Games Workshop is striking back at Warhammer creators with takedowns once again, and fan channels are scrambling—here’s what’s going on.
Games Workshop is at it again—and this time, they’re not just taking aim at bootleg models. Warhammer content creators across YouTube are getting slapped with copyright strikes, and it’s not just the big names feeling the heat. CGI animators, parody channels, and anyone uploading fan-made projects are watching their work vanish overnight (for the second time).
The hobby space is on fire again, but not in a good way. If you care about fan creativity, free content, or just like watching a bunch of Black Templars hit the gym, this one hits close to home. So, what’s going on—and why should you care before your favorite videos disappear too? Let’s break it down.
Why Warhammer Creators Are Under Fire
If you’ve spent more than five minutes in the Warhammer hobby scene on YouTube, you’ve probably watched a slick fan animation or a satirical short that pokes fun at the grimdark. Those videos? Many are vanishing faster than an unpainted model at a tournament. Games Workshop has been issuing copyright strikes against content creators left and right—yes, even the ones making completely free, non-monetized stuff for the love of it.
What started with takedowns on smaller animation channels has snowballed. From parody videos to CGI shorts made in basement studios, nothing seems off-limits. It’s like someone at GW saw fun happening and said, “Not on my watch.”
What This Means for the Community
This isn’t just a headache for creators. The entire hobby loses out when fan content goes missing. Fewer memes, fewer cinematic battle sequences, fewer brilliant one-liners from Black Templars at the gym. These takedowns chill creative expression and build a wall between the studio and the people who keep the hobby alive with their own time, tech skills, and boundless imagination.
The Copyright Strikes Explained
The first domino fell when Otsu got hit with multiple copyright claims from Games Workshop. Their CGI trailer, which was a pure passion project, was flagged, even though it wasn’t monetized. Then, others, like “The Stand” and “The Ghost.” Then Janovich—creator of the massive Siege of Vraks animation—chimed in, covered the takedowns, and promptly became a target himself. Funny how that works.
Fair Use, Parody, and YouTube Strikes
Here’s the kicker: a lot of the content flagged clearly falls under parody or transformative use, which typically has a legal leg to stand on. But YouTube’s automated system doesn’t care. Once you get three copyright strikes, your channel could disappear. Appeals? Sure, but only if you’ve got time, money, and a legal team. Most hobbyists don’t.
A History of IP Tensions at Games Workshop
This isn’t new behavior. GW has long had an itchy trigger finger when it comes to its IP. Remember the time they tried to stop an author from using the term “Space Marine”? And the infamous NDA leaks from a few years back? Those moments showed a company very interested in controlling the narrative, and not very interested in fans shaping it.
The gray area between homage and infringement is messy. But trying to copyright strike a stick-figure space marine feels like overkill. Most fans aren’t trying to steal—they’re celebrating.
The Rise of Warhammer+ and Its Role in the Crackdown
Here’s the turning point: Warhammer+. GW launched its own subscription-based animation service, and suddenly, fan creators looked less like free marketing and more like rivals. Cue the takedowns.
Astartes and the Shift Toward Corporate-Owned Animation
Astartes was the crown jewel of fan-made content. So GW scooped up the creator and moved the series onto Warhammer+. It was a signal to the community: if your stuff is good enough, we’ll either hire you—or silence you.
Monetization Strategies: Free YouTube Content vs. Paid Subscriptions
It may all come down to this: GW wants your $7 a month. And they don’t want you watching free fan-made animations when they’re trying to sell you slick, official ones behind a paywall.
The hobby isn’t just miniatures and rulebooks. It’s stories, jokes, animations, and a wildly creative fanbase. If GW keeps swatting at that creativity, they might win a copyright battle—but lose the war for hearts and minds.
Community Response and Escalating Concerns
This is the company GW used to take down “Faulty” listings on platforms like eBay and Amazon.
Once Games Workshop started throwing copyright strikes like confetti, the Warhammer fanbase didn’t take it quietly. Reddit threads lit up. YouTubers started walking on eggshells. We showed how GW employs AI bots to scour the internet for anything that looks vaguely like a bolter. Nobody knows for sure what’s behind the takedown frenzy, but the vibe is… tense.
Creators Push Back and Organize
Not everyone’s running for cover, though. Some are fighting back — carefully. A few creators have banded together to share resources, support each other, and coordinate responses. Think less “uprising” and more “group project with fire emojis.”
Channels like Janovich have used their platforms to bring attention to what’s happening. Others are starting to host their work off YouTube entirely, hoping to dodge the strike system by shifting to Patreon, Gumroad, or even their own websites. It’s clunky, but it’s a move toward independence. One thing’s clear: creators are tired of feeling like their hard work might disappear with a single automated email.
What Fans Can Do Now
Calls for boycotts come fast in this community. “Cancel Warhammer+!” “Don’t buy the next codex!” It’s understandable. People are upset. But history tells us those campaigns tend to fizzle out by the time the next shiny mini hits preorder.
What works better? Supporting the folks who got hit. Subscribing to their newsletters. Sharing their alternative uploads. Backing them on platforms that don’t play whack-a-mole with hobby content. Small actions add up, especially when someone’s entire YouTube archive just vanished overnight.
Supporting Creators and Alternative Platforms
You want to make a difference? Show up for the people making the stuff you love. That means actually watching the reposted videos on PeerTube. Clicking the download link instead of just rewatching the old upload. Tipping them a couple bucks if they’ve got a Ko-fi or Patreon. Not glamorous, but it matters.
Keep an eye on creators trying new platforms. If they take the leap, they’ll need an audience that follows. This community has the numbers. It just needs the nudge.
Final Thoughts
If GW continues treating fan creators like unpaid interns who wandered off-script, it’s going to be a long road for all of us. The crackdown may quiet things for now, but the creativity isn’t going away. It’ll just move somewhere less hostile. Maybe that’s good. Maybe it pushes the scene to build its own space.
Staying Informed and Taking Action
This stuff isn’t going to fix itself. Keep talking about it. Comment on the takedown videos. Share creator updates. Ask questions in the next Q&A livestream. GW notices when fans get loud. If you want Warhammer fan content to stick around, it’s going to take more than painting guides and battle reports. It’ll take people giving a damn — and saying so.
GW Addresses AI-Powered Counterfeit Strikes
What do you think about Games Workshop and these takedowns?
