Reviews of Warhammer: What are users saying?

Games Workshop (GW), the iconic British company behind the Warhammer universe, was founded in 1975 in a small apartment in Shepherd’s Bush, London, by visionaries Ian Livingstone and Steve Jackson, two board game enthusiasts who started by manufacturing wooden chess and backgammon boards.

Humble Origins

It all began with their fanzine Owl & Weasel, which they mailed to sell their first handmade products. In 1976, they imported Dungeons & Dragons from TSR, revolutionizing the British role-playing game market. They launched the magazine White Dwarf in 1977, which evolved from a fanzine into a professional publication that promoted titles such as RuneQuest, Call of Cthulhu, and Traveler. John Peake was an initial partner but left soon after; they opened their first store in Hammersmith in 1978.

Bryan Ansell’s Entry and Miniatures

In 1979, Bryan Ansell (then a 17-year-old student) co-founded Citadel Miniatures to produce affordable lead miniatures, merging with GW in 1984-1985. This marked the shift to wargames: Warhammer Fantasy Battle debuted in 1983 as an epic fantasy game with simple yet deep rules, followed by Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader in 1987, introducing grimdark sci-fi with space marines, orks, and chaos.

Leadership and Global Expansion

Tom Kirby became CEO in 1991, transforming GW into a commercial giant with innovations such as the «Combat Patrol» army starter boxes (1992-1993), which drove sales to new heights. They were listed on the London Stock Exchange in 1994, moved their headquarters to Nottingham (where they created Warhammer World in 1996), and expanded to over 500 stores worldwide. Other key leaders include Nick Donaldson (sales) and Andy Jones (development). In the 2000s, they faced crises due to failed diversifications (such as the Legend of the Five Rings card game). Still, they recovered by focusing on premium hobby products featuring high-quality miniatures.

Products, Divisions, and Current Legacy

GW dominates with sagas like Warhammer 40k (10th edition in 2023), Age of Sigmar (evolution of Fantasy), licenses like The Lord of the Rings (until 2024), and specialists (Blood Bowl, Necromunda, Kill Team). Key divisions: Forge World (resin for experts), Black Library (over 400 novels), Warhammer+ (streaming since 2021), and events like Warhammer Fest. They’ve licensed video game hits (Dawn of War, Total War: Warhammer, Space Marine 2 in 2024) and revived HeroQuest.

Currently, under Kevin Rountree (CEO since 2023), GW reports record revenues (£445M in 2025), with over 3,000 employees and a focus on digital expansion and new titles such as Legion Imperialis. Its universe has influenced pop culture, inspiring milfans worldwide.