Games Workshop shut down Warhammer.com after scalpers wreaked havoc during the pre-order launch of the Siege of Terra: End of Ruin special edition book.
The Warhammer publisher opened pre-orders for the highly awaited Siege of Terra: End of Ruin special edition, a new anthology of short stories set in the aftermath of the Siege of Terra and the Horus Heresy. For those unfamiliar, the Horus Heresy is a Space Marine civil war set 10,000 years before the Warhammer 40,000 universe, shaping its grimdark lore and explaining the Emperor’s fate on the Golden Throne.
Siege of Terra: End of Ruin is a major release for Warhammer 40,000 fans, with its special edition boasting a leather-effect cover, gold foil accents, gilt-edged pages, and a metal emblem of a ruined Imperial eagle.
Games Workshop announced the special edition would be available “while stocks last” and set to go on sale at 10am UK time on June 10, with a queue system to ensure fair access.
However, the queue system collapsed, leaving fans unable to secure pre-orders. As complaints flooded social media, Discord, and subreddits, Warhammer.com abruptly went offline, leaving fans in the dark.
And so, it begins
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Frustration mounted among fans who had set aside time for the pre-order launch, only to be left empty-handed. Games Workshop later issued a rare statement, explaining it had taken Warhammer.com offline after detecting scalpers bypassing its systems.
“Scalpers used bots to circumvent our safeguards,” Games Workshop stated. “Our vigilant Tech Priests spotted this in real-time, so we took Warhammer.com offline.”
As a result, Siege of Terra: End of Ruin is currently unavailable on Warhammer.com, replaced by a page for email notifications. Games Workshop assured fans the special edition is still coming, emphasizing, “We’re committed to ensuring real fans get it.”
“We’re purging all fraudulent orders,” Games Workshop added. “We ask for your patience as we resolve this.”
The statement has somewhat eased fan frustration over the botched launch, with some calling Games Workshop’s response a “small win” against scalpers, though skepticism persists about the company’s anti-bot measures. Suggestions include adopting a raffle system, as used by other companies, or requiring a Horus Heresy knowledge test to verify genuine fans.
Games Workshop has faced pre-order issues for years, with special edition book launches often targeted by scalpers who resell at inflated prices. Attention now turns to how Games Workshop will manage the relaunch of Siege of Terra: End of Ruin pre-orders.
Despite these challenges, Games Workshop, based in Nottingham, UK, is thriving, recently distributing £20 million (approximately $27 million) in staff bonuses.
Games Workshop’s core business centers on miniatures for tabletop wargames like Warhammer 40,000, but its intellectual property is increasingly lucrative, driven by hit video games like Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 and animations such as Amazon’s Warhammer 40,000 Secret Level episode. Games Workshop and Amazon recently finalized a deal for Henry Cavill's Warhammer 40,000 Cinematic Universe, encompassing films and TV series. Space Marine 3 is also in development.
