Games Workshop has targeted Wahapedia for 40k copyright claims in the past; here is what is happening with the Warhammer rules site now.
Wahapedia, a resource website for Warhammer players, has been targeted by cyberattacks and issued a Cease and Desist notice by Games Workshop. While the site has had some downtime due to these attacks, it seems to be back up and running with some limitations.
With Games Workshop’s recent crackdown on intellectual property, it remains to be seen if Wahapedia will be forced to remove content.
Wahapedia Has Been Updated With 10th Edition Warhammer 40k 40k Rules
Having all your rules in one place with easy access is nice.
So, here’s the deal: there are new rules for the armies that already have their codex. If you’re thinking about fielding one of these armies, it’s a good idea to grab the book. But hey, even if you’re just curious about what your opponent’s faction is up to, these rules are worth a look.
They also have a quick reference for all the 10th Edition stratagems. Perhaps even better, they have them below every datasheet that can be used. Meaning you don’t have to look all around. The whole site is laid out very well, and super easy to use.
Wahapedia even has the Warhammer 40k 10th Edition rules for all the new minis you may have not seen yet. On top of that, the points are also very easy to find and laid out well.
Now all the Warhammer 40k 10th Edition armies with a codex are on Wahapedia, so it should be even easier to play games than ever before!
Games Workshop Is Trying to Take Down Wahapedia:
When the functionality of Wahapedia is in flux, readers will come to this article for answers.
Wahapedia Outages and Banned From Patreon
Updated July 8, 2022: Wahapedia appeared down with a 403 error saying access is denied on mobile devices.
Currently, desktop versions of the site still work, we reached out to Wahapedia, and they indicated they were “working on it and to try again” it appears to be a technical problem.
Recently the site was removed from Patreon perhaps in response to its Russian origins, however, Patreon said it would allow Russian creators to continue to use the service back in March.
They were directing readers to use Bootsy (link here) so that Patreons could subscribe and continue to support the site.
It appears that they have indeed been banned from Patreon, according to their discord:
Guys, I have two news for you: bad one and good one. Where to start?.. You are daredevil, aren’t you? Okay, let’s start with the bad one: my Patreon is banned. Yes, you probably already saw this bar on the site. Let it hang for a couple of days, okay?
Don’t get angry. Due to the Patreon ban, I welcome my loyal patrons and all who are willing to support my hard work on this site to re-subscribe on Boosty following these simple instructions:
What about a good one? So, you probably saw it too – War Zone Nephilim: Grand Tournament is already on the site. Note that I re-input the secondaries of all factions just for this GT. According to the rules – secondaries from the codexes cannot be used. And one more feature – the CSM secondaries have been added to the site, despite the fact that the codex itself is not on the site yet. Just ignore them.
Downtime March 2022
Wahapedia downtime on March 14/15th, 2022 looks to have been resolved. A recent post by Wahapedia said the following:
Dear comrades! As you may have noticed, the site was once again subjected to a cyberattack. However, this time not only my site was affected, but also a number of sites on the servers of my hoster. Measures are being taken. Without plunging you into technical details, I will say that the site should now work, albeit more slowly.
However, every cloud has a silver lining – for me, the site web.archive.org has become a discovery, where Wahapedia is alive and well, although not the most up-to-date version. If it fits, you can use it.
So apparently, their host was attacked this time, which makes sense given the current state of affairs over the Ukrainian conflict. However, this isn’t the first time they have been attacked, and as you can see from their February update, they point some shade towards England.
Update: Wahapedia downtime on February 17th looks to have been resolved. A recent post by Wahapedia said the following:
Recently, DDoS attacks have become frankly annoying, so I took action. Now good old [REDACTED]** will have to work harder to put the server down. I hope this will not affect the performance of the site.
** this is a joke. I doubt that such a reputable company has stooped to such methods.
We added the redacted to this statement as it named someone who works for a company that sends out notices about things…
Wahapedia Downtime November 16-17th, 2021
Their downtime from Nov 16-17, 2021, has been resolved. If you are still having issues, see their statement below for instructions on how to fix your browser.
What happened?
Links without “.html” at the end stopped working.
Why did this happen?
I wanted to upgrade the site, but at the same time NGINX stopped working (it is not provided, as it turned out, on the selected tariff plan).
What have I done to solve it?
I added “.html” to the links. This is a temporary solution and does not apply to archived versions of games.
What do you need to do?
Clear browser cache for wahapedia.ru. Especially critical for filterable factions (AM, SM, CSM, CD)
Is that all?
No, the issue is still being resolved. The ball is on the hosting support court. As for me, the question would be resolved over one call in half an hour by a competent specialist. In the meantime, I have to wait 4-8 hours for an answer to each letter.
I apologize for the inconvenience caused.
Thank you so much for your patience and support!
Wahapedia Cease & Desist
You may recall that Games Workshop asked Wahapedia to stop its activities in a cease-and-desist notice in September 2021. We have posted an excerpt (from an authenticated copy we obtained) of the notice below.
This is the claim against their activities from GW taken from their Patreon. The claims are for taking info and monetizing them through multiple sites. However, the site is more like a recipe site, where they just put the info out there, and you can choose to support it if you wish.
With this being the only real notice, we’ll just have to wait and see at this point what will happen. They basically have 14 days to take down the majority of the site, according to the notice. There is a precedence set for online resources for something like this to stay up, but again, it comes down to whether they want to fight it or not.
This is more of a heads-up than anything. If you want to see more about what they plan on doing about the case, check out their Patreon for more details.
Recent IP Issues & Games Workshop NDA
We’ve covered a lot of the IP concerns from GW lately, most recently their NDA policy. It seems that with the advent of Warhammer+, they have really cracked down on all sides of their IP, from YouTubers to websites to content creators.
They seem to understand just how much their IP is worth with the giant lore they have created. If you want to see more of why GW may be getting more aggressive about their IP lately, we had a guest author break it down really well here.
In conclusion, the situation surrounding Wahapedia and Games Workshop’s copyright claims is complex and ongoing. As a community, it’s important to stay informed and support ethical practices regarding intellectual property.
Keep an eye on official updates from both parties to understand the evolving landscape of Warhammer resources. Let’s hope for a fair and positive resolution that serves the best interests of Warhammer players and content creators.
Have you used Wahapedia, and do you think they will be forced to remove Warhammer 40k rules content by Games Workshop?
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!
