Total War: Warhammer 40k—Everything we know about the series' upcoming grimdark instalment

It's official, Total War: Warhammer 40k is real, and at some point in the next few years, we'll be dropping into the Imperium of Man to fight and conquer our way across the stars. It's been a long-time coming, frankly, as people have speculated about this combo of strategy titans for years at this point. With the success of Total War: Warhammer, it just makes sense.

While we don't have an exact release date yet, or know everything, we do have quite a bit of info to distill, including some stuff that is easy to speculate from the initial blog post and store page if you know the setting. There is a developer roundtable dropping on December 16, which promises even more details. If you're interested in Total War: Warhammer 40k, you can wishlist it on Steam.

Does Total War: Warhammer 40k have a release date?

Currently, there isn't an official release date for Total War: Warhammer 40k, but Creative Assembly mention in the developer Q&A that we'll get more details in late 2026, meaning it's a fair assessment that the game isn't going to be released until 2027 at the earliest. We'll presumably find out a bit more about the release window when the developer roundtable drops on December 16. We do know that the game will release on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S consoles as well as PC—it'll be the first Total War ever to do so, in fact.

Total War: Warhammer 40k trailer

There is currently only one trailer for Total War: Warhammer 40k, which sets the scene with some cinematics, but also shows off some very early pre-alpha gameplay. Apparently content creators were already allowed to play some of the game earlier in the year, though they aren't yet allowed to talk about its features and the experience yet.

Who are the Total War: Warhammer 40k factions?

The same as with Total War: Warhammer, the 40k version will also have four factions on launch. Here are the official descriptions from the blog post:

• Space Marines: Genetically enhanced weapons of war, these warriors are few in number but each is the equal of a host of lesser troops. Clad in sacred power armour and wielding deadly weaponry, they are an uncompromising force that strikes with devastating and unyielding precision.
• Orks: Brutish hordes of destruction, they are unrelenting, countless and live for war. Storming the battlefield in endless mobs, they brandish unpredictable weapons and clanking war machines.
• Aeldari: An ancient and waning alien race, who once ruled the stars, but now find themselves scattered, battling against extinction. Swift and elusive, they strike with psychic precision and elegant weaponry, exploiting weakness before vanishing into shadow.
• Astra Militarum: The massed ranks of humanity’s largest fighting force are a bulwark of flesh and steel. Their legions of soldiers' march beneath the roar of battle-tanks and the thunder of artillery, grinding enemies into ruin with disciplined fury and sheer determination.

"What, no Chaos Space Marines?" I see you ask. Creative Assembly has confirmed that "Whilst they’re [Chaos] not in the game at launch, they’ll absolutely be part of our plans at some point, along with all the other iconic factions from the setting." You might remember, but Creative Assembly caused a bit of a controversy for itself back in the first Total War: Warhammer game, when it released Chaos as a pre-order DLC faction.

This annoyed a lot of people, since Chaos are so essential to the setting. It's possible that it is trying to avoid that happening again, but also take time to do the faction justice.

Speaking of DLC, unlike previous games, 40k won't sell its blood and gore option as a DLC (something that's also been unpopular in the past). It'll simply be included in the base game this time.

Total War: Warhammer 40k story and setting explained

The setting for Total War: Warhammer 40k is, obviously, the grimdark future of the 41st millenium, where the Imperium of Man is beset on all sides by Xenos (alien) incursions, while the ruinous gods of the immaterium (Khorne, Nurgle, Tzeentch, and Slaanesh) corrupt all they can as they vie with each other for supremacy and to try to destroy the galaxy.

This game, specifically, is set during the Era Indomitus. After the Fall of Cadia and the destruction of its ancient pylons, the Eye of Terror (essentially a realspace gateway to hell which Cadia blocked) creates a galaxywide warp storm called the Cicatrix Maledictum, cutting off planets from each other and fracturing the Imperium.

Primaris Ultramarines (the blue Space Marines) and their Primarch, Roboute Guilliman, are awoken and begin the Indomitus Crusade to reclaim the stars for humanity, which is broadly what's happening in the trailer. It's a turbulent period which sees many different factions vying for power and control—perfect for Total War, really.

We also know that David Harbour, the Stranger Things actor, who announced the game at The Game Awards, is starring in it, too. While he might be voicing the game's tactical advisor (as all previous Total Wars have had one), I think it's likelier he's voicing some kind of new Space Marine commander, perhaps the white haired guy we see in the trailer.

Total War: Warhammer 40k gameplay features

From what we saw of the gameplay, Total War: Warhammer 40k is similar to previous instalments of the series, with an overworld map (in this case, moving your battle fleet between solar systems) and RTS combat, as your troops engage in fighting on the ground.

Turn by turn, you'll battle through systems, occupying planets, developing strongholds, as well as upgrading your fleet. The more notable elements are:

• There's an army painter: 40k fans will be happy to learn that you can customise your army and even create your own custom Space Marine chapters. You can also tailor your warriors with tactical abilities, signature traits, and arcane wargear.
• Exterminatus exists: You can apparently "erase planets from existence" meaning that Exterminatus (when the Imperium destroys one of its own worlds to stop the enemy having it) will be a feature in the game.
• Orbital bombardments: We saw the orbital laser in the trailer, but it's likely there will be a lot more army-based bombardment abilities similar to Total War: Warhammer, whether it's Basilisk artillery strikes for the Astra Militarum, or Thunderhawk strafing runs for the Space Marines.
• There are some big units: We'll apparently be able to "recruit from a deadly arsenal of faction-specific units, including powerful veterans," but that also includes "towering walkers and immense war machines." It seems like the scale of the battles is quite large, even by comparison with Total War: Warhammer, so we can likely expect some of 40k's biggest units, such as Imperial Knights, though perhaps not Titans.
• Terrain mechanics: 40k doesn't really work without some kind of cover-based system, so the confirmation that "every impact reshapes terrain, creating new cover and fresh tactical opportunities" shows that the game will take that aspect into account in its battles.

Another key element is that it appears we won't be playing as the Ultramarines Primarch, Roboute Guilliman, when controlling the Space Marines. The Primarchs are essentially demi-gods, certainly stronger than most of Total War: Warhammer's legendary lords, so they are likely a bit OP for the game's purposes—though it looks like Dawn of War 4 will let us play as one.

It seems like we'll be getting a more generic Space Marine commander at first, allowing players to army paint and create their own chapter more easily, rather than having to stick with the Ultramarines. I could be wrong about this, though—we might not know for sure until December 16th.