Colossal armor, enormous guns, wars against alien races: welcome to the Imperium, the world-conquering empire at the heart of the “Warhammer 40,000” saga. This science fiction universe, born in 1987 from a figurine game, returns to the game Space Marine 2published on September 9. And the unexpected success of this title could continue to propel the Warhammer franchise to the forefront.
“I believe that Space Marine 2 is the fastest-selling game we have worked on,” said Tim Willits, artistic director at Saber Interactive, on X. Focus Entertainment, distributor of the game, announced around two million players at launch. The shooter enjoyed critical success with the press and fans.
An expanding universe
“For a long time, the growth of Warhammer happened in fits and starts,” remembers Thibaut Claudel, a fan for twenty years and author of In the twists and turns of Warhammer 40,000 at Third Editions. The game Dawn of War caused the popularity of the universe to explode. At first, adaptations, like the Black Library novels, were something for initiates. Now, the external partners who publish these derivative products are very big players. The gears interact and the machine is starting up. »
Julien Kirszenbaum, host of the French Wargame Studio YouTube channel and self-proclaimed “craziest enthusiast in France” confirms this. Its YouTube channel has 80,000 subscribers, its Twitch channel brings together 5,000 spectators for the wargame world championships, the original miniatures game, the number of members of the competitive federation has exploded. Naturally, he is full of praise for this passion shared by thousands of fans, each for their own reasons. “There are people who like model making, those who like painting, those who like strategy,” he explains. There is also a physical dimension: you will share four or five hours with someone who has a chemistry with you. It’s a real healthy outlet. For many, Warhammer is a Proust madeleine. »
For Julien Kirszenbaum, “Warhammer” is a teenage passion, rediscovered in the 2010s once he had more purchasing power. For Thibaut Claudel, it was “something we did secretly in college”. For Jean-François, another fan, it was a pretext for “the Saturday outing with high school friends”. He also observes: “There has been a change in the last ten years so that the hobby speaks to as many people as possible. »
“Fallout”-style trajectory
Thus, since a change of president in 2015, Games Workshop has been working increasingly to make “Warhammer” a transmedia license. Discussions are even underway with Amazon for a series, produced by Henry Cavill, himself a fan and “geek” endorser. “The owners of the license are doing everything to ensure it succeeds,” analyzes Gabriel, another “Warhammer” fan. Today, teenagers have purchasing power, but they also have a voice on social networks or online video services. Any big news on it can be discussed by opinion relays and penetrate into layers that the license would not have reached in the 2000s.
The trajectory is a bit reminiscent of “Fallout”. The license began with role-playing video games for fans of the genre, to open up to a wider audience, and even release a series in 2024. “’Warhammer’ is ‘Fallout’ to the power of 40,000, jokes Thibaut Claudel . There is great potential for an expanded universe, and the public has an appetite for encyclopedic universes of this type. »
“It’s a real minefield”
However, the aesthetic of “Warhammer”, halfway between dark fantasy and pulp science fiction, with a touch of imperialism and a satire of conservative xenophobia, is not for everyone. “It’s a bit of a madness Starship Troopers », Defends Julien Kirszenbaum. “Games Workshop figurine sellers make their space fascists extremely cool for people to buy,” Gabriel cynically summarizes.
Will the public be able to grasp the parody and embrace a dark story where, as the creators admit, “there are no good guys”? “It requires a patter and a finesse that is not found in all adaptations,” judges Thibaut Claudel. From an outside perspective, Warhammer seems ultra-macho, racist, imperialist. It’s a real minefield, especially in 2024. I don’t see millions of people being introduced to this cynical universe. » “Should this universe disguise itself or remain what it is? It shows the failings of humanity, recognizes Julien Kirszenbaum. But it also highlights notions of bravery and chivalry. »
Final challenge: will this emerging multimedia universe also be able to convert people to wargaming? “I’m not banking on a big conversion, they are quite different hobbies,” judges Jean-François. “’Warhammer 40,000′ is not a good entry point, because it encourages playing a lot of miniatures,” adds Gabriel. Allow at least 500 euros for a very complete army, which will certainly be able to last two or three years of games. Despite all the spin-offs and more accessible formats, Games Workshop is multiplying. And above all, it’s no longer just a geek’s hobby. “The tangible and creative side of leisure is rather well seen,” believes Thibaut Claudel. This is the best time to start, so you can say that you knew before it was cool.
