Games Workshop is changing its style of previews again at the NOVA Open 2025, featuring Warhammer 40k, AoS, Old World, and yes, even free beer. This one is wild.
Games Workshop is mixing things up for NOVA Open 2025, and it looks like we might finally get back to seeing brand-new minis at the actual event. That’s right, after pulling the plug on events like the Dallas Open preview (at least for the in-person crowd), NOVA’s getting a shiny new format, and it sounds like a wild one.
The Warhammer hype engine is chugging into NOVA Open this August with what GW is calling a “one-of-a-kind convention experience.” No more sitting in a crowded ballroom just to watch a trailer you could’ve seen at home. This year, it’s hands-on. Literally.
Oh, and free beer too…
NOVA Open Preview: Big Changes, Bigger Hints
Instead of the standard slideshow and applause, this year’s Wednesday night preview is going interactive. Games Workshop is teaming up with NOVA to give attendees an early peek at unreleased models, host Q&As with the GW crew, run live art sessions, throw in special games, offer event-only store discounts, and yes, even free beer.
This preview event runs from 5 PM to 8 PM EST on August 27th. If you’re going to NOVA in person, you’re in for a good time. Everyone else? Well, we’re guessing the regular preview stream with Adam and Eddie will fire up around 8 PM EST once the in-person festivities wrap.
That puts it at 1 AM in the UK, which means either they’re staying up late or we’re getting a pre-recorded reveal. Either way, we’ll have all the updates right here once it drops.
If GW’s bringing the goods back to physical events, this could be the start of something fun again. Here’s what we might see at the event.
Eyes on Dark Eldar
Nova’s around the corner, and Dark Eldar might finally get their moment. They’re the last major faction still waiting for updates this edition. Rumors suggest Lady Malys might show up (and there was the leaked sprue), and there’s been talk of a new multi-part Archon kit.
People have even dared to dream about a new Vect centerpiece model (but we feel this rumor pops up every edition). If Vect does come back, it would feel like a big win for the Drukhari.
That said, most of the real refresh is expected to hit with 11th Edition next year. GW has already started investing narrative time in Commorragh, so the signs are there.
New Assault Terminators
The chatter around a Space Marine Codex 2.0 hit peak saturation, and now it’s looking like that hype train may have derailed (with the recent reveals). Games Workshop promised free PDFs for updated rules, which makes a full-blown codex launch feel unnecessary. That said, there’s still a glimmer of hope clinging to one thing: the rumored Terminator box set.
This box supposedly includes new assault Terminators, a Captain, a Chaplain, an Ancient, and those standard Terminators we saw earlier this edition. The twist? It’s not pegged as a Christmas Battleforce box, which makes some folks think it might be tied to an updated Space Marine launch. If this turns out to be the holiday box instead, expect disappointed wallet goblins everywhere.
Grey Knights vs World Eaters: Kill Team Incoming?
Warhammer’s official Instagram teased some fresh Grey Knights artwork, and fans immediately went full detective mode. The piece features World Eaters clashing with Grey Knights, hinting at more than just a flashy poster.
There’s speculation about a Kill Team box featuring these two factions. Between the leaked images and whispers of new models, it’s not a stretch. The artwork even includes a demonic monstrosity with a buzzsaw arm that doesn’t seem to have a one-for-one model quite yet.
It could be artistic flair, or it could be foreshadowing (but we know GW doesn’t like to make art that they don’t then make into box sets). Either way, the idea of Grey Knights storming into blood-drenched World Eater terrain has folks fired up.
Final Thoughts From Us
Free. Beer. So, NOVA Open 2025 is shaping up to be quite the event from the looks of it. In-person reveals, hands-on previews, live Q&As, and maybe even a few plastic surprises you won’t have to squint at through a YouTube compression filter.
Space Marines might not be getting Codex 2.0, but those assault Terminators still sound tasty. Grey Knights and World Eaters squaring off? Yes, please. And if the Drukhari rumors pan out, Vect might finally crawl out of that glass case again.
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