GW revealed their new Warhammer releases featuring tons of Black Library Books and Blood Bowl, hitting pre-order this week!
Games Workshop has just revealed its latest pre-orders this week for Warhammer Blood Bowl, featuring the new Spike Journal and High Elves Team, plus a massive selection of Black Library books!
Here’s the full lineup, along with our thoughts on all the new products.
- This week is basically Black Library overload: Horus Rising is back in hardback, with a fancy Premium Edition too, while big-name books like Ghazghkull Thraka: Warlord of Warlords, Chem Dog, Faith & Fire, and The Infinite and the Divine all headline the drop.
- Collector bait is everywhere: premium finishes, signed and numbered editions, annotated hardbacks, anniversary releases, and extra artwork mean GW is absolutely aiming at the “I just wanted one book” crowd.
- The free anthology is the sneaky win: Black Library Celebration 2026 gives stores a free paperback sampler while stocks last, plus digital versions through the app, which is a smart way to hook new readers and tempt longtime fans.
- Blood Bowl gets a full High Elf comeback: the Caledor Dragons return with a proper team box, Spike! Journal Issue 21, pitch, dugouts, cards, and dice, so this is not some half-baked “here you go” release.
- No big new 40k plastic, but still a stacked week: this preorder wave spreads the love across Horus Heresy, 40k, Age of Sigmar, and Blood Bowl, which makes it feel a lot stronger than the usual Sunday preview filler.
New Black Library Pre-Order Releases for 2026 Celebration
These products will be available for pre-order on Saturday, March 14th, around 1 p.m. EST in the States, with a shelf release date of Saturday, March 28th, 2025.
If you’re still waiting on something else to hit pre-order, though, be sure to check out the latest new release lineup in our updated Warhammer Roadmap for 2025.
Horus Rising Black Library Pre-Order:
One of the biggest new Black Library Pre-Order releases in the preview is Horus Rising, which returns to print in hardback as the first entry in the new Horus Heresy Saga line.
If you want to pull new readers into the Horus Heresy, you start with the book that kicked off the whole mess. This is the story where the Imperium is at its peak, the Emperor hands power to Horus, and the seeds of betrayal begin to grow. It is one of the most important novels in Warhammer fiction because it frames the fall before the galaxy starts burning.
This new edition includes four illustrations, and it is also set to land in eBook and MP3 format through the new Black Library app and other digital storefronts. On top of that, French and German paperback editions are also on the way, which gives the release more reach beyond the standard English hardback crowd.
For longtime fans, it is a chance to pick up a fresh shelf copy. For newer readers, it is basically the front door to the Heresy.
Horus Rising Premium Edition:
If the regular hardback sounds nice, the Horus Rising Premium Edition is clearly aimed at collectors who enjoy turning a bookshelf into a shrine.
This version comes with a leather-effect cover, gold details, an embedded metal medallion, gold-edged pages, a ribbon bookmark, extra artwork, and a detailed galactic map. In plain English, it is the kind of edition that makes you say, “I do not need this,” right before reaching for your wallet.
Games Workshop also notes that this premium version is only available while stocks last, though it may return in the future. If you are serious about Horus Heresy novels or premium Black Library editions, this one is built to tempt you.
Ghazghkull Thraka: Warlord of Warlords
Ork fans are doing pretty well in this preview, and not in a small way either. The big new release is Ghazghkull Thraka: Warlord of Warlords by Denny Flowers.
The setup sounds exactly like the kind of glorious disaster Ork fiction thrives on. Slitta da Stabba, a Blood Axe warboss, gets dragged into the orbit of Ghazghkull himself as a showdown with the Black Templars looms over the world of Gabal. That already sounds like a powder keg, but the real hook is the tension inside the Waaagh! itself.
Not every Ork is happy about the plan, which means the story has room for backstabbing, brute force, and the kind of unhinged greenskin politics that makes Ork books so fun to read.
There is also a Special Edition version of the novel with numbered copies, author signature, fancy cover treatment, black gilt edges, an afterword, and an Orkish green ribbon. That is about as subtle as a power klaw to the face, which feels appropriate.
