The sluggish pace Games Workshop has adopted recently for their release schedule and online previews may be ending soon.
Obviously, we all want those sweet new minis as often as we can get them. Usually, because if one release takes forever that you’re not interested in, you don’t feel that engaged with the hobby. However, one thing GW also understands is that, if they cannot sync up their releases across the globe, they will push it back until they can.
Why is that so important? Well, you don’t want half the world hobbying on something while the rest can’t, it immediately creates a feelsbadsie for hobbyists- which let’s be honest here, GW really doesn’t need any more negativity directed at them these days.
If you haven’t noticed the slowdown, well, it’s almost as bad as ever. With the Stormcast and Kruleboyz releases taking months, FAQs hitting before even all the minis can be ordered, the 40k Orks coming in long waves, and we expect the same to continue at least until shipping and manufacturing return to pre-pandemic norms.
Games Workshop Sluggish Release Schedule Not All Bad
Let’s first look at the slowdown and how it’s affecting the hobby.
In this most recent slowdown, the Orks were spread out over a long series of releases (4 if you include the launch box). So while it was nice to see them get so much love, at some point even we were ready to move on to the next thing.
Then, we had Dominion, which went out without too much delay. However, the Stormcast and Kruleboyz releases have been so slow, they actually aren’t all out yet, and their respective battletomes have already received FAQs.
The Dragons are the latest victims of the slowdown and won’t be hitting stores until December. Not to mention the beta rollout of the AoS App, but that can be a post all on its own.
Then, we expect the Black Templars to be very similar to the Orks, with up to 3-4 waves of releases.
Lastly, even the previews are being insanely spaced out (compared to normal) with the last live one being on July 10th! So how can such a slowdown of minis not be terrible you ask?
Why it Might Not Be So Bad
Stick with us here for a second. Imagine you live in North America and you’ve been hankering for that new Black Templars box. Instead, however, it’s released three weeks early in the UK. Then, you go onto YouTube or Instagram and all you see is people hobbying on it. Your anger builds at Games Workshop for other people getting it way before you.
Well, that’s exactly why they keep things slow. To get releases out across the world at the same time, thus ensuring we all have the same solid hobby experience (for the most part, some hiccups still happen with AUS/NZ and Japan -sorry folks).
On top of that, while the engagement is less, at least with smaller wave releases local stores can get little bumps in sales. Considering GW’s business model is basically new releases, they have to keep some coming every week or so. This allows them to at least keep the small engagement going all the time.
If they just did a giant release for everything, then didn’t have anything to come out for about a month or so, engagement, and thus sales, would be far less.
Just look at the launch box, they had to delay it in Asia and it really upset the hobbyists there. Imagine if every time they did a release it was staggered across the world. We’re far too connected nowadays to let something like that go.
Unfortunately, this did happen with another company’s recent releases…
Asmodee Releases Staggered Across the World
The recent releases from Asmodee for games like Marvel Crisis Protocol have been so staggered across the world that it’s disconnecting some hobbyists here in the states- and that’s exactly what GW is trying to stop.
Spider Foes was the last new release in the US, while UK/EU has gotten Dormmamu, the new Dr. Strange/Covenant faction, Blade and Moonie. Plus now Hulkbuster and Ms. Marvel have even hit in some places already overseas.
This just makes it so hard if you’re in a region that didn’t get the releases and you go online and see all these people painting them up and playing with them. So while it’s not the worst thing ever, at least the GW slowdown stops stuff like this from happening across the world, and all the negativity that comes from that.
From the looks of things, GW is fast-tracking the backlog of releases with this week’s shotgun blast that took a lot of hobbyists by surprise. Coupled with a new release preview on Warhammer Day, and things may be slowly getting back to some sort of normal as far as product goes from Games Workshop.
All the Newest GW Model Previews For November & Beyond
Do you mind the sluggish new release schedule from Games WOrkshop? Are you happy the releases don’t get staggered throughout the world?
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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!
