Founded in 1975 byJohn Peake,Ian Livingstone andSteve Jackson, Games Workshop was originally a manufacturer of wooden boards for games includingbackgammon,mancala,nine men's morris andGo. It later became an importer of the U.S. role-playing gameDungeons & Dragons, and then a publisher of wargames and role-playing games in its own right, expanding from a bedroom mail-order company in the process. It expanded into Europe, the US, Canada, and Australia in the early 1990s. All UK-based operations were relocated to the current headquarters inLenton, Nottingham in 1997.
It started promoting games associated withThe Lord of the Rings film trilogy in 2001. It also owns Forge World (which makes complementary specialist resin miniatures and conversion kits). It is listed on theLondon Stock Exchange and has been a constituent of theFTSE 100 Index since 20 December 2024.[3]
Founded in 1975 at 15 Bolingbroke Road, London by John Peake, Ian Livingstone and Steve Jackson (not to be confused with U.S. game designerSteve Jackson), Games Workshop was originally a manufacturer of wooden boards for games includingbackgammon,mancala,nine men's morris, andGo.[4] It later became an importer of the U.S. role-playing gameDungeons & Dragons, and then a publisher of wargames and role-playing games in its own right, expanding from a bedroom mail-order company in the process.[5]
Cover ofWhite Dwarf Issue #1, June/July 1977
In order to promote their business and postal games, create a games club, and provide an alternative source for games news, the newsletterOwl and Weasel[6] was founded in February 1975. This was superseded in June 1977 byWhite Dwarf.[7]
From the outset, there was a clear, stated interest in print regarding "progressive games", includingcomputer gaming,[8] which led to the departure of John Peake in early 1976, who preferred "traditional games" (such as backgammon). The loss of Peake also meant the loss of the fledgling company's main source of income.[9] However, having successfully obtained official distribution rights toDungeons & Dragons and otherTSR products in the UK, and maintaining a high profile by runninggames conventions, the business grew rapidly. It opened its first shop in April 1978.[10]
Games Workshop opening day at 1 Dalling Road, Hammersmith, London, in April 1978[11][12][13]
In late 1978 Games Workshop provided the funding to co-foundCitadel Miniatures inNewark-on-Trent. Citadel would produce the metal miniatures used in its role-playing games and tabletop wargames. The "Citadel" name became synonymous with Games Workshop Miniatures, and continues to be a trademarked brand name used in association with them long after the Citadel company was absorbed into Games Workshop.[14][15] For a timeGary Gygax promoted the idea ofTSR, Inc. merging with Games Workshop, until Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone backed out.[16]
In 1984 Games Workshop ceased distributing its products in the U.S. through hobby games distributors and opened its Games Workshop (U.S.) office. Games Workshop (U.S.), and Games Workshop in general, grew significantly in the late 1980s, with over 250 employees on the payroll by 1990.[18]
From 1985 to 1987, the focus of the company shifted from role-playing games and board games to miniature wargames, following the successful release ofWarhammer Fantasy Battle in 1983 andWarhammer 40,000 in 1987, and the change of ownership and direction whenBryan Ansell became managing director and majority owner of the company.[19]
Tom Kirby became General Manager in 1986.[20] Kirby became CEO following amanagement buyout, backed by private equity firmECI Partners in December 1991, when majority ownerBryan Ansell, Keith Pinfold (CFO), Livingstone and Jackson,[19] sold their shares for£10 million,[21] Games Workshop refocused on theirminiature wargamesWarhammer Fantasy Battle (WFB) andWarhammer 40,000 (WH40k), their most lucrative lines. The retail chain refocused on a younger, more family-oriented market. The change of direction was a great success and the company enjoyed growing profits, but the more commercial direction of the company made it lose some of its old fan base. A breakaway group of two company employees publishedFantasy Warlord in competition with Games Workshop, but the new company met with little success and closed in 1993. Games Workshop expanded in Europe, the US, Canada and Australia, opening new branches and organising events in each new commercial territory. Having been acquired by private equity firm ECI Partners, the company was floated on theLondon Stock Exchange in October 1994.[22][23] In October 1997 all UK-based operations were relocated to the current headquarters inLenton, Nottingham.[24]