The Green Tide
Then there is The Green Tide, a paperback collection that bundles novels, novellas, and short stories focused on Ork fiction. If the Ghazghkull novel is the headline act, this is the big loud afterparty. It digs into the Ork mindset and throws readers into multiple green-on-everything conflicts. For anyone who enjoys Warhammer 40k Ork stories, this collection looks like easy value.
Chem Dog
Another standout is Chem Dog by Callum Davis, a brand-new Astra Militarum novel centered on the infamous Savlar Chem-Dogs.
That alone is enough to grab Guard fans. The Chem-Dogs have always had a strong flavor in the setting. They are rough, shady, and about as far from parade-ground perfection as the Imperium gets. So dropping a newly minted Commissar into that mess is a great premise. It gives the novel a built-in clash between rigid authority and absolute battlefield chaos.
The setup involves a kill team mission through Ork-infested territory, which sounds like exactly the kind of no-win job the Guard ends up calling “acceptable losses.” For readers who like their Warhammer stories muddy, desperate, and full of bad decisions made under heavy fire, this one could be a sleeper hit.
Grombrindal: The Legend of the White Dwarf
Age of Sigmar fans are not being left out either. Grombrindal: The Legend of the White Dwarf brings together a novella and seven short stories focused on one of the most iconic duardin legends in the Mortal Realms.
Grombrindal works because he feels bigger than any one faction. Fyreslayers, Kharadron, and other duardin cultures all feed into the myth. He shows up when things are at their worst, which makes him part hero, part campfire story, and part divine grudge delivery system.
For readers who enjoy Warhammer Age of Sigmar fiction with mythic weight behind it, this anthology looks like a solid pickup. It also helps broaden the preview beyond the usual Space Marine and Chaos gravity well, which is always a nice change.
The Infinite and the Divine: Illustrated and Annotated Edition
If there is one Black Library novel that readers love recommending with a grin, it is The Infinite and the Divine. Robert Rath’s Necron feud-fest is getting an Illustrated and Annotated Edition, and yes, that sounds extremely dangerous for anyone trying to save money.
This special hardback includes an introduction, more than 240 author annotations, and 15 new illustrations. That is not just a prettier reprint. That is a full-on enhanced edition for readers who want extra context, insight, and artwork layered into a novel they probably already enjoyed the first time around.
Trazyn and Orikan remain one of the best rival pairings in modern Warhammer fiction because they are both brilliant, petty, and completely unbearable in all the right ways. Giving this novel a prestige edition makes sense. It is already a fan favorite, and this version is clearly built for people who want to savor it all over again.
Faith & Fire (20th Anniversary Edition)
The Adepta Sororitas also get some attention in Faith & Fire: Anniversary Edition by James Swallow.
This novel has had a strong reputation among Sisters of Battle readers for years, so bringing it back in a deluxe hardback for its twentieth anniversary feels like a clean win. The new edition includes an introduction by Danie Ware and silver foil cover details, giving it that extra bit of collector polish without changing what made the original story work.
For fans of Sororitas fiction, this is more than just a nostalgia play. It is a reminder that some of Black Library’s strongest character-driven military fiction has come out of the Sisters’ corner of the setting.
Reader’s Choice Winners Return to Print
- Deathwatch
- Grudge Bearer
The preview also brings back two winners from the 2025 Black Library Reader’s Choice vote: Deathwatch by Steve Parker and Grudge Bearer by Gav Thorpe.
That matters because Reader’s Choice reprints usually point to books that fans actually want back on shelves, not just titles pulled out of a vault at random. Deathwatch remains one of the more recognizable Warhammer 40k novels focused on the Imperium’s elite xenos hunters, while Grudge Bearer leans into old-school Dwarven vengeance from the World of Legend.
Both are returning in paperback, which makes them more approachable for readers who missed them the first time around or never felt like paying collector prices on the secondary market.
The Free Black Library Celebration 2026 Anthology Is a Smart Move
One of the easiest wins in this whole preview is the Black Library Celebration 2026 anthology.
