Tag: games workshop

The Weekly Podcast no.329 – Gygax Returns to D&D, New Battletech, Warhammer 40k 11e and Trench Crusade Boxed Set

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Luke Gygax, the son of D&D co-creator Gary Gygax, is collaborating with Wizards of the Coast (WotC) to return the Gygax name to the game’s original setting, Greyhawk. This move was engineered by Dan Ayoub, Dungeons & Dragons’ Head of Franchise, who publicly stated that the game had “lost its way” and that involving popular figures like Luke Gygax is an effort to set it on the “right path”. The collaboration will produce Melf’s Guide to Greyhawk (Melf was Luke Gygax’s original player character) and new adventures set in the world. WotC also announced a full presence at Gary Con to mend rifts with the Gygax family and reinforce their commitment to the community, with Ayoub affirming that retailers and “face-to-face physical play” will remain central to D&D.

Catalyst announced a new core product line for BattleTech, including a Core Rulebook, Starter Box, and Core Box, all scheduled to launch at Gen Con. These releases move the game’s entry point away from the Succession Wars and firmly into the ilClan era, introducing advanced tech like pulse lasers and Clan tech early on. The Starter Box replaces the older Beginner Box, featuring the Hammerhead and Kontio, while the Core Box replaces A Game of Armored Combat and Clan Invasion with eight mechs from various eras. The new Core Rulebook, built off the Battlemech Manual, incorporates significant changes from recent playtests, such as front-loaded unequal initiative and basing charge damage on the Target Movement Modifier (TMM).

Games Workshop announced Warhammer 40,000 11th Edition, slated for a June release, with a goal to bridge the gap between narrative and matched play. The edition refocuses the lore on the Armageddon conflict, pitting Imperial Forces against Orks. A key rules change eliminates fighting over objective circles, replacing them with combat for pieces of terrain. GW will allow current 10th edition codexes to remain usable at launch, and the new edition will feature over 70 new detachments. Other updates include reducing stratagem stacking (one per unit per phase), allowing players to roll charge dice before determining targets, and bringing back Combat Disembarking from transports engaged in melee.

Hours before Games Workshop’s major announcement, the “biblical horror wargame” Trench Crusade launched its first true starter set, Carcass Front, which is available for pre-order at $129.99 and set for a late July release. The box set contains 16 new plastic miniatures split into two warbands: the mobile, smaller-count Heretic Naval Raiders and the high model count, melee-focused Procession of the Sacred Affliction, a zealous cult who practice religious penance by deliberately inducing leprosy. Carcass Front emphasizes narrative play value, including two full campaigns: The Path to Leviathan, a 2-player narrative, and a map-based campaign designed for 2–8 players to battle over resources.

#dnd #battletech #warhammer40k #trenchcrusade

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The Weekly Podcast no.327 – No More Citadel, Wolfenstein RPG, More HATE and LowLife RPG

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The rebranding of Games Workshop’s paint line is happening. Citadel Colour is being phased out and renamed Warhammer Colour. This change is purely for brand alignment, particularly to aid newcomers, as the paint formulas—including Base, Layers, Shades, Technical, and Contrast paints—and pot sizes will remain exactly the same, only with updated branding appearing in stores over the coming months.

Wolfenstein TTRPG (Tabletop Roleplaying Game) is coming from Modiphius. The game will adapt the popular video game IP, specifically focusing on the storylines from Wolfenstein: The New Order and Wolfenstein: The New Colossus. Modiphius, which has a pre-existing relationship with Bethesda for Fallout and Elder Scrolls games, will utilize its 2d20 system for the RPG. The crowdfunding campaign for the game is set to launch on GameFound in Fall 2026, with a sign-up page available for interested parties to follow.

HATE is based on the Chronicles of Hate, a dark fantasy graphic novel series by artist Adrian Smith, known for its intense and visceral artwork. The miniatures being promoted originate from the iconic HATE Board Game, which is centered on brutal combat and conquest. The files are being produced by TitanForge and will be available as STL files. 

LowLife is the long-awaited TTRPG based on the DUNGEON DEGENERATES board game, designed to allow players to delve deeper into the degeneracy and world of Würstreich than the board game permits.

Sean Aaberg, the creator, describes it as a “chaotic narrative experience” and an “RPG for people who hate the ‘noble hero’ tropes.” The creator aims to make LowLife their most successful Kickstarter yet, encouraging readers to share the sign-up page and promote the project, which has been in development for decades. The project is described as Grand Theft Auto meets Game of Thrones, and a preview PRIMER E-ZINE with sneak peeks at the character sheet, hex map, and monsters is exclusively available for sign-ups.

