More 40k Chaos rumors for 2026 say new bundle boxes, primarch models, codex books, and even a Defiler are on the way, along with a Chaos Space Marines refresh for 11th edition.
It’s looking like the Year of Chaos might live up to its name (just not in 2025.) Between whispers of new kits, refreshed models, and some suspicious product page disappearances, Chaos Space Marines could be about to get one of their biggest updates in years.
Chaos looks set to get a refresh in 2026, and if any of these rumors are even half right, Warhammer is about to get very interesting.
GW Teases New Irow Warriors and Eye of Terror
Updated January 20th, 2026, by Rob Baer with the latest news and rumors.
GW’s teaser feels less like a “here’s a preview tease” and more like a straight-up roadmap for Iron Warriors players.
Grotmas Reignites Iron Warriors 40k Rumors
A recent Grotmas Chaos short story for day 15 sparked fresh Iron Warriors 40k speculation, with fans tying its prophecy straight to long-running rumors. The big talking points line up cleanly: a new Defiler kit, new Mutilators, and expanded Chaos Space Marines support that finally gives Iron Warriors some real spotlight in 40k.
The Prophecy and the Eye of Terror Connection
The prophecy text name-checks imagery that screams Iron Warriors. Cadia, the Eye of Terror, cursed iron, furnaces, and endless geometry all map cleanly onto Medrengard and siege warfare themes. Lore hounds made the Perturabo connection fast, since he is the only Primarch who could always see the Eye of Terror, no matter where he stood in the galaxy.
Rumored Eye of Terror Boxes Bringing More Chaos
In the original Chaos leaks, people were talking about Eye of Terror boxes and a campaign… but this “Eye of Terror” name drop is almost certainly just the usual leak telephone game. The leaker sees something campaign-box adjacent, hears a spooky Chaos-flavored label, and runs with it.
Plus, most casual 40k fans may not know the difference between the Eye of Terror and the Maelstrom at first glance either.
But with the bigger Maelstrom campaign leaks confirmed, there may also be a series of Eye of Terror boxes to close out tenth, the same way the 500 Worlds boxes are on deck now, and boarding patrons for dropped at the end of 9th edition seeded the runway toward whatever comes next.
And if we’re getting a fresh wave of Maelstrom boxes, Iron Warriors showing up in one of them feels extremely on brand. The Chaos rumor pile keeps stacking in that direction: new Mutilators, a refreshed Defiler kit with multiple head options, plus an Iron Warriors upgrade kit and even whispers of an Iron Warriors Combat Patrol (which again could be a Maelstrom box).
This makes sense as campaign boxes are exactly where GW loves to sneak that kind of rollout in.
On the contents side, the rumor is that these boxes could also tag in Adeptus Mechanicus and Knights, framed around Chaos making a move while the Imperium is stretched thin. The spiciest detail is the format: supposedly vehicle-leaning sets, not big infantry dumps, with two to three vehicles per box.
Which, honestly, fits a Maelstrom end-of-edition run perfectly. Less “starter set,” more “here’s your punchy campaign package, now go make the table shake.”
“Eye of Terror” Battalion Boxes & Knights Rumors
Now we slide into the Eye of Terror talk, and this is where a lot of rumors get messy. It is totally plausible that the person leaking this is mixing up Maelstrom vs Eye of Terror, because people do that constantly, and these are not the same kind of conflict zone. One is a very different beast from the other, and on the galactic map, they are nowhere near each other. So if the boxes feel like they belong to a smaller, piratey narrative, that feels more like Maelstrom to us.
That said, the Imperial Knights battalion rumor is exactly the kind of thing GW would toss into an end-campaign stretch. Knights are pricey, battalion boxes are built to tempt you, and even a “basic” bundle becomes a big deal if it knocks the cost down.
Contents are unclear, but the classic guess is a Questoris and a couple of Armigers. There’s also chatter about a mid-sized Knight chassis between Armiger and Questoris, which feels more like an eleventh edition headline than a late tenth edition surprise, but hey, stranger things have happened.
Chicken Walker & Spider Tank: Adeptus Mechanicus Battalion Box Rumors
The Adeptus Mechanicus battalion rumor is wonderfully straightforward: fewer models, bigger kits, lots of plastic per sprue, and a box that screams “value” if you were going to buy any of this anyway. The alleged contents are a Skorpius Disintegrator, an Ironstrider Ballistarius (the beloved chicken walker), and an Onager Dunecrawler.
If that’s real, it’s a very GW battalion move. One centerpiece vehicle, one fast gun platform, one iconic crawler, and suddenly your pile of shame has a new cybernetic roommate. Also, this is another spot where the campaign-label confusion could be happening. Mechanicus rolling through the Eye of Terror is a different vibe than raiders in the Maelstrom, so if the rumor dump is treating those names interchangeably, don’t expect to see the Eye of Terror join the battleground.
Latest Chaos Refresh Rumors: Primarchs, Box Sets, and Codexes On The Way
40k’s New Chaos Rumors Point to a Full Range Shake-Up!
Chaos is apparently lining up a full-on refresh with new kits, revamped Legion boxes, and even some long-forgotten units crawling back into the spotlight. If these drops really do land before 11th Edition, the big question becomes: will they fold into the upcoming 500 Worlds campaign, or will it all be Maelstrom-related?
No one knows yet, but it would make a lot of sense for GW to roll out shiny new toys right before a major narrative push. For now, here are the latest 40k Chaos rumors for each Legion.
