Games Workshop announces Warhammer fantasy will return to The Old World
And that's good news for Warhammer video game fans.
Games Workshop has announced Warhammer The Old World, an upcoming return to the Fantasy Battle-era of the tabletop game.
We only occasionally dabble in tabletop gaming news here on Eurogamer (if you're after an expert view of the scene - and a lot of fun to boot - check out our friends over at Dicebreaker). But I can't help but view this piece of news through a video game lens.
For the uninitiated, back in 2015, Games Workshop destroyed Warhammer's much-loved Old World and replaced the Warhammer: The Game of Fantasy Battles tabletop with the Age of Sigmar. This was a resounding success in tabletop land, and Warhammer hasn't looked back since.
But the world of Warhammer video games has stuck with the Old World - and developers have done some great work with it, too.
Creative Assembly's wonderful Total War: Warhammer is a case in point. The sweeping strategy game is set in the Old World, and as such stars mythic heroes and armies from that era. Fatshark's first-person co-op game Warhammer: Vermintide is another Old World video game. Both these games were hugely successful, and have spawned sequels. Total War: Warhammer (I still think it should be called Total Warhammer!) is in fact getting a third game.
While Games Workshop's announcement blog post doesn't credit these games with rekindling the passion for Warhammer's Old World, anecdotally I know they've provided fans with an Old World fix as Age of Sigmar takes over the tabletop world. And to be fair, Games Workshop points to Total War: Warhammer and Vermintide in its announcement of Warhammer The Old World:
"If you're itching to jump into the Old World right now, you can!" it says. "There is a fantastic selection of computer games, such as Vermintide and Total War: Warhammer, offering a chance to engage in the enduring appeal of the setting."
Don't hold your breath for Warhammer The Old World, by the way. All there is right now is a logo, and Games Workshop said "this is a long way off. Years. More than two. Like three or more. Definitely not soon".
Meanwhile, this is very much good news for Old World fans who also love good video games, and hopefully we'll see more quality games set in Warhammer's best era.