The company diversified by acquiring Sabretooth Games (card games), creating theBlack Library (literature), and working withTHQ (computer games).[25]
A Games Workshop store inDüsseldorf, Germany, pictured in 2009
In late 2009 Games Workshop issued a succession ofcease and desist orders against various Internet sites it accused of violating its intellectual property, generating anger and disappointment from its fan community.[26][27]
On 16 May 2011, Maelstrom Games announced that Games Workshop had revised the terms and conditions of their trade agreement with independent stockists in the UK. The new terms and conditions restricted the sale of all Games Workshop products to within theEuropean Economic Area.[28] On 16 June 2013, WarGameStore, a UK-based retailer of Games Workshop products since 2003, announced further changes to Games Workshop's trade agreement with UK-based independent stockists.[29]
In July 2021, Games Workshop made changes to their IP guidelines, adopting a "zero tolerance" stance towards fan-made games, videos and animations, drawing criticism from fans.[31][32][33]
The presence of Games Workshop in the East Midlands has led the region to become the centre of the wargames industry in the UK, known as thelead belt, with numerous other companies founded by former employees in the area.[34]
In conjunction with the promotion ofThe Lord of the Rings film trilogy in 2001, Games Workshop acquired the rights to produce a skirmish wargame and miniatures, using the movies' production and publicity art, and information provided by the original novels byJ.R.R. Tolkien. A 25 mm scale was used.[41] The rights to produce a role-playing game using the films' art and both the book and the movies' plots and characters were sold to another firm,Decipher, Inc. Games Workshop also produced aBattle of Five Armies game based on a culminating episode inThe Hobbit, using 10 mm scale.[42]
On 10 February 2011 Warner Bros. Consumer Products announced that it had extended its six-year agreement with Games Workshop, continuing its exclusive, worldwide rights to produce tabletop games based on "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings." Games Workshop announced plans to expand their offerings of battle-games and model soldiers, and to continue to develop and increase offerings based on J.R.R. Tolkien's fantasy books.[43]
Games Workshop has expanded into several divisions/companies producing products related to theWarhammer universe.
Forge World makes specialist resin miniatures and conversion kits for Games Workshop's titles as well as itsSpecialist Games range. Forge World was also responsible for theWarhammer Historical line of historical wargames rules, includingWarhammer Ancient Battles, all of which were previously published by as a component of Black Library.[44] In August 2018, Forge World announced substantial changes to its U.S. pricing model in exchange for faster and less costly shipping services to the United States.[45] As of 31 November 2023, the Forge World website was made defunct as part of the company merger under the banner name "Warhammer" in one website, the resin kits sold were also marked as "Advance model kits" with an age rating attached[46]
The company has hard-to-reproduce, unique intellectual property, and a good export record. Sales slowed around 1999-2000 due to supply chain issues, but quickly rebounded a few years later.[48]
Games Workshop previously producedminiature figures via an associated, originally independent, company calledCitadel Miniatures while the main company concentrated on retail. The distinction between the two blurred after Games Workshop stores ceased to sell retail products by other manufacturers, and Citadel was effectively merged back into Games Workshop.[49]
Blood Bowl – anAmerican football style game using fantasy creatures. Originally released in 1986, it was revived in 2016 with a "Second Season Edition" in 2020.
Legions Imperialis - a war game set during the Horus Heresy, in the Warhammer 40,000 universe, Legions Imperialis is a revitalised version ofEpic 40,000.
Necromunda Underhive – a skirmish game set on a hive world which pits gangs of humans against each other (released 2017), updated from the 1995 version.
Warcry – A skirmish game set in the Age of Sigmar universe (new edition released 2022).
Warhammer 40,000: Kill Team - A skirmish version of Warhammer 40,000, using the same factions and units (new edition released 2024).
Warhammer: Underworlds – A game set in the Age of Sigmar setting combining miniature gaming anddeck-building (released 2017).
