Okay, attacks is sorta a strong word, however, Games Workshop has impacted not only a 3d artist but also everyone’s money on this Kickstarter.
Sometimes you just have to read the room, but in some cases company-wide, Games Workshop doesn’t seem to understand discretion can be the better part of valor in some cases.
There is an easy way and a hard way to do things, often when it comes to things like this GW generally seems to take the hard way, which as we know gets them a lot of flak in the court of public opinion.
We’ll say it again, we understand they have to protect their IP, we have no issue with that and 100% agree and encourage them to do so. They have to do this to keep the integrity and value of their product intact.
However, this latest episode in the saga of Games Workshop versus 3d Artists is a particularly strange one in the fact that they seemed to penalize all parties involved and lock down a lot of hobbyists’ hard-earned dollars in the process.
Feelsbads man.
As some of you may know GW issued an infraction notice through Kickstarter for the Dark Gods Eternal campaign, citing infringement.
Games Workshop Attacks Another 3D Artist
The problem isn’t with the notice, it is the fact that GW did it in such a manner that not only did it cut off the publisher’s ability to communicate with all the backers, the notice also locked all of the backers out of their money because it happened AFTER the Kickstarter completed.
Instead of sending them a notification or asking to take down or change certain files/ components etc while the project was running, GW seems to have waited until it was funded, money had been taken from customers, and then shut down the project.
This means the creator can’t even contact people through the project, see messages, give money back, or anything through Kickstarter. This was also all from about 4 or 5 files out of the entire project, which had dozens of files (view them here). Because of this Jaydon, the creator is blocked fully from the KS system, meaning corresponding with backers is extremely difficult.
Seems like a dick move by GW. I mean perhaps they filed the motion with KS and there is a processing time involved which resulted in this, but even then reading the room with the time on the clock would dictate a perhaps less severe approach than this as well.
Either way, we get the need to police one’s brand for sure, but it’s the manner in which GW conducts themselves I think that is so offputting to everyone.
We also want to say, we do think this will be resolved for everyone involved because the creator has been in contact with GW and is willing to put the work in to resolve whatever issues GW may have with this project.
GW Takes Heavy-Handed Approach to IP
If you are part of the Kickstarter, be sure to join the Discord here, to learn about what’s happening. Still, as we said, GW has to protect their IP, but waiting this long, destroying an entire project, and creating a financial issue over such a tiny portion of the project seems just wrong. GW could have easily resolved this at any point in the project.
You can see what all the designs are here. Sure they are similar to Death Guard, but in what way and to what degree is not for us to say.
GW has the right to do this and we support their decisions, we just wish they would handle it in a way that doesn’t make everything such an issue all the time.
Do you think they could take a different approach to content creators?
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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.
