It’s pretty wild how much the Warhammer 40k logos have changed over the years, evolving with the game to stay relevant amid an increasingly digital world.
Originally published August 2024. Updated on August 5th, 2025, by Rob Baer with the latest logo from Games Workshop.
You can tell a lot about Warhammer 40k over the years just by looking at its logos, each one a timestamp of where the game (and Games Workshop’s mood) was at the time. From the wild, punk-metal vibes of Rogue Trader to today’s sleek, sanitized corporate chic, it’s been quite the visual rollercoaster.
Some logos screamed “grimdark space crusade,” while others now whisper “please investors, we’re a serious brand now.”
Whether you’re into retro flair or minimal modernism, these shifting logos clearly show how 40k’s identity has changed right alongside its rules, minis, and marketing spin.
Either way, it’s worth a look back to see just how much has changed, and maybe cry a little about the loss of gold foil. Let’s roll through the ages.
Warhammer 40k Logos: The Wild Changes Over the Years
The evolution of Warhammer logos (and brand logos) over time is always interesting to observe, and it’s no different when we examine the significant changes made by Games Workshop to the Warhammer 40k logo since the 1980s, and how it changed tabletop games in general.
Typically, such changes occur when they aim to rebrand and introduce a new edition. However, GW seems to take a thoughtful approach to logo redesigns, and each iteration represents substantial progress not only in the rules but also in the miniatures.
Let’s start with the newest corporate Logo for Warhammer 40k, then go back to the beginning with Warhammer 40k!
New Games Workshop Logo
New 2025 Corporate Logo
The new logo for Games Workshop isn’t just a redesign, it’s a rebrand with all the soul stripped out. Gone is the iconic gold and gothic flair; in its place is something that looks more suited to a fintech startup than the grimdark universe we love.
The community reaction? Pretty unanimous: it’s bland, it’s boring, it’s got all the charm of a default PowerPoint slide.
Sure, maybe GW’s aiming for a neutral corporate look to prep for global expansion or that Amazon series, but that doesn’t mean hobbyists have to clap politely. If this is the new face of the Warhammer empire, we’ll stick with the one that had skulls, hammers, and, you know… vibes.
No Gold, No Grit.
Original Logo
Taking the gold out of Games Workshop is like taking chainswords away from Space Marines; it just feels wrong. The old logo had swagger. It had that “we sell overpriced plastic and you love it” energy.
The new one? Looks like it got lost on the way to a LinkedIn profile.
We’ve gone from grimdark glory to Futura Condensed Beige.
The Grimdark Sun has been using Futura Condensed Bold for years!
Now it’s just black and white text that quietly mumbles “Games Workshop” in a font you’d expect from a software startup pitching synergy. No icon, no hammer, no cathedral spires, not even a token skull to remind you this is the house that built Warhammer.
It’s not bad, it’s just… painfully un-Warhammer.
Rogue Trader Era 1988-1992
This is the Warhammer 40000 logo that started it all! Ah, Rogue Trader, the era when Warhammer 40,000 wasn’t just a game, it was a weird, wonderful sci-fi fever dream. This was the logo that launched the franchise, and honestly, it had vibes.
Bold, angular, and unapologetically loud, the original Warhammer 40000 logo looked like something slapped on the side of a synthwave tank. First seen around 1987 and sticking around until 1993, it was the banner under which the grimdark galaxy first opened its warp-twisted doors.
If you still have models from this time, you’re either a hobby hoarder or an archivist with a paintbrush. We’re talking beaky Marines, chunky metal minis, and rulebooks that read more like a D&D campaign than a streamlined wargame.
Sure, the sculpts were rough, but the charm? Off the charts. This was the golden age of imagination, before codex creep, before datasheets, before balance was even a thought. It was pure, glorious chaos, and we loved it.
1993-1998 Logo
This is really when the game moved from a much smaller IP and started to expand! Games Workshop came out with this War Hammer logo right when the second edition started. It made sense for GW to update its logo for a less “heavy metal” and more “broader appeal,” for Warhammer 40,000.
As a testament to its longevity this change still forms the basis of the current logo we have today.
The 2nd edition starter was a banger of a box! This pitted the Space Marines (Blood Angels) against the Orks, and it came with a ton of models. Plus, as you can see from the contents, there were tons of tokens, cards, and even a cardboard Ork Dreadnought!
Maybe the biggest deal here is that these models were plastic-injected molds! Nowadays, that might not seem like a lot, but back then, it was a huge deal as the game slowly started to move from metal to plastic.
1998-2020 Logo
This is the longest-standing logo in the game’s history and the one that so many of us think about when we think of Warhammer 40k! It took us from 3rd Edition in 1998 to 8th Edition 22 years later in 2020. This kept the Warhammer community happy for a long time and carried through some fun times like 5th Edition.
This version is a new classic and likely sparked your interest in the game if you started playing within the past two decades. Plenty of army lists were made, White Dwarf magazines published, and core rules read under this glorious logo.
This logo first debuted on the third edition starter set, and what a box it was! This is the edition that got us (at least me) into the game, and it has all the nostalgia. The wild thing about this edition is that some of the models are still in the game today or just got updated a few years ago.
The starter pitted Dark Eldar (the name at the time) against the Black Templars. The game still had templates, and this was the first time we got the awesome whippy stickers, the rulers.
The Dark Imperium box was the final edition starter set to use this logo, and it’s still pretty sought after, as people still try to find it to this day. It also marked the beginning of the controversial Primaris Space Marines era.
Warhammer 40k Logos: 2020-Now
This is Warhammer’s current logo, which debuted with 9th Edition 40k and looks to be the logo for 10th Edition and 11th Edition 40k. If you’re playing the game currently, you see this all over the place and on every book and box.
It was first seen on Indomitus, and that box is honestly one of the best values we’ve ever seen. If you were able to pick this box up for either Necrons or Space Marines, it was a great hobby experience during a difficult time in general!
So if the previous logo’s run is any indication, we might be seeing this for a really long time!
Overall, the changes in the Warhammer 40k logos over the years reflect the game’s evolution and expansion to a wider audience. Each logo represents a different era of the game, with its own unique miniatures, rules, and factions. Whether you are a veteran player or a recent hobbyist, it’s always interesting to look back at the game’s history and appreciate how far it has come.
Final Thoughts
So, where do we land after this stroll through Warhammer 40k’s logo history? Honestly, it’s like flipping through an old photo album, some look aged like fine recaf, others… maybe not so much. But each logo came with its own flavor of rules, models, and hobby drama, and that’s what makes this ride fun.
Whether you’re still clinging to the gold-trimmed classics or trying to warm up to the new “boardroom chic” vibe, one thing hasn’t changed: we’re all still here painting tiny warriors and arguing about points costs.
Logos may shift, but the heart of the hobby beats on, loud, proud, and covered in acrylic paint. So here’s to whatever logo comes next. Just maybe throw a skull or two in there, yeah GW? It wouldn’t kill you.
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