Kerrunch – a simplified version of Blood Bowl.[58]
Man O' War – a game of naval combat in a fantasy world. Two expansions were also released,Sea of Blood andPlague Fleet.[59]
Mighty Warriors – a simplified version of Advanced HeroQuest. More of a light Skirmish game using AHQ minis set in a dungeon.[60]
Dragon Masters – a board game which played like a simplified version ofMighty Empires, in which players take the role of competing Elven princes in Ulthuan.[61]
Warhammer Quest – a game of dungeon exploration and questing, effectively an updated version of Advanced HeroQuest[64]
Warhammer Quest: Silver Tower (released 2016) – dungeon crawl game in theWarhammer Age of Sigmar universe. Despite sharing theWarhammer Quest brand, rules and settings are completely different from the original game.[64]
Adeptus Titanicus (The original game in the Epic series, which dealt solely with combat between Titans.)[65]
Codex Titanicus (Expanded rules for the above, adding rules for Ork and Eldar titans along with expanded rules for Eldar, Orks, Imperial Guard infantry and vehicles.)[66]
Shadow War: Armageddon - an updated version of theNecromunda skirmish ruleset, using the currentWarhammer 40,000 factions in place of Necromunda's human gangs (released 2017).[74]
Space Fleet (A simple spaceship combat game, later greatly expanded via White Dwarf magazine with material intended for the aborted 'Battleship Gothic', itself later relaunched as Battlefleet Gothic.)[75]
Space Hulk (Four editions were published; expansions are listed below.)[76]
Deathwing (An expansion boxed set adding new Terminator weapons and a new campaign.)[77]
Genestealer (An expansion boxed set adding rules for Genestealer hybrids and psychic powers.)[78]
Space Hulk Campaigns (An expansion book released in both soft and hard-cover collecting reprinted four campaigns previously printed in White Dwarf.)[79]
Space Marine (The original Epic-scale game concerning troops and infantry, 1st edition was compatible with Adeptus Titanicus, 2nd with Titan Legions)[80]
Titan Legions (An update of Adeptus Titanicus, effectively an expansion of Space Marine 2nd edition.)[81]
Tyranid Attack (An introductory game reusing the boards from Advanced Space Crusade.)[82]
Ultra Marines (An introductory game reusing the boards from Space Hulk.)[83]
Specialist games came out of GW intention to create other games alongside the core Warhammer and WH40K. Originally called secondary game systems, these were intended to have a finite lifespan of a couple of years before being retired and a new game published. These games were aimed at the "veteran" gamers. These are gamers who are more experienced in the core games produced by Games Workshop. This is because the rules and the complexity of tactics inherent in the systems are often more in-depth than the core games. This also includes games that aren't necessarily more complex, but have a smaller more specialised target audience. Following the unexpected success ofNecromunda, the Fanatic division of GW was set up in 1996, this was later renamed "Specialist Games". The division was shut down in 2013, with all games being discontinued.
Warhammer Fantasy universe
Dreadfleet – a naval combat style board game (limited stock) released on 1 October 2011[84]
Mighty Empires – a hexagonal tile based campaign supplement to WFB that was also playable as a game in its right.[85]
Mordheim – askirmish game. An expansion calledEmpire in Flames was also released[86]
Warmaster – a game for fighting larger battles with smaller (10 mm) miniatures[87]
Epic – a game for fighting larger battles with smaller (6 mm) miniatures (known asEpic Armageddon in its current edition).[89]
Inquisitor – a skirmish/role play game using larger (54 mm) more detailed miniatures and intended for older gamers.[90][page needed]
Necromunda – a skirmish game set on a hive world which pits gangs of humans against each other, using modified 2nd editionWarhammer 40,000 rules, which are more detailed than newer editions and more suitable for skirmish games. Originally printed in 1995, it was revived at the end of 2017.[91]
The Lord of the Rings universe
The Battle of Five Armies – a game for fighting larger battles with smaller (10 mm) miniatures. The game was named after (and initially centred on) the Battle of Five Armies, one of the later scenes in J.R.R. Tolkien'sThe Hobbit.[92]
TheStrategy Battle Game was expanded with new supplements. In 2009 an expansion for the game entitled 'War of the Ring' was released, allowing players to recreate large scale battles in Middle-Earth. In December 2012 Games Workshop released the first wave of models based on the movie The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.[93]
These games were not made by Games Workshop but used similar-style models, artwork and concepts. These games were made by mainstream toy companies and were available in toy and department stores.
Games Workshop produces a line of acrylic paints forpainting miniatures, under the Citadel name. At the end of March 2012 the company announced a new range of over 145 colours made in the UK.[98] The current Citadel paint types are:[99]
Base: Pigment dense for high opacity. Intended to offer good coverage over a primer layer for a strong foundation of colour.
Layer: Thinner and less pigment dense than Base paints for slight translucency. Intended to be built up over multiple layers to create smooth transitions of colour or value.
Shade: Acrylic ink based "paints" that are thin and flow easily into recessed details. Intended to be applied as a wash to add depth and shadow.
Dry: Thick, paste-consistency paints with maximum pigment concentration. Intended to aid in dry-brushing to achieve easy highlighting of models.
Air: A selection of colours from the Base and Layer lines that are thinned down, as well as some "Clear" paints. Intended to be used through an airbrush.
Technical: A range of non-standard "paints" to achieve additional effects. These include gloss paints for slime or wet blood, semi-transparent glossy paints for gemstone effects, weathering effect paints, spectral effect paints, textured pastes for gaming bases, acrylic mediums, and acrylic varnishes. Intended for adding finishing details to models.
Spray: Spray-can paints that come in black, white, and a small selection of colours from the Base line. Intended as a primer layer and to add a foundation coat of colour quickly.
