The numbers are in for the best-selling tabletop games in the Spring of 2023, and Games Workshop’s competitors continue to gain on them.
Currently, Warhammer 40k is on top of the heap as far as non-collectible miniatures go; however, things are getting closer than ever, and with the issues we’ve seen, the competition is gaining. Plus, one game came almost out of nowhere to make it on the top five list! Let’s take a closer look.
According To This Industry Poll, GW’s Competitors Continue To Gain On Them
ICv2 hosts these top product polls twice a year, where shop owners enter their most popular sales over a certain amount of time. This time, it shows how close other games are to 40k.
It’s also worth mentioning that not too long ago, X-Wing miniatures stole the top spot from Warhammer 40k for many years during the 6th & 7th 40k edition era. According to company insiders, this was around the same time Games Workshop nearly went bankrupt as well.
So it is not unheard of for a game system to topple the mighty Warhammer 40k, but not this time around.
Nolzur’s Marvelous Miniatures have been near the top of the list for a long time, so there are no big surprises there. However, maybe some of the biggest surprises are BattleTech and Onslaught. Last year, when D&D Onslaught dropped, it had risen up the ranks relatively high since then.
Spring of 2022 from ICv2.
With all that said, though, 40k still retains the top spot, not without some problems, as ICv2 explains below:
Games Workshop began slowing restocks and allocating new releases late in 2022, and continued through the Spring season, with retailers unable to get enough of new releases for their customers, and distributors’ allocations cut to the bone. Reports on sales of Warhammer 40,000, the top miniatures line, clustered around flat as a result; they would likely have been up had demand been filled.
“We’re still having issues with getting allocations on new stuff and getting restocks of older things in,” Bob Schaeffer of Dragon’s Lair in San Antonio, Texas told us.
We’ve talked pretty extensively about the issues facing GW with stock, allocations, and losing a lot of customer goodwill. It seems like stores are feeling the same issues. Additionally, GW has released basically nothing for 10th Edition 40k beyond the Leviathan starter and is slowing down even more headed into the summer of 2023.
Then, the biggest jump on 2023’s chart so far came from BattleTech; they had an insane Kickstarter and really got a ton of people excited about the game.
Right now, it looks like they are here to stay, and plenty of people are getting into the game. Star Wars Legion has also stayed in the number 5 spot for a couple of years, so no big surprise. Games Workshop’s other main game range, Age of Sigmar, stagnated at #4, yielding to BattleTech.
We’ll have to see if GW can get things back on track with 10th Edition Warhammer 40k, but right now, things are looking like someone might overtake them in the fall if they do not get thier myriad of issues sorted out…
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What do you think about the new sales poll numbers for tabletop gaming companies and Games Workshop’s competitors?
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About the Author: Travis Pasch
Travis Pasch
Job Title: Head Writer & Editor
Socials: @paschbass
About Travis Pasch: Travis has been a Warhammer 40k hobbyist since the 1990s, playing the game since Third Edition. Through extensive traveling, he’s seen a lot of the miniatures hobby from across the world, giving him a unique perspective on the latest gaming topics and trends.
Travis’s brother even owns a commission painting studio, where he’s picked up a lot of good advice and techniques for painting Warhammer and tabletop miniatures over the years, as well. Travis joined the Spikey Bits team in 2019 and has been the lead writer since 2020.
Currently, he’s working on converting all his 40k Adeptus Mechanicus models and becoming a true tech enjoyer, complete with both sad and happy robot noises!
