Trying to learn more about Warhammer is a wonderful, yet often confusing experience. Many newcomers tend to assume that Warhammer is either a setting or a universe, but that’s not really the case. Rather, Warhammer is more of an umbrella IP that encompasses several of both. Some of these settings are connected to each other, but they’re not all part of the same universe.
There’s a good chance you’re already familiar with the highly popular Warhammer 40K and its grimdark depiction of the far future. If you’ve played Total War: Warhammer 3 or either of its predecessors, you’ve already experienced the Warhammer Fantasy Battles setting as well. As you may have heard, Warhammer is about to get even larger in the near future thanks to a new setting known as The Old World. But what is it? And is it really new? Let’s discuss down below.
What Is Warhammer: The Old World?
The aforementioned Warhammer Fantasy Battles was the first setting developed by Games Workshop way back in 1983 as a tabletop wargame. Its legacy continues to this day thanks to video games like the Total War: Warhammer series, but the tabletop version was discontinued in 2015 to the disappointment of many. The Old World is GWs attempt to revive Fantasy Battles and introduce it to a new generation of players, albeit in a slightly altered form.
In addition to being the name of the setting, The Old World is also the name of a geographic location within Warhammer Fantasy Battles. The region is primarily inhabited by human factions like The Empire and Bretonnia, however, there are a bunch of other races calling it their home. This includes Dwarfs, Wood Elves, Beastmen, Tomb Kings, and more. Unlike Fantasy Battles, which featured a much larger map, The Old World will focus primarily on the titular region. Crucially, The Old World takes place earlier in the timeline than Total War: Warhammer, so don’t expect to see Karl Franz or many of the other important characters you might be familiar with.
An interesting thing to note about the world of Warhammer Fantasy Battles is that many of its locations have real-world equivalents. Similarly, a lot of the races and factions you’ll encounter were inspired by various cultures and civilizations from throughout history. For instance, The Empire is based on the Holy Roman Empire while the Tomb Kings are based on Ancient Egypt. Of course, there are also plenty of other races like Dwarfs and Elves that were instead inspired by folklore and fantasy literature.
Warhammer: The Old World Release Date
Warhammer: The Old World was announced back in 2019, but Games Workshop hasn’t given us an official release date just yet. Word on the street is that the launch will happen later this year, likely sometime during Q4. GW has been talking more and more about The Old World over the past few months and since 2023 makes the 40th anniversary of Warhammer Fantasy Battles, it would make a lot of sense to launch it by the end of the year.
Even though GW continues to be stingy when it comes to the details, we do know that The Old World will have a big launch box similar to 40K’s Leviathan. The launch box will include a bunch of miniatures for Bretonnia and the Tomb Kings and will probably be followed up by a couple of smaller starter sets. These usually provide excellent value to newcomers who are looking to delve into the tabletop or try their hand at painting Warhammer miniatures for the first time.
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