Warhammer’s 2026 New Year Preview: What the Community Is Buzzing About
Games Workshop confirms the 11 January Warhammer Preview Live 2026, teasing codex drops, new plastic kits, and a possible Squats revival.
The Rumor Mill Roars to Life
Every January, hobbyists around the globe clear their painting stations and mute their group chats for one reason: the Warhammer Community’s New Year Preview. This year, Games Workshop confirmed that the Warhammer Preview Live 2026 will stream on Saturday, 11 January, and the anticipation is already louder than a WAAAGH! at full throttle.
What We Know So Far
Official details remain locked tighter than a Necron tomb, but leaks from independent retailers point to multiple codex updates, a boxed set featuring the Imperial Fists versus the Emperor’s Children, and—most tantalizingly—plastic miniatures for a long-requested Faction refresh. White Dwarf editors have been spotted dropping cryptic hints on social media, including a stylized hourglass emoji that fans interpret as a nod to the return of the Squats (now rebranded as Leagues of Votann).
“If the rumors are true, 2026 will be remembered as the year Games Workshop finally listened to the oldest grognards in the room,” says veteran tournament player and YouTuber Mike ‘Miniac’ Wilson.
Why This Preview Matters
Unlike the drip-feed of weekly previews, the New Year show traditionally drops several months of releases in a single evening. Last year’s stream racked up 1.8 million live views across Twitch and YouTube, crashing the Warhammer Community site for 37 minutes. Independent retailers report that pre-orders placed within the first 24 hours of a major reveal account for up to 40 % of quarterly revenue, according to trade body the Hobby Distribution Alliance.
Community Wishlist
- A plastic Horus Heresy character series
- Updated rules for Adeptus Mechanicus
- A boxed game set in the AoS Ghur realm with beast-riding cavalry
- A dedicated app update that merges 40k and AoS list-building
The Economic Halo Effect
Financial analysts at Stifel Europe estimate that each major Warhammer release adds £12–15 million in incremental revenue for Games Workshop within the first quarter. Shares in the company rose 11 % in the two trading days following last January’s preview, a pattern investors now call the ‘plastic surge’.
How to Watch
The stream kicks off at 14:00 GMT on warhammer-community.com and will be simulcast on Twitch, YouTube, and Facebook. Viewers who link their MyWarhammer accounts will receive a free digital miniature voucher redeemable from 13 January while stocks last.
Whether you command a hive-city of Astra Militarum or dabble in the arcane arts of Lumineth Realm-lords, mark the calendar: the 2026 preview could reshape hobby tables for years to come.