Contrast: Thinned paint and medium mixtures that flow into recesses similar to Shade paints, but also stain the raised details creating a blended fade from highlight to shadow. Intended to be applied over specialised Spray paints to give an effect similar to using a Base, then Layer, then Shade, but in one coat of paint to speed up the painting process.
Contrast paints were added to the Games Workshop paint range in 2019, promoted as speeding up the painting process for players. The existing range of paints was also expanded and reorganised when Contrast was released,[100] and branding changed fromCitadel toCitadel Colour. The previously available Glaze line of paints was discontinued, replaced with the introduction of the Air Clear paints, the previously available Edge line of paints were combined into the Layer line, with some colours also being renamed, and the previously separate Texture line of paints was combined into the Technical line.[101]
Several of the miniatures games (e.g. Inquisitor) involve a role-playing element; however, Games Workshop has, in the past, publishedrole-playing games set within the Warhammer universe.Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay was first published in 1986; a second edition appeared in 2005 published byBlack Industries, part of GW's fiction imprintBL Publishing. In 2018 a 4th edition was published byCubicle 7.[102]
Warhammer 40,000: Dark Heresy, the first of three proposed role-playing games set in theWarhammer 40,000 universe, was released in late January 2008 and sold out almost immediately. In September 2008 production was transferred toFantasy Flight Games.[103]
Fantasy Flight Games subsequently published four other roleplaying games;Rogue Trader,Deathwatch,Black Crusade, andOnly War, set in the sameWarhammer 40,000 universe and employing similar mechanics.[104]
The following games are technically out of print in their original editions, but have had new versions (in some cases heavily revised and in some cases with additional game expansions) published by Fantasy Flight Games.
Dark Heresy - an RPG based in the WH40k Universe where players control one member of an Inquisitor's retinue.[112]
Games Workshop had a strong history in boardgames development, alongside the miniatures and RPGs. Several may have had roleplaying elements, or had miniatures included or produced.Spacefarers released in 1981 was one of these board games with a set of miniature rules especially designed for use withCitadel Miniatures' figures.[113]: 139
Licensing for an undisclosed proportion of Games Workshop's back catalogue of board games was transferred to Fantasy Flight Games as part of the same transaction which included Black Library's Role Playing Games. Fantasy Flight has republished revised editions of a number of these games. At the time of the announcement, Black Library had only one boardgame in print, the 4th Edition of "Talisman". Fantasy Flight subsequently released revised editions of Talisman and of other former Games Workshop boardgames. On 9 September 2016, Fantasy Flight Games announced the termination of its licensing agreement with Games Workshop.[114]
Games Workshop currently has several standalone board games in production.[115]
The following games are technically out of print in their original editions, but have had new versions (in all cases heavily revised and in some cases with additional game expansions) published by Fantasy Flight Games.
Games Workshop released atrading card game (TCG) in 2018 based on theAge of Sigmar universe calledWarhammer Age of Sigmar: Champions Trading Card Game.[158]
There were yearlyGames Day events held by Games Workshop which was started in 1975, at Seymour Hall, London on 20 December 1975.[159] It included theGolden Demon painting competition, news stands, sales stands, and tables to play on. In 2014 it was replaced by 'Warhammer Fest', similar but with additions such as demonstration pods and seminars.[160]
Games Workshop has run numerousWorldwide Campaigns for its three core game systems. In each campaign, players are invited to submit the results of games played within a certain time period.[161]
Each Warhammer campaign has had a new codex published with the rules for special characters or "incomplete" army lists. Below are listed the Games Workshop Worldwide Campaigns (with the campaign's fictional universe setting in parentheses):
These Campaigns were run to promote its miniature wargames, and attracted interest in the hobby, particularly at gaming clubs, Hobby Centres and independent stockists.[161] Forums for the community were created for each campaign (in addition to those on the main site), as a place to "swap tactics, plan where to post your results, or just chat about how the campaign is going."[161] In some cases special miniatures were released to coincide with the campaigns; the promotional "Gimli on DeadUruk-hai" miniature, for example, was available only through the campaign roadshows or ordering online.[173] As a whole these events have been successful; one, for example, was deemed "a fantastic rollercoaster", with thousands of registered participants.[174]