#citadelpaints #wolfensteinrpg #HATE #lowliferpg

 

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The Weekly Podcast no.325 – Napoleonica, En Garde. Black Library, Asmodee 2026 and Legitimate Salvage

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Napoleonica: Steel and Magic is a new high fantasy miniature wargame that reimagines the Napoleonic War with elements like Napoleon Bonaparte riding a Hippogriff. The miniatures are noted for their stunning, large-than-life resin casts from Signum Games. Mechanically, the game utilizes a system of drawing random Order Tokens and Maneuver Cards to activate units, which injects friction into army control reminiscent of games like *Memoir ’44*. Additionally, a bid for the Leader role determines the round’s intensity via an Escalation Card, which controls the number of Orders and Maneuver Cards drawn.

En Garde is a forthcoming fast-paced, one-versus-one duelling game in the 54mm scale, set in a Low Fantasy world of swashbucklers and brigands. Conceived by John Blanche and Tuomas Pirinen, the game will feature hand-sculpted miniatures from artists like Paul Hicks, with an initial release via a crowdfunding campaign called Vanguard. The setting includes a twist with vampires being the “good guys,” and the core design aims to make duels dynamic and engaging beyond simple combat.

The sunsetting of the BlackLibrary.com website and the Black Library Audio app will happen on August 31st. They are to be replaced by a single new Black Library app launching on March 18th that will feature an inbuilt eReader and MP3 player. Current account holders are urged to link their accounts and download older, unsupported content before the cutoff date. Community concerns are noted regarding the new app being a closed ecosystem with no integration for external eReaders or content from third-party sellers like Amazon and Audible, which ties into the ongoing DRM and “own versus license” debate among consumers.

Asmodee made two major announcements, acquiring the Sheriff of Nottingham IP from CMON and striking a second deal with Netflix for Ticket to Ride. The Sheriff of Nottingham acquisition, following previous deals for CMON IPs like Zombicide, is attributed to CMON’s ongoing financial difficulties. Sheriff of Nottingham will join Asmodee’s Z-man studios. The Ticket to Ride deal with Netflix is similar to the Catan deal, granting a license for multiple shows or films. The first project will be a Ticket to Ride film, with Ben Mekler and Chris Amick attached to write the script. No premiere date has been set.

Legitimate Salvage is a new game in the Forbidden Psalm line, a tabletop miniatures game about “corporate space horror” that is inspired by and compatible with the MÖRK BORG TTRPG. In the game, you control a crew of four working for the R&R company, whose business is rescuing people lost in space and who refuse to pay hazard pay unless someone dies, forcing your crew to work off their debt in the great uncaring void. The game features new mechanics, including debt, stress, and rules for zero gravity combat, alongside new monsters and equipment, all compatible with other Forbidden Psalm games like 28 Psalms and Killsampleprocess.

#Napoleonica #EnGarde #BlackLibrary #Asmodee  #legitimatesalvage

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The Weekly Podcast no.319 – D&D Workbooks, Arcalink One, Lancer Hits 50k and Games Workshop on AI

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Penguin Random House is releasing two new interactive D&D Workbooks on May 5th, 2026: the Player’s Workbook of Epic Adventures and the Dungeon Master’s Workbook of Worldbuilding. These companions to the revised core rulebooks offer exercises and prompts for character creation and campaign setting development, respectively. 

Arcalink’s new tech from CES 2026, including the Arcalink One, a small, expensive handheld gadget that displays a player’s digital character and spell animations, and Arca Studio, an AI-powered subscription software designed to help Dungeon Masters manage campaigns by recording sessions and generating word clouds of recurring in-game elements.

The Lancer TTRPG, known for its mech combat and deep crunch, has grown into a major force in the community. Its unofficial hub, Pilot.Net, boasts over 58,000 members, making it one of the largest Discord communities for a single TTRPG outside of Dungeons & Dragons. Despite a slow release schedule of official supplements from Massif Press, the game’s audience remains engaged, thanks to the continuous stream of high-quality third-party fan publications, such as the widely accepted Legionnaire supplement.