New Primarch Perturabo Model Talk: 40k Return, or a Hobby Telephone Game?
A Primarch showing up in 40k is always possible, but timing is everything. The more grounded option is classic rumor drift: someone hears “new Perturabo” and assumes it is 40k, when it could just as easily be Horus Heresy getting a fresh sculpt.
Either way, treat Perturabo as the long bet. The near-term win is Iron Warriors getting real support, and hopefully real kits that match the industrial siege vibe this teaser is putting on blast.
Rumored Iron Warriors Combat Patrol: Good Bones, But Is That It?
The whispered loadout is pretty clean and very playable:
- Warpsmith
- Ten Legionaries
- Five Havocs
- Five Chaos Terminators
- Iron Warriors upgrade sprue
If that list lands, it is a legit starter chunk for Iron Warriors in 40k. You are getting a Warpsmith who actually belongs next to daemon engines, Legionaries to do the scoring and trading, Havocs for the “siege guns solve problems” plan, and Terminators to wade onto an objective and dare someone to move them.
The only snag is the headline factor. If the big “new thing” is mainly shoulder pads and bits, a lot of IV Legion players will shrug, grab the value, and keep waiting for the real main event.
That is why the latest preview’s teaser claws and big-machine parts matter. Those do not feel like window dressing.
New 40k Chaos Rumors: Battleforces (Confirmed)
Well, these rumors turned out to be true, and there are four new Battleforces on the way for World Eaters, Thousand Sons, Death Guard, and Emperor’s Children. You can see the full breakdowns in our review article here.
New Red Corsairs (Also Now Confirmed)
The pirates of the 41st Millennium were mentioned again in the latest Chaos rumors, with a refresh that includes a new Huron model, a command squad, and a hunter-style unit. This was more or less all confirmed by GW at this point.
Khorne: Red Plastic Apocalypse
A World Eaters and Daemons combo box is supposedly on the way, stuffed with juggernauts, bloodletters, executioners, and enough chain weapons to make Angron proud. This lines up with talk about a Khorne Kill Team picking a fight with the Grey Knights, complete with new models on both sides.
Alpha Legion: Sneaky Boys Get Some Love
Rumor has it that Solomon Akurra is getting a brand-new sculpt, hinting that the Alpha Legion might be the next warband to get spotlight time. If Night Lords got their moment, it is only fair that the galaxy’s biggest gaslighters get theirs.
More 40k Chaos Rumors Point to a New Defiler?
Converted Defiler by Rob Baer
Chaos rumors also mention that the Iron Warriors may also be getting a major upgrade kit. Still, the real eye-opener is that the “big iron reveal” is not Perturabo after all. Instead, it might be a redesigned Defiler stomping back onto the table.
The word is that a brand new spider tank kit is on the way with multiple build paths baked in. You can kit it out as a full-shooting monster with options like lascannons and a big chest cannon, or swing the other direction with a melee-heavy setup that leans into claws and close-quarters brutality.
The clever bit, according to the whispers, is the optional Legion flavor. The kit is rumored to include themed heads and details for groups like the Thousand Sons and Emperor’s Children, so you can match your Defiler to your chosen warband right out of the box.
If this new Chaos rumor lands the way it sounds, this could be the big centerpiece model everyone has been waiting for.
Mutilators, but actually modern
Mutilators are the poster child for “should be a real plastic kit by now.” If GW is steering Chaos toward brutal, point-blank violence, a redesigned Mutilator-style unit fits right in, especially with that big-foot tease hinting at larger, meaner models.
Chaos Rumors: Bikes and the Next 40k Edition
Another long-standing Chaos rumor making a comeback is that the CSM Bikes are getting redesigned, though reportedly not until the next edition of Warhammer 40k. With 11th Edition shaping up for 2026, that timeline lines up with GW’s usual approach: let the starter set breathe, then roll out fresh kits to maintain buzz.
New Chaos Bikes would also complete a long-overdue update cycle, bringing them up to the same visual standard as newer kits like the Chosen and Possessed.
Chaos Rumors Say Dark Mechanicum Is Finally Happening?
LI Dark Mechanicum
These Chaos rumors are huge and say to look for a whole new 40k faction drop. Not a one-off, not a detachment, a full-blown new army, Dark Mechanicum. These heretek-cyber-ghouls have been teased for years, especially with Vashtorr creeping into the lore and the Legions Imperialis release teasing models.
If the rumors hold, this release could be on the scale of the Leagues of Votann, meaning you’re looking at a solid launch box, multiple units, and enough lore to fill a codex. Start clearing shelf space and maybe your bank account.
Final Thoughts: New 40k Chaos Rumors For 2026
Between a vanishing Legionaries kit, Huron Blakheart hype, and Iron Warriors whispers, it’s hard not to feel like these 40k Chaos rumors are on to something big. Whether it’s a new plastic wave, campaign tie-ins, or a full faction spotlight, the writing’s on the wall, and it’s painted in blood and brass.
If you’ve been thinking about starting a Chaos Space Marines army or expanding an existing one, it might be time to wait just a bit longer. The Long War may finally be getting some long-overdue reinforcements.
🔗 Related Reads:
- 40k Release Schedule Roadmap
- Space Marine Rumors Roundup
- Latest Xenos Rumors for 40k
- Christmas Battleforces
- New Combat Patrol Boxes
- Best Warhammer 40k Army List Builders
