Age of Sigmar turns 10 and GW barely noticed; no big exclusive, just a blog post and some minis; here’s why that’s frustratingly bad optics again…
Games Workshop just hit the 10-year mark for Age of Sigmar, and you’d think they’d at least send flowers. Instead? One blog post. While we did finally get Chaos Dwarfs, they didn’t mention that it was for the 10-year anniversary.
No retrospective, no celebration, not even a flashy limited box set or character.
For a game that clawed its way back from a no-points launch and literal bonfires of Fantasy armies, this low-effort nod feels painfully on brand.
Let’s talk about why AoS deserved more.
From the Ashes of Fantasy, a Firestorm of Fury
In July 2015, Warhammer Fantasy didn’t just end, it got yeeted into the sun. Games Workshop nuked nearly 30 years of lore and player goodwill with one swing of Ghal Maraz.
The End Times books wrapped up in April, and by July 2015, we got a new game with round bases, immortal lightning boys, and the now-infamous “no points, just vibes” ruleset.
Cue the bonfires. Literally. People were burning their armies. And not in a fun, fluffy Chaos ritual kind of way.
While AoS launched with plenty of shine, it lacked structure. No points, no balance, no plan. 9th Age tried to keep the fantasy flame alive, while GW scrambled to patch the bleeding with the first General’s Handbook in 2016. It worked, barely. They quickly followed up with another in 2017 to keep things moving.
Sigmar Sends His Regards (Eventually)
The lore kicked off with Chaos wrecking the place. Sigmar fled to Azyr, brewed up some Stormcast Eternals with Grungni, then lobbed them down like divine javelins to reclaim the Mortal Realms. Vandus Hammerhand led the charge, Realmgates were seized, and Khorne got kicked in the teeth.
Archaon ruled the Eightpoints, riding his terrifying steed. Alarielle went full War-Queen. The Celestant-Prime swung Ghal Maraz like a cosmic yo-yo. Cities rose. Corruption brewed. Aelves and duardin scrambled back into relevance. The Skaven did…Skaven things.
The lore wasn’t bad. Actually, it got decent over time. But it took time to shake off the stigma of killing Fantasy just to sell more gold boys.
Cue the Necroquake and a Side of Chaos Rats
Nagash being Nagash, built a big dumb pyramid to make death magic his playground. Then the Skaven, doing what they do best (dig holes and ruin plans), messed with it. Enter: the Necroquake. Now magic’s wonky, ghosts are angry, and the whole setting feels alive with magical chaos.
Meanwhile, side games like Warhammer Quest: Silver Tower and Underworlds fleshed out AoS with fantastic lore and bite-sized stories. These were the kind of releases that made AoS feel interesting than just storm dudes and Chaos warbands.
GW Promised Square Bases Would Return… Eventually
Let’s not pretend GW didn’t see the backlash. In 2019 (just three years after its death), Duncan sat in front of a camera and told us square bases were coming back. It only took, you know, five years. The Old World finally showed up in 2024. Cue the world’s slowest clap.
Did AoS stand strong in the meantime? Sort of. It built an identity. The models got better. The rules got tighter. The Mortal Realms stopped feeling like an abstract void of “insert realm name here” and became actual places with cultures and maps.
So What Did GW Do for the 10-Year Anniversary?
Let’s cut to the chase: barely anything. One blog post on Warhammer Community. Again, Chaos Dwarfs did return, but where are the anniversary minis? The content around the big year?
You’d expect fireworks, nostalgia drops, maybe a special mini to celebrate. Instead, AoS got the corporate equivalent of a “Happy Birthday” text from an ex. No cake. No card. Just vibes.
Somehow Still Alive… and Still Printing Money
Any other game that launched this rocky, stumbled through a midlife identity crisis, and ignored its own birthday would be dead in a ditch by now. Not Age of Sigmar.
GW still makes money hand over fist, thanks to plastic crack addiction and an IP that somehow, against all odds, keeps dragging itself forward. AoS survived because it got better, eventually. Good lore. Great minis. Actual game balance. It just took… a lot of Band-Aids.
Now, Fantasy is back. Square bases are back. And AoS? Still here. Still kicking. Still fighting rats, Chaos cults, necromancers, and people who won’t stop calling it “Sigmarines.”
Final Thought: AoS Deserves Better
Say what you want about its rocky start, but Age of Sigmar grew into something solid. It earned its spot. The 10-year anniversary should’ve celebrated that. Instead, we got a shrug.
We wouldn’t blame you if those square bases start looking really tempting again.
See the Latest AoS Roadmap Here
