A mere 16 hours after our most recent editorial about the lack of animations, GW has changed the lineup (see new image below) and now has informed readers about a “mid-season break” only one month into the launch of the app.
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So, from the same post we grabbed this picture from, they went back and changed the content and original post without notifying readers that an edit was made- a big no-no in the publishing world.
Why? Because it’s basically lying to your audience.
As you can see, they went back and changed the picture in the original post with this, the Deep Strike podcast about Angels of Death- which is a podcast about the show.
They didn’t even change the text to address the addition of the show in the graphic or even the post. Then, they finally mentioned Angels of Death will not be returning until November, so after four episodes, it’s taking an entire month’s break.
This is fine, if you know; they had told us at the launch how this was going to work, and not shoehorn it in when they ran out of content and then edited their posts to match…
Next, breaking down the other content a little. First, there is value in all three of the above shows for sure. The main issue, though, is that so much amazing content is already out there for the same stuff.
It’s not only that the content is out there; it’s also that many of us have spent years supporting and watching the same type of content. So it’s just really hard to say paying for an app is worthwhile when there is so much already out there that is so established, and more importantly, they don’t over-promise and underdeliver as GW tends to do with all of its platform offerings as of late…
The Silent FAQ Change
This is the big change right here from the Warhammer+ FAQ that we noticed just before they throttled back on their animation offerings. They originally said content would be added every week, now it says it will be most Wednesdays.
We might be looking into this too much. But it gives them some leeway when it comes to adding content, and maybe their writers are a little confused about if the animation or the rest of the offerings were the actual content as well?
Yes, they offered content for sure every week so far, but no, it’s not the animations that we showed you already that they have been so hot and heavy on from day one.
Don’t forget they promised the AoS app would be ready, but it’s still very much in Beta (sound familiar 40k players?).
They’ve also recently paywalled the last of the free rules for Age of Sigmar, just like Warhammer 40k.
This pic comes from Reddit, and guess what it shows? That Stormcast is already paywalled! So every time an army comes out, you will need the digital code from the physical book. this just really sucks at it is sort of the end of an era. One of the free rules and an app that people honestly loved in the Azyr.
We’re not sure why they can’t listen to the community regarding things like this. Instead of letting people have something they like, they ruin it with another paywall…
At least it somehow gives more intrinsic value to Warhammer+ Plus and, for some hobbyists, makes it worth it.
Just be Upfront With Us
We would rather them just tell us the truth from the get-go that they don’t really have enough content created. Instead of acting like it’s all guns blazing when in reality, that just never seems to be the truth for any of their in-house developed assets.
That’s the main issue most hobbyists and viewers seem to have with the company in general, they just act like everything is peachy and never mention anything when it goes wrong until it’s mushroomed into an issue.
Then, just like with the images above, they just go back and make edits without telling anyone. Basically, everything Games Workshop does seem to just stay on the same rocky path they started with and limp on until enough customers bail on the offering that they finally put that project to bed…
It may be time to stop rewarding Games Workshop’s bad behavior and cancel Warhammer+ Plus unless it has value and is worth it to you.
GW Tries Another Warhammer+ Giveaway: (October 1st, 2021)
GW is now trying another giveaway to entice people into the app. First, they gave a $10 voucher to people who stayed subscribed, which is good, and now there is a giveaway open worldwide to all subscribers.
Warhammer Community, just announced a paint giveaway to five subscribers across the world, and winning one of every paint they make would be amazing for sure!
Maybe giving us what was promised in the beginning would have worked instead of constant gimmicks to get this thing off the ground, though…
News of GW ‘Fan Revolt’ has Hit Wall Street: (November, 12th 2021)
The investing world is abuzz with news about why the Games Workshop stock price has taken a dip as it has been one of the best performers on the market.
As you can see above in a small sampling of financial news sites, investors may be getting some jitters in regards to Games Workshop’s performance.
The UK Times had this to say in their article, which summarizes the majority of the issue but falls a little short without a deeper look at GW’s product mix.
Britain’s largest manufacturer of miniature wargames and fantasy figurines has become embroiled in a running battle with some of its fans that has sent its share price tumbling.
Games Workshop has angered a section of its customers after clamping down on unauthorised websites dedicated to its Warhammer franchise, according to analysts at Jefferies, the US bank.
From this chart on Yahoo Finance, you can see the recent dip in their stocks. It’s also worth pointing out the backend as you can see the tremendous growth since 2019 alone.
This Is Money UK dug a bit deeper in their reporting, saying the following:
This change has led to popular fan content creators ceasing their involvement (under pressure from Games Workshop), a lot of negative community feedback, a raft of downvotes to Warhammer video content, and, with other factors also rolled in (price increases, employee pay), calls to boycott the business.’
The impetus for the crackdown appeared to be Warhammer+, Games Workshop’s subscription service that provides access to exclusive Warhammer TV shows as well as figurines and apps unavailable elsewhere.
…while the current noise seemed to be from a ‘vocal minority’, they trimmed their target price for the group to 12,250p from 13,200p, saying they would be ‘keeping a close eye’ on the situation.
However, none of the articles we read seemed to touch on the other issues such, as FOMO, paywalls, etc, that hobbyists are experiencing at the register. These factors may also be a contributor to consumer confidence in Games Workshop overall.
Here are more articles on the issues that Games Workshop is facing now as their stock has dipped and investors have taken notice:
- What the Community Thinks About the New 40k Rules Updates
- Is Warhammer+ Plus Worth It: Everything You Need To Know
- Games Workshop NDA Leak More Damaging Than Their IP Policy
- YouTubers Have Started Attacking Warhammer TV
- News of the GW ‘Fan Revolt’ has Hit Wall Street
- Boycotts Don’t Work, Do This Instead to Games Workshop
- Lookout YouTube, GW Just Updated Their IP Guidelines
- Where GW Fan Creativity Ends & IP Infringement Starts
- How Much Money Games Workshop Marks Up Their Products Now
- Warhammer Plus Is Why Games Workshop Stock is Dropping
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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.
