Games Workshop has finally pulled back the curtain on the 11th Edition of Warhammer 40,000, which is due out June 2026.
The new edition, unveiled at Adepticon Preview 2026 overnight, revolves around the Imperium’s fight against the Orks on the war-torn world of Armageddon. With Commissar Yarrick back on the field, the Space Marines have arrived to lend the Astra Militarum (who were once called the Imperial Guard) a hand. And you can see the Blood Angels (and, inevitably, an Ultramarine) doing just that in the teaser trailer below.
Here’s the new lore, fresh from Warhammer Community:
After the events of Armageddon: The Return of Yarrick, the Imperial forces on the war world are in dire straits – the Ork vanguard led by Wazdakka Gutsmek has landed, and Ghazghkull’s main force isn’t far behind. A desperate gambit by Commissar Yarrick gets a plea for aid out into the stars, and Operation Imperator, a coalition of Space Marines from many Chapters, surges towards the beleaguered planet.
In terms of new models, Games Workshop kept many of its cards close to its chest, but did announce the Warhammer 40,000: Armageddon launch set, which includes new miniatures for the Space Marines and Orks. The teaser trailer gives us an idea of what to expect, GW said.
There’s a first look at a new Intercessor Squad, whose units feature a mix of older armor marks with new ones. Here’s GW again with the official blurb:
First up is a member of a new Intercessor Squad, combining the contemporary look of a Space Marine with some classic details – the mix of older armour marks with new ones is indicative of what you can expect from the rest of the unit.
When they first rolled off Belisarius Cawl’s production lines, the Primaris Space Marines were all equipped with uniform suits of Mk X power armour. Over time, the attrition of unrelenting war has led to Tacticus armour needing to be supplemented with older parts. Different helmets, shoulder pads, and greaves are commonplace, and this new kit has all sorts of nostalgic callbacks to previous Space Marine designs.
But the key thing to highlight is that Games Workshop has confirmed that all existing 10th Edition Codex and Supplement books remain valid going into 11th Edition. This means fans will not need to replace their books at the start of the edition, which is a crowd-pleasing decision from GW for what is already a horribly expensive hobby.
Here’s the official blurb from GW:
“What does this ‘new edition’ talk mean for your existing army and their codex? Good news – your current codexes and faction rules will still be valid! This is also true of the rules in the recent campaign supplements, including the upcoming Armageddon: Return of Yarrick.
“However, Detachments are changing to give you more flexibility on how you build your army. You can now sometimes select multiple detachments for a bespoke set of army abilities, so you’ll be able to bring to life your vision of how your army should fight. And, at the launch of the new edition, there will be over 70 new and updated Detachments. If you are very attached to your current army, don’t panic, the Detachments in your current codex still work too — you just have even more options now.”
Elsewhere, Games Workshop confirmed the fan-favorite Steel Legion are coming back, although it will be a few years until their release. The Armageddon-focused Astra Militarum regiment, famous within the community for their gas masks, were revealed alongside some artwork, which shows how far out they are. Still, their return was yet another crowd pleaser for the community.
Before 11th Edition comes out, GW will close out the current edition of Warhammer 40,000 with Armageddon: The Return of Yarrick, the next major expansion for Warhammer 40,000. This tells the tale of Yarrick’s return to Armageddon and the fight against Wazdakka Gutsmek’s Speedwaaagh!, and is split into three books.
There is no big picture lore development with either announcement. In January, Games Workshop set up the long-awaited meeting of loyalist primarchs Roboute Guilliman and Lion El’Jonson via the 500 Worlds: Titus campaign book, but neither appear as part of Yarrick’s return nor the Warhammer 40,000 11th Edition reveal. Perhaps once Armageddon is done and dusted, the brothers will finally reunite.
Image credit: Games Workshop.
Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at [email protected] or confidentially at [email protected].