Games Workshop (GW) has drawn a line in the sand regarding generative AI, with CEO Kevin Rountree announcing a “very cautious” internal policy that bans AI-generated content and its use in the company’s core “design processes,” which includes miniature sculpting, concept art, and rule writing. This restriction also extends to unauthorized use in GW-related competitions. Rountree noted that while a small number of senior managers are permitted to remain “inquisitive” about the tech, the overall intent is to protect GW’s intellectual property and reinforce its commitment to human creators through continued investment in its Warhammer Studio.

#dnd #arcalink #lancerrpg #gamesworkshop

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The Weekly Podcast no.308 – Defiance Games, Warmachine Core Book, Avatar Legends Bundle and Epic Warpath Digital

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Wargames Atlantic’s CEO, Hudson Adams, has revealed his true identity as Tony Reidy, a figure previously associated with two troubled miniature wargames companies, Wargames Factory and Defiance Games. Reidy founded Wargames Factory in 2007/8 with the goal of producing hard plastic figures faster and cheaper using an all-digital tooling process. However, the company faced numerous challenges, including quality issues, delays, and a problematic deal with a Chinese factory owner who eventually took control and rebranded the company. After years of working to pay down debts and process the past, Reidy, under the new identity of Hudson Adams, founded Wargames Atlantic in 2018. His motivation was to build a successful company and, eventually, to make good on the failed Defiance Games Kickstarter. Now, after six years of Wargames Atlantic’s operation, Reidy has announced that the company is in a position to refund the original Defiance Games Kickstarter backers.

Steamforged Games is releasing a new Warmachine Core Book, available for pre-order at $44.99 and releasing on December 11, 2025. This 140+ page hardback includes rules, lore, and artwork for the Iron Kingdoms setting. There are also free Quick Start Guides, Rules-Only PDFs, and a Warmachine App available.

The Avatar Legends 20th Anniversary Humble Bundle offers physical items for the Avatar Legends RPG, including a starter set, dice pack, cloth map, dice bag, GM screen, and journal pack for $49. The bundle celebrates the 20th anniversary of Avatar: The Last Airbender and benefits charity.

Mantic Digital has announced an upcoming Digital Campaign for Epic Warpath, revealing that STL files for core troops will now be available to backers. Previous STL backers will receive a special discounted bundle for extra files at £5/army. The Warpath Universe is a sci-fi setting where factions battle across galaxies, and this digital STL campaign aims to empower players to build and print their armies at a grand scale.

#wargamesatlantic #warmachine #avatarlegends #epicwarpath

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The Weekly Podcast 300th Episode SPECIAL! with Matt, Chris and Jeremy (No, not those guys, the ones we got)

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We look back out our 300 episodes of the Weekly and what we will do next with Matt, Chris and Jeremy (No! Not them. The ones we got!)

Help us celebrate on Patreon! All free members can click the link below to get 3 free months as a Weekling to celebrate almost 6 years!

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#wotc #gygax #tariffs #dnd

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The Weekly Podcast no.295 – Asmodee Profits, Tomb Raider Cancelled, Mausritter SRD and More Daggerheart

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Board game giant Asmodee reported a razor-thin profit of just $5.46 million for 2024-25, despite generating $1.59 billion in revenue. The company’s financial troubles stem from massive debt obligations inherited from its former parent company Embracer Group. Asmodee paid out $107 million in financial expenses, primarily interest payments on a $1.06 billion bridging loan and subsequent bonds. While the company has improved its debt-to-earnings ratio from 3.9 to 2.3 times, its profit margin remains alarmingly narrow at just 0.3% of revenue.

Evil Hat Publishing announced the cancellation of their official Tomb Raider tabletop RPG due to creative differences with the licensor. The game, titled “Tomb Raider: Shadows of Truth,” was set to feature team-based gameplay where players would control Truth Seekers working alongside Lara Croft. This marks another failed attempt at bringing Tomb Raider to tabletops, following Square Enix’s own troubled RPG project that began in 2021. Evil Hat plans to retool their work into a standalone game with an original setting.

The creators of Mausritter released their complete ruleset under a Creative Commons license as a free System Reference Document (SRD). This mouse-themed RPG, inspired by works like Redwall and Mouse Guard, allows players to control brave mice adventuring in a dangerous world. The comprehensive SRD includes everything from basic rules to hexcrawl creation tools, and is available both as a downloadable markdown file and browseable website, enabling creators to build tools and modifications for the system.

Critical Role’s Daggerheart RPG released new playtest content including two additional classes: the Witch and the Assassin. The Witch focuses on hexing enemies and communing with supernatural entities, while the Assassin specializes in ambush tactics and extra damage dice. The playtest also introduced six new ancestries (earthkin, tidekin, emberkin, skykin, Aetheris, and gnomes) and six new communities, expanding character creation options. All content is available through “The Void,” Daggerheart’s dedicated playtesting platform.