Games Workshop's has published theWhite Dwarf magazine since 1977 and has over 500 issues.[7] Games Workshop also published Fanatic Magazine in support of their Specialist Games range.[175] After the cancellation of Fanatic Magazine, an electronic version, known as "Fanatic Online" was published from Games Workshop's Specialist Games website.[176]
For a brief period in the mid-1980s GW took over publication of theFighting Fantasy magazineWarlock fromPuffin Books who had produced the first 5 issues. The magazine turned into a general introductory gaming magazine but was discontinued after issue 13.[177]
There was also a fortnightly series called "Battle Games in Middle Earth", which came with a single or several freeLord of the Rings SBG miniatures. Though the miniatures were made by Games Workshop, the magazine itself was written by SGS (part of Games Workshop) and published byDe Agostini.[178]
Games Workshop issued a trademark complaint against retailerAmazon, specifically relating to the novelSpots the Space Marine, claiming it violated their European 'space marine' trademark.[179][180] Commentators such asCory Doctorow[181] and digital rights group theElectronic Frontier Foundation,[182] questioned the right of Games Workshop to trademark the term.[183] On 8 February 2013, Spots the Space Marine reappeared on Amazon. Games Workshop has issued no further legal action.[184]
Games Workshop illustrators also published artbooks covering parts of their commissioned work for the company. These includeAdrian Smith,Ian Miller andJohn Blanche.[185]
From 1997 to 2005, Black Library publishedINFERNO!, a magazine of short stories, artwork, and other features set in the various fictional universes of Games Workshop, and regularly featuring that of Warhammer 40,000.[186] Since 2010, Black Library has produced a monthly eBook called "Hammer and Bolter," with the focus on short stories set in the different Games Workshop universes.[187]
In the late 1980s, the death metal bandBolt Thrower wrote lyrics dedicated to the Warhammer 40,000 universe, and used Warhammer 40,000 artwork on the cover of their second album,Realm of Chaos.[188]
In the early 1990s, Games Workshop created its own short-lived record company,Warhammer Records. The first album released by the label wasOblivion, byD-Rok, in 1991. A fragment of one of the album's tracks, "Get Out of My Way", was used in the computer gameSpace Hulk, published byElectronic Arts in 1992.[189] Another Warhammer Records-associated band,Wraith, released two albums,Danger Calling (1992) andRiot (1993) while with the label. The album,Psycho Dead Heads from Outer Space (1993) by Rich Rags was the final original album released under the label. Warhammer Records also held the UK distribution rights forSaxon's albumForever Free. The label was folded in 1993.[190]
In the early 2000s, the German label Art of Perception produced a 12 part soundtrack vinyl series followed by three CD compilations. The task for the artists involved in this project was to conduct a theme for a species from the Warhammer 40.000 universe.[191]
In 2009, the Singaporeandeath metal band,Deus Ex Machina, releasedI, Human, which makes numerous references to the Warhammer 40,000 universe, particularly the Adeptus Mechanicus faction.[192]
In 2007 and 2015, the German death metal bandDebauchery released several songs about the Chaos God Khorne, "Praise the Blood God", "True To The Skull Throne (And Bound To Kill)", and "Blood For The Blood God".[193]
Games Workshop announced that Exile Studios would produce aCGI movie based upon theBloodquest graphic novel; a trailer was released, but the project was discontinued and Exile Studios disbanded.[194]
For the 25th anniversaryGames Day, Games Workshop released (for limited sale) a short movie entitledInquisitor,[195] using clips and footage that was created as a pitch to G.W. for a film deal. There were also trailers for two other films, "Hive Infestation" and "Blood for the Blood God". "Hive Infestation" pitted Space Wolf terminators against a genestealer cult infestation of a hive world. "Blood for the Blood God" was the second trailer released, and portrayed orks and Dark Angel marines fighting along with an inquisitor, much in the style of theEpic 40,000 video game cut scenes, but little information was given on this short film aside from a shot of a berserker of Khorne (available in YouTube but flagged by Games Workshop, removing the movie).[196]
Another one wasDamnatus, a German fan film developed over four years. Games Workshop announced in July 2007 that they would not give permission for the film to be released because of issues between Anglo-Americancopyright and Continental EuropeanDroit d'auteur.[195]
On 5 August 2021, Games Workshop launched Warhammer Plus, a subscription service that provides access to exclusive Warhammer-themed shows and animations, as well as other content such as classic issues of theWhite Dwarf magazine and exclusive miniatures.[198][199]
^Appelcline, Shannon (2014).Designers & dragons. '80-'89 : a history of the roleplaying game industry (2nd ed.). Silver Springs, MD, USA: Evil Hat Productions.ISBN978-1-61317-081-6.
^Appelcline, Shannon (2014).Designers & Dragons. '70-'79 : A history of the roleplaying game industry (2nd ed.). Silver Springs, MD, USA: Evil Hat Productions.ISBN978-1-61317-075-5.
£494.7 million (2024)[2]
