The Warhammer Christmas reveal could bring the Plastic Warhound Titan or Tau, but the 2027 codex roadmap is far more likely to land at the New Year’s preview.
GW has pulled the same Christmas trick two years in a row; first, we got Fulgrim on Christmas Day 2024, then Huron Blackheart on Christmas Day 2025. Both were big reveals, but both were just one mini to get people excited, and we had to wait until January to see the other models and releases that went with them.
So, if you’re hoping for the full 2027 codex roadmap this Christmas, there’s a pretty good reason to think GW might make us wait again. And with 11th Edition only three codexes in and GW saying we won’t get another book until 2027, you know plenty of hobbyists are hoping for the whole roadmap on Christmas morning.
But right now, we’d probably dial those expectations back a bit and look for that in the still unconfirmed yet highly anticipated January New Year’s Preview. Oh, and there is always a chance they could do something in early December as well, because GW seems to be lining up their previews seasonally now after the Autumn preview in September…
- Christmas Day pattern: The last few Christmas Day reveals have been one big model that sets up a much larger January announcement.
- Grotmas rules: GW handed out free 40k detachments in 2024 and a wider mix of rules, fiction, and painting content in 2025, but nothing is confirmed for 2026 yet.
- Christmas 2026 odds: A T’au tease lines up best with the rumored January codex, while the full 2027 roadmap most likely waits for the New Year preview.
How GW’s Christmas Reveals Went From Stories to Free 40k Rules
GW’s Christmas tradition is pretty different from what it was when it started back in 2015. Over eleven Decembers, the calendar has gone through three main versions, and you can see how GW’s approach changed along the way.
- 2015 to 2019, the fiction calendars: Black Library was putting out 24-day Advent calendars packed with short stories and audio dramas covering 40k, AoS, Heresy, Blood Bowl, Necromunda, and Blackstone Fortress. We even got novels on Christmas Day and Boxing Day in 2017 and 2019. The 2015 Chaos-themed calendar had scenarios, warband generators, and painting tutorials too, although quite a bit of that stuff wasn’t free.
- 2020 to 2023, the Advent Engine: Then we moved into daily mystery miniature pictures. Christmas Day 2020 gave us Lelith Hesperax and Piety and Pain. The 2021 Christmas Day preview wrapped up with Eldritch Omens, followed by Fury of the Deep two days later. In 2022, GW skipped the engine and just revealed Azrael, while the 2023 Advent Engine finished with Belial, Deathwing Knights, and the Deathwing Assault box.
- 2024 to 2025, Grotmas: This is where things got interesting again. The mystery pictures were out, and playable rules were back. GW gave us a new detachment for every faction, 30 total, before finishing 2024 with Fulgrim. Then the Grotmas Calendar 2025 mixed things up with rules, fiction, and painting guides, including updates for Space Wolves, Emperor’s Children, Astra Militarum, Chaos Space Marines, Blood Angels, and Aeldari.
So we went from reading stories to guessing what blurry pictures were supposed to be, and then finally got back to stuff we could use in our games. Out of those three, we’d love to see the free rules stick around, and we just may this year because we know the new Balance Dataslate drops the week of December 7th now too.
GW Keeps Saving the Big Warhammer Reveals for January
Now, here’s the part we’d really pay attention to. For the last two Christmases, GW has shown off one major model on December 25, then made everyone wait a few weeks to see what was actually coming with it.
- Fulgrim, December 2024: We got the plastic Fulgrim on Christmas Day, but the rest of the Emperor’s Children reveals didn’t arrive until LVO in January 2025.
- Huron, December 2025: Huron Blackheart got the Christmas Day spotlight. The Red Corsairs, Aeldari Corsairs, and Maelstrom supplement? Those all had to wait for the January 16, 2026 New Year preview.
And remember, that January New Year’s preview wasn’t just a couple of extra models in a quick article. It was a proper show covering 40k, AoS, Horus Heresy, and Blood Bowl. So, that’s the kind of event where we’d expect GW to lay out the 2027 codex roadmap, rather than squeezing it into Christmas morning.
What Could GW Reveal for Christmas 2026?
Alright, so who’s actually getting a model this year? GW has only confirmed three 11th Edition codexes so far: Orks, Space Marines, and Custodes. It’s also said there won’t be any more books in 2026.
That leaves the beginning of 2027 wide open, and a Christmas model could give us a pretty good hint about who’s next. Just remember, everything here comes from rumors on our 11th Edition codex roadmap tracker. None of these are confirmed, so keep the salt handy.
- T’au: They’re rumored to be getting the fourth 11th Edition codex, possibly as early as January 2027. Updated Crisis Suits and a new Broadside are also being talked about. If GW shows off a new suit on Christmas Day and follows it with a January book, that would fit the recent pattern pretty well.
