Things haven’t been pretty rough lately, and everyone we have talked to agrees that GW is not ready to release 10th edition of Warhammer 40k this summer…
We’ve seen a lot of recent issues with the warehouse, caps, and even Games Workshop’s own inventory on their website. Then, when you look back to the 9th edition and the Indomitus debacle, they were having similar product issues back then even. At this point, it looks like GW might be on track to repeat the process almost exactly.
However, there is actually another reason Games Workshop might have had so many inventory issues lately…
Retailers & Hobbyists Agree GW is Not Ready to Release 10th Edition
Let’s start with the actual problems that seem to be on both sides of the pond.
GW Warehouse is Even More Clogged As Skynet Takes Over
The recent allocations (or caps) were supposed to be a way for all stores to be able to get new release products (instead of bigger stores just getting all the stock), but it hasn’t really turned out quite as anyone was hoping.
This has led to severe shipping issues to stores, people not getting what they want, and with the pricing increases coming, it could get way worse, and quite soon. For the past three weeks in February 2023, we have seen caps about as bad as ever.
However, according to sources, this wasn’t just to get all stores some stock; this was also meant to help reduce the workload in the warehouse. So, in theory, this is a good idea for all parties involved.
Unfortunately, it hasn’t seemed to work out this way, and here’s why:
Stores are already not getting their orders when they are supposed to. According to reports, Games Workshop has broken the North American Warehouse up into two parts, with the first being for new releases (and where the machines work), and the other half of the warehouse is for restocks with actual people pulling and shipping stores their orders, which reportedly was behind by about 2-3 weeks.
According to some, this will get much worse with the upcoming price increases and stores ordering even more volume before those go into effect.
Now that we know the potential issues, let’s see how this may affect the rumored release of 10th edition Warhammer 40k
Not Enough Stock
Does anyone remember the Indomitus debacle from 2020?
Back when they released Indomitus, there were crazy supply chain issues, COVID problems, and everything seemed sold out all the time.
Unfortunately, we’re starting to see very similar issues right now. With Indomitus, they had a bit more of an excuse as they had to shut down for obvious reasons, and then they took a really long time to catch up.
They also tried to keep up with their new releases. Guess what? The exact same thing is happening now; they are still behind from weeks of releases and are constantly trying to pump out the new minis.
With them already behind and allocating every new release, a big launch for 10th edition just seems crazy even to attempt… GW has sold out of Kasrkin, Soulshackle, etc… almost immediately; it seems hard to imagine they are ready to pump out an insane number of boxes for a new edition.
Even the World Eaters release from just weeks before this writing is sold out on Games Workshop’s site.
As we said, this also isn’t just in the USA either, as multiple retailers from over the pond have also had issues, as you can see below.
So, these issues, whatever they are, seem to be worldwide and making everyone a little nervous for the 10th edition. However, there is also another possible reason for all of this.
Ramping Up For The 10th Edition Release?
These issues could be a direct result of Games Workshop actually ramping up production of 10th edition items and not having enough capacity left over to keep up with “normal” operations.
This is sort of what happened with 9th, where the normal releases were rumored to be heavily allocated so that GW could get ready for 9th edition right around the same time as lockdowns hit.
However, at that time, they still hit some big issues some of which were just unavoidable with COVID etc.
Let’s hope, this time, if they really are slowing down the current releases to ramp up production of 10th edition, that means they will have plenty of stock for the next edition.
Either way, these continued issues as well as the new price increase could herald a significant dip in consumer confidence in GW.
Check out the latest Warhammer 40k rumors for the rest of the 9th and even 10th Edition, new releases, and more!
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What do you think the reason is for all the recent slowdowns? Do you think they are just ramping up for 10th edition?
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About the Author: Rob Baer
Rob Baer
Job Title: Managing Editor
Founded Spikey Bits in 2009
Socials: Rob Baer on Facebook and @catdaddymbg on X
About Rob Baer: Founder, Publisher, & Managing Editor of Spikey Bits, the leading tabletop gaming news website focused on the hobby side of wargaming and miniatures. Rob has won many Warhammer 40k Tournaments over the years, including the Adepticon Team Tournament and American Team Tournaments, and is on a first-name basis with almost every major company in the space.
He’s all gaming all the time. With over 30 years of experience in retail and distribution, Rob knows all the products and exactly which ones are the best. He advocates for gaming stores and manufacturers in these difficult times, always looking for the next big thing to feature for the miniatures hobby, helping everyone to provide the value consumers want.
While he’s played every edition of Warhammer 40k and Warhammer Fantasy (since 5th Edition) and has been hobbying on miniatures since the 1908s, Titans of all sizes will always be his favorite! It’s even rumored that his hobby vault rivals the Solemnance Galleries, containing rulebooks filled with lore from editions long past, ancient packs of black-bordered Magic Cards, and models made of both pewter and resin.