#asmodee #tombraider #mausritter #daggerheart

Mausritter SRD:

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The Weekly Podcast no.293 – CMON Sells Zombicide, Warhammer Down, WotC Help Wanted and New Chaosium CEO

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CMON, already facing financial difficulties exacerbated by import tariffs, has sold its flagship Zombicide IP to Asmodee under the Guillotine Games label. This follows CMON’s earlier sale of three other prominent board game lines (Blood Rage, Rising Sun, and ANKH: Gods of Egypt) to Tabletop Tycoon in May, along with staff layoffs and frozen crowdfunding campaigns. The company’s stocks were delisted from the Hong Kong stock exchange after failing to publish accounts on time, showing substantial losses that drained cash reserves.

Games Workshop took the unusual step of deliberately crashing its entire Warhammer.com webstore to prevent bots from bulk-purchasing the limited special edition of the new Horus Heresy book “Era of Ruin.” The company detected scalpers using bots to bypass normal safeguards in real-time and shut down the site globally, pausing the book’s launch entirely. This drastic measure is uncommon for large-scale web stores and demonstrates GW’s commitment to preventing scalping, even at the cost of lost sales and resources.

Following the departures of prominent D&D figures Jeremy Crawford and Chris Perkins after the launch of revised 5th Edition, Wizards of the Coast is hiring for two high-level positions: a “Principal Game Designer” and a “Head of Game Ecosystem.” These roles, offering $150-200k salaries, represent a corporate, video game-industry-like division of responsibilities where the Principal Game Designer executes product releases while the Head of Game Ecosystem drives long-term vision and rules consistency across all D&D formats.

Chaosium announced significant staff changes, including the appointment of Neil Robinson as CEO and the departure of Executive Producer Mike Mearls to Asmodee after 14 months. Brian Holland has been promoted to Executive Producer for RPGs, while other team members have taken on expanded roles including Jason Durall moving to Basic Roleplaying as creative director and several new hires joining the company. Despite the changes, Mearls will continue working on ongoing projects including the new RuneQuest edition.

#zombicide #siegeofterra #wotc #chaosium 

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The Weekly LIVE 289 – Tariff Talks, GW Sues Sellers, Riverbank RPG and Mantic Goes Full Kickstarter

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The United States and China have reached an agreement to reduce their additional tariffs on each other’s imports. China will cut its extra levies on American goods from 125% to 10%, while the US will reduce its additional tariffs on Chinese products from 145% to 30%. Some of these reduced tariffs will be suspended for 90 days while the two countries continue negotiations, with import duties set at 30% during this period. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent expressed a desire for more balanced trade and increased Chinese openness to American goods. The agreement aims to end the escalating trade conflict between the world’s two largest economies.In a separate development, President Trump fired Shira Perlmutter, the head of the U.S. Copyright Office, shortly after her office released a report suggesting that Big Tech companies’ use of copyrighted materials to train AI systems constitutes copyright infringement. The report acknowledged that some AI training uses might be “transformative” but stated that commercial use of copyrighted works that competes with original content “goes beyond established fair use boundaries.” Critics have called the firing an “unprecedented power grab,” while noting that tech companies are seeking copyright exceptions they’re unlikely to get through Congress. Some suggest Elon Musk’s influence in the White House may have contributed to the swift dismissal.

Games Workshop has initiated a massive legal action against approximately 280 online sellers worldwide, freezing their assets and accounts in a sweeping crackdown on alleged counterfeits and trademark infringements. While many targeted sellers were producing knockoffs, some legitimate businesses were caught in the crossfire for minor infractions like mentioning “Warhammer” in product descriptions or using the word “Citadel” for brush holders. The company posted a $10,000 bond per seller (potentially $2.8 million total) to cover damages for wrongful actions, with a preliminary injunction hearing scheduled for May 27, 2025.

Kobold Press is launching a new cozy roleplaying game called RiverBank, which offers a stark contrast to traditional combat-focused games like Dungeons & Dragons. Written by award-winning author Kij Johnson, this “tea, poetry and total disaster” game features anthropomorphic animals in a peaceful riverside setting and will begin crowdfunding in April 2025, catering to a growing trend of cottagecore tabletop experiences.