- Warhound Titan: The rumored full-size plastic Warhound Titan might be another strong contender for the Christmas Day reveal. Alleged sprue photos surfaced on November 5, 2026, showing what looks like Warhound armor and void shield generator parts. If those leaks are legitimate, GW could officially unveil the kit on Christmas Day, just like it did with Huron Blackheart in 2025, before showing more details in January. Nothing is confirmed yet, but a plastic Warhound would certainly qualify as one big Christmas present.
- Drukhari: The Drukhari refresh rumors have Vect coming back on a barge, refreshed Kabalite Warriors, and possibly some vehicles. A big named character would definitely fit with Azrael, Fulgrim, and Huron. The catch? Drukhari might be competing with Tyranids for that fifth codex slot.
- Tyranids: We’ve heard rumors about new Carnifexes, Warriors, and Gargoyles. Could you imagine a new monster as the big Christmas reveal? That would certainly get people talking. But if the refresh is really that big, it seems more suited to a full preview. Maybe we get a single picture or silhouette instead.
- Blood Angels: There’s talk of a 2027 codex supplement and possibly a new Brother Corbulo. That would work with GW’s recent habit of revealing a named character at Christmas. We’ve also heard about Black Templars Terminator Sword Brethren and a faction Dreadnought, although those rumors aren’t quite as solid.
- Chaos Space Marines: Their codex is rumored for spring or summer 2027, with Chaos Bikers, Terminator characters, and even Doomrider popping up in the Chaos Space Marines rumors. Would Doomrider be a ridiculous Christmas present? Absolutely, in the best way. But Chaos doesn’t look like it’s near the front of the release schedule.
Could GW surprise us with any of these? Sure. But looking at the rumored timing, T’au make the most sense for a Christmas reveal right now.
Will GW Give Us More Free 40k Rules for Grotmas 2026?
Of course, there’s still the actual Grotmas calendar to think about. GW hasn’t confirmed what it’s doing for 2026, or even whether it’ll follow either of the last two formats. Still, after two years of free content, another round wouldn’t exactly be surprising.
And come on, wouldn’t you rather get a free detachment you can try out on Friday night than spend three weeks guessing what a blurry picture is supposed to be?
With 11th Edition codexes coming out a few at a time, some armies are going to be waiting a while (even a couple of years for some). Free December rules could give those players something new to use in the meantime. GW could also use them for factions that aren’t getting an early 2027 book, or to tie into whatever campaign it’s planning.
A cool model gets everyone talking on Christmas morning, but a new detachment gives you something to actually play with for the rest of the month.
Our Best Bets for GW’s Christmas 2026 Reveals
So, with the past reveals and current rumors in mind, here’s how we’d rank the possibilities going into December.
- One major 40k model on Christmas Day: This fits what GW has done the last couple of years.
- Grotmas with free rules: Definitely possible after what we got in 2024 and 2025.
- A T’au teaser: Probably the best match for that rumored January codex.
- A plastic Warhound Titan reveal: With alleged sprue photos already circulating, GW could use Christmas Day to officially reveal the full-size kit, following the same one-big-model approach it took with Huron Blackheart in 2025.
- A Drukhari, Tyranids, or Blood Angels character: We wouldn’t rule any of them out, but they’re harder to call.
- The full 2027 codex roadmap on Christmas Day: We’d expect that in January instead.
- A full multi-system livestream on Christmas Day: Could happen, but we wouldn’t count on it.
Final Thoughts on the 2026 Warhammer Christmas Reveal
At this point, GW has pretty much trained us to check Warhammer Community before we’ve even finished our Christmas morning coffee. We don’t see 2026 being any different. The big thing we’d watch is whether the Christmas model points toward that first codex of 2027.
If a new T’au suit turns up on December 25, well, T’au players might want to start looking at their hobby budgets.
Then there’s the rumored plastic Warhound Titan. With alleged sprue photos now making the rounds, a Christmas Day reveal could be exactly how GW decides to introduce it officially. Huron Blackheart got that treatment in 2025, so a full-size plastic Warhound taking the spotlight in 2026 wouldn’t be much of a stretch. Of course, until GW confirms anything, it’s still just a rumor.
As for the bigger release plans, we’d keep an eye on the New Year preview. That’s where we’d expect to finally see the 2027 roadmap and find out which armies are getting their presents next.
🔗 Related Reads:
- New 40k Christmas Rumors Just Woke the Hobby Up
- New GW Warhammer Preview Reveals From Christmas 2024
- 40k Codex Release Dates: 11th Edition Codexes & Roadmap
- GW Going All in on 2026 Warhammer New Year Preview
- Grotmas Calendar 2025: Stuffed With 40k Rules and Reveals
- Huron Blackheart Revealed for Grotmas
- Drukhari Rumors: Is the Dark Eldar Range Refresh Finally Coming?
Which army do you think opens its presents first this Christmas?
