Games Workshop surprised retailers with another new pre-order for January 2026 and gave stores one day to commit… for the second week in a row.
Games Workshop’s January 3rd pre-orders featuring the new Maggotkin of Nurgle releases were a surprise to pretty much everyone.
For a second week in a row, GW didn’t put out a pre-order preview on Sunday like they usually do. Then, they are asking stores to put in their pre-order numbers by tomorrow (Tuesday, the 16th) for a product release more than a month away.
If you want this box, tell your LGS now! They have to put in their numbers and pay ahead of time, so be sure to reserve your box now, even though you won’t be able to pre-order until 2026. Stores need to forecast, and with only one day to do so, they are in a tough spot.
Here’s the full lineup, along with our thoughts on the new products.
GW’s Surprise Maggotkin of Nurgle Pre-Orders Leave Stores Guessing
These products will be available for pre-order on Saturday, January 3rd, 2025, with a shelf release date of January 17th, 2026.
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 2026.
Maggotkin of Nurgle Pre-Orders
- White Dwarf 520 (Jan 26) (English): $13 USD, $18 CAD
- Maggotkin Of Nurgle: Festus The Leechlord: $94 USD, $113 CAD
- Spearhead: H/Hashut: Helforge Host: $150 USD, $180 CAD
- Spearhead: Maggotkin/Nurgle: Bubonic Cell: $150 USD, $180 CAD
- Maggotkin Of Nurgle Rotswords: $65 USD, $78 CAD
- Maggotkin Of Nurgle Sloven Knights: $69 USD, $83 CAD
- Maggotkin Of Nurgle Putrid Blightkings: $65 USD, $78 CAD
- Maggotkin Of Nurgle Pestigors: $60 USD, $70 CAD
- Maggotkin Of Nurgle The Pustules: $94 USD, $113 CAD
- Battletome Maggotkin Of Nurgle: $60 USD, $74 CAD
- Warscrolls Maggotkin Of Nurgle: $35 USD, $41.50 CAD
- Age Of Sigmar Maggotkin Of Nurgle Dice: $34 USD, $39 CAD
- Grombrindal: Ancestor’s Burden (PB): $17.99 USD, $21.99 CAD
- Gotrek Gurnisson: Verminslayer (PB): $17.99 USD, $21.99 CAD
Why Is GW Making This So Hard on Stores?
This is the part where we scratch our heads a little. For the second week in a row, Games Workshop quietly dropped a surprise pre-order on retailers with zero Sunday preview, then followed it up with a one-day deadline to lock in numbers.
This time, it’s the Maggotkin of Nurgle range, and stores are being asked to forecast demand, commit cash, and submit orders by tomorrow for a release that is more than a year away.
That is a brutal ask for local game stores. Shops live and die on forecasting, and forecasting works best when customers actually know a product exists.
With no preview and essentially no lead time, stores are guessing. Guess too low, and players miss out. Guess too high, and that money is tied up for weeks on a gamble that may or may not pay off.
GW clearly wants players to tell their LGS right now if they want any of these boxes, yet customers cannot officially pre-order them until literally 2026. That puts stores in the awkward position of playing telephone, chasing verbal commitments, and hoping nothing changes over the next month.
We don’t think that is a great system for anyone involved.
We are not sure what the strategy is here. If the goal is better stock control, this method feels like it creates more chaos, not less. If the goal was supposed to be helping stores get a drop without the Sunday preview, giving them a single business day to decide does the opposite.
All it really does is make life harder for retailers who are already juggling tight margins, limited cash flow, and unpredictable demand.
If you want these Maggotkin releases, seriously, tell your LGS now. They are being put in a tough spot, and the only real data point they have right now is you walking in and saying, “Yes, I actually want this.”
Final Thoughts
The new Maggotkin of Nurgle range looks solid, but the way this pre-order is being handled leaves a lot to be desired.
One-day notice, no teaser (yet), and a commitment window more than a month ahead puts unnecessary pressure on stores and makes it harder for players to secure what they want.
If this is the new normal, it is going to create more missed orders and frustrated hobbyists, not smoother launches. For now, the best move is simple: if you want any of this Nurgle goodness, talk to your local store right away and make sure your interest is counted.
New Maggotkin of Nurgle Models Revealed
Will you be trying to grab any of these even though GW dropped it as a total surprise?