It is a paperback collection of five stories spanning Warhammer 40,000 and Warhammer Age of Sigmar, and physical copies will be free in stores while stocks last. There is also a digital eBook version through Black Library’s app, with English, French, and German editions available.
That is a smart entry point for new readers. Free fiction lowers the barrier to entry, gives casual hobbyists a reason to check out Black Library, and lets stores hand people something tangible during the celebration. It is also the kind of release that longtime fans should not ignore, because free limited-run items tend to disappear pretty quickly.
New Blood Bowl Pre-Order Releases
This week’s new Blood Bowl pre-orders are here, and they’re ready to kick off in style once again!
High Elf Blood Bowl Team: The Caledor Dragons
Away from Black Library, the other big pre-order this week is the return of the High Elf Blood Bowl Team: The Caledor Dragons.
This team brings twelve miniatures in the box, including Linemen, White Lions, Dragon Princes, and Phoenix Warriors. It also comes with themed balls, markers, coins, and a transfer sheet, which is the kind of full package Blood Bowl players usually want.
From a hobby perspective, the extra head, arm, and mask options are a nice touch. Blood Bowl teams live or die on charm, and High Elves absolutely need that polished, superior, impossibly coordinated look. These seem built to deliver exactly that.
On the tabletop, High Elves traditionally lean into agility, speed, and ball movement. In other words, they play like they are too refined to get hit, right until an Ogre introduces them to the concept of gravity.
Spike! Journal and Accessories Complete the Blood Bowl Release
- Spike! Journal Issue 21
- High Elf Pitch and Dugouts
- Reference Card Pack
- Dice Set
The High Elves are not showing up alone. Spike! Journal Issue 21 is focused on the Caledor Dragons and includes the rules and player profiles needed to field them in games of Blood Bowl, along with themed content like pitches, balls, coaching tips, and editorials.
GW is also releasing the matching High Elf Pitch and Dugouts, a Reference Card Pack, and a Dice Set in light-blue swirl-effect plastic. That is the full cosmetic treatment, which is exactly what you would expect from a team that probably thinks grass stains are a personal insult.
Overall, for Blood Bowl fans, this kind of complete rollout is a good sign. It means the High Elves are not just back in a token way. They are getting a proper release with the support pieces needed to make the return feel complete.
Ogre Team Booster
The final tabletop item in the preview is the Ogre Team Booster, a resin kit that builds two Ogres and a Gnoblar Lineman for Blood Bowl teams.
Ogres are never subtle, and that is why people love them. This booster gives existing Ogre coaches more bruisers to work with, and the interchangeable heads and shoulder pads add some variety. If the High Elves are the clean, elegant side of this preview, the Ogres are the part that solves problems by sitting on them.
Why This Sunday’s Preview Matters for Warhammer Fans
What makes this preview work is not just the number of releases. It is the spread.
There is something here for Horus Heresy readers, Ork fans, Astra Militarum collectors, Adepta Sororitas readers, Necron lovers, Age of Sigmar duardin fans, and Blood Bowl coaches. It is broad without feeling random. The Black Library side mixes new fiction, prestige editions, returning classics, and free sampler material. The Blood Bowl side gives High Elves a full-featured return instead of a half-step.
That balance is what makes the whole thing feel stronger than a standard preorder week, even if there isnt any new 40k or AoS plastic to order.
Final Thoughts from us: New Black Library Books & Blood Bowl Pre-Orders
All together, this is a pretty loaded pre-order week. Black Library fans are getting a nice mix of heavy hitters, collector editions, old favorites, and one freebie that feels like an easy grab before stock vanishes. Blood Bowl coaches are getting the full High Elf treatment too, with a team box, rules support, and all the fancy extras you would expect from a crew that probably complains about mud on their boots.
So whether your hobby budget is headed for Horus, Ghazghkull, Trazyn, or a bunch of smug pointy-ears trying to win with style, there is plenty here to keep shelves, reading piles, and painting desks busy. Not bad for one Sunday preview.
What do you think of the new Black Library and Blood Bowl that are coming to pre-order this week?
