GW may have thrown in the towel for Age of Sigmar, as the new General’s Handbook will be around for an entire year, along with all the new changes to 10th Edition 40k!
We feel like this is a huge tell for the game of AoS overall, as previously, each GHB has only been a 6-month season. Games Workshop has been pumping out a bunch of new game systems, editions, and even Old World since 2019. So it seems like this frenetic release schedule may be taking time from the development team, and when looking at the new 10th Edition 40k rules, you can see the AoS influence in that game too.
Let’s take a closer look at it all.
Games Workshop Throws in the Towel With Age of Sigmar & 10th Edition 40k
The basis for what were discussing was confirmed by Warhammer Community, in red below.
This is an important change in format, as it means the new season is double the length of previous ones. This book will be the go-to matched play resource for twice and long – all the way through to summer next year. You can still look forward to quarterly balance updates, to ensure that the metagame remains as balanced as possible.
It’s good we’ll still get quarterly updates, but a year-long season is quite the change. Also, with this focusing on a certain type of wizard, magic might get the big bonus for this year. This might just be what carries us into the new edition of Age of Sigmar in 2024, as this would follow perfectly with GW’s 3-year cycle.
However, we feel like it’s probably more than just GW carrying the game through to the new edition.
Old World Competes With Age of Sigmar
At this point, there seem to be three options for why GW made such a pronounced change to one of their main game titles.
First, they don’t want to compete with Old World. We talked about how the factions in Old World seem to omit the ones actually sold for Age of Sigmar before, and you can read more about that here.
Considering the game is supposed to (or at least rumored) be coming out near the end of the year. Guess when the next GHB would have dropped? Probably right around the end of the year.
So it seems like there’s a chance GW doesn’t want people to have to decide between changing up their army and buying things for the Old World.
Too Many Rules, Not Enough Studio Staff…
Second, there’s a big chance the development team for AoS has also been helping with both 10th Edition 40k, Old World, and Horus Heresy. When looking at the rules for 40k, there are hints of AoS all over it in terms of unit types, rule names, and even the overall rules.
After seeing the new points and unit options for Warhammer 40k 10th Edtion, I think we can all agree that the AoS team was probably involved to some degree.
Before 2022 they were supposedly pumping out the rules for Horus Heresy, and with how long the development process takes, they could have been helping with the core rules and not having nearly as much time for AoS.
It would also make sense for them to help with Old World, so with so much coming out, it appears the GHB updates have taken the backseat.
Age of Sigmar 4.0 Dropping Summer of 2024
Third, perhaps GW doesn’t think coming out with another set of rules before the new edition drops in 2024 is worth it to make. If the rumors are true of a new edition in 2024, they may need the developers on that and not worrying about another update, besides the balance warscrolls, for the current edition.
Either way, this change could show both a lack of confidence in the game and/or a lack of ability for their rules team to produce the necessary amount of content for one of their biggest game systems.
All the Latest Warhammer Rules & Model Rumors
What do you think about a year-long General’s Handbook for Age of Sigmar and the similarities with Warhammer 40k 10th Edition now?
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About the Author: Travis Pasch
Travis Pasch
Job Title: Head Writer & Editor
Socials: @paschbass
About Travis Pasch: Travis has been a Warhammer 40k hobbyist since the 1990s, playing the game since Third Edition. Through extensive traveling, he’s seen a lot of the miniatures hobby from across the world, giving him a unique perspective on the latest gaming topics and trends.
Travis’s brother even owns a commission painting studio, where he’s picked up a lot of good advice and techniques for painting Warhammer and tabletop miniatures over the years, as well. Travis joined the Spikey Bits team in 2019 and has been the lead writer since 2020.
Currently, he’s working on converting all his 40k Adeptus Mechanicus models and becoming a true tech enjoyer, complete with both sad and happy robot noises!