Mantic Games has announced an exclusive partnership with Kickstarter through 2026, making the platform their sole crowdfunding venue for upcoming projects. The UK-based studio, known for games like Worms: The Board Game and Hellboy: The Board Game, has already revealed plans for Assassin’s Creed: Animus – The Board Game and DreadBall All Stars, a reboot of their sci-fi sports miniatures game. This partnership allows Mantic to focus on game development while leveraging Kickstarter’s established community.

#tariffs #warhammer #koboldpress #riverbankRPG #mantic 

Riverbank RPG:

https://www.backerkit.com/c/projects/kobold-press/riverbank-a-cozy-rpg-of-elegant-animals-chaos-whimsy

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The Weekly LIVE 274 – Astartes 2, Legacy of Kain TTPRG, ENnies Ban AI and Dirtbags! for Zinequest

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Games Workshop has unveiled a new teaser trailer for Astartes II, the much-anticipated follow-up to the acclaimed Astartes animation. While the teaser doesn’t showcase actual footage from the upcoming project, it hints at the backstories of key characters and sets the tone for a grimdark narrative deeply rooted in Warhammer 40,000 lore. Syama, the creator of the original Astartes, is collaborating closely with the Warhammer Studio to deliver another visually stunning and action-packed story. The animation is set to release in 2026, leaving fans with a long wait, but in the meantime, they can explore other Warhammer+ animations, including Return to Cadia from the Hammer and Bolter series.

Meanwhile, the Legacy of Kain franchise is making a return with a tabletop RPG, Scourge of the Sarafan, developed by Lost in Cult and published under the MÖRK BORG system. Set in Nosgoth, the game allows players to take on the role of vampire-hunting warrior-priests as they battle the growing undead menace. Alongside this, The Book of Nosgoth, an in-depth encyclopedia exploring the franchise’s history, lore, and development, is also in the works. Both projects are being crowdfunded and will be available individually or as part of a deluxe edition. With Legacy of Kain’s dark themes of fate, free will, and morality, this revival aims to immerse fans once again in the gothic world of Nosgoth.

The ENnie Awards, a prestigious tabletop roleplaying game (TTRPG) awards ceremony, has announced that from the 2025-2026 cycle onward, any product containing generative AI content will be ineligible. This decision follows criticism of their previous 2023 policy, which allowed AI-generated content in certain categories while restricting it in others. After receiving feedback from the TTRPG community, the ENnies determined that AI-generated content undermines creativity and originality, leading to this stricter policy. The new rule applies to AI-assisted writing, visual content, and editing, ensuring that all submitted works are entirely human-made. While the policy does not retroactively affect the 2024-2025 awards, it marks a significant shift in response to industry concerns over AI’s role in creative endeavors. The TTRPG community has largely welcomed this decision, seeing it as a victory for human creators in an industry increasingly wary of AI’s influence. Many companies, including Wizards of the Coast, have taken a stance against AI-generated content on ethical grounds, citing issues of originality and fairness. The ENnie Awards, a volunteer-run organization, emphasized their commitment to fostering human-driven creativity and innovation within the community. As the landscape of game development continues to evolve, this policy ensures that the ENnies remain a platform for celebrating genuine artistic and narrative efforts.

Dirtbags! is a fast-paced, rules-lite sci-fi shooter RPG by The Dungeon’s Key, launching on Kickstarter for #ZineQuest on January 28th. Set in a dystopian, corporate-run future, players take on the role of convicts forced into the Military Foundation’s Rehabilitation Incentive Program (R.I.P.), battling alien infestations, pirates, and undertaking dangerous missions in the hope of freedom. The game features three core ability scores, a unique two D6 dice pool system for actions and ammo, and five character roles, emphasizing tactical and cinematic combat. Inspired by Starship Troopers, Tank Girl, and Aliens, Dirtbags! critiques corporate greed and explores mature themes while maintaining an action-packed experience. A free Quickstart Guide will be available at launch.

#astartes2 #legacyofkain #ennies #dirtbags!

Astartes II Trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbgYaeerXhg

Legacy of Kain TTRPG on Backerlit:

https://www.backerkit.com/c/projects/lost-in-cult/legacy-of-kain-ttrpg-and-official-encyclopaedia

ENnies Awards Policy:

https://ennie-awards.com/revised-policy-on-generative-ai-usage/

Dirtbags!

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/thedungeonskey/dirtbags-a-sci-fi-shooter-ttrpg

Zinequest on Kickstarter:

https://www.kickstarter.com/zinequest

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https://substack.com/@matthewrobinson3

Chris on social media:

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