Games Workshop just dropped a bombshell. It will not be producing a Warhammer Necromunda tabletop RPG after all. The only explanation? “We’ve decided to focus our efforts on providing even more great minis for the core game”. Oh… okay.
This has obviously caused quite a stir, and it must be said, is pretty odd. GW only announced Necromunda Roleplay a month ago, in a since-deleted Warhammer Community article published September 18. But you can’t hide from the WayBackMachine, friends. We see you.
Necromunda Roleplay used a d100 system, and would’ve come with minis and prebuilt character sheets for an Escher Assassin, Orlock Gunslinger, Squat Fixer, or Goliath Champion PC – while also letting you build your own ganger from any of the six main Clan Houses. It was designed to be a mini-based RPG, compatible with the full Necromunda range, and with 18 minis included in the release box.
This wasn’t just a far-off plan that GW decided not to go ahead with. They had lots of product shots ready, a very clear idea of what was in the core set box – right down to the rulebook page count – and promised a release date ‘soon’. It seems likely this thing was ready to hit shelves before Christmas.
The sudden cancellation is a bolt from the blue, and speculation is rife, while hard facts are in short supply. People keep pointing to Cubicle 7, but in a Facebook post a few weeks ago, they said they’ve never had the Necromunda license. Truth is: we don’t really know what happened here.
The cancellation will obviously be upsetting for tabletop RPG fans, but for those who really do just care about the minis, GW assures that those that were announced with Necromunda Roleplay will still be getting made. It’s revealed a new roadmap for 2027 in fact. Here’s that:
- Spring 2027: Some Mad Max fun, a return to the Ash Wastes and WarCom teases “the biggest plastic vehicle kit yet” for Necromunda.
- Summer 2027: Hive Secundus again, for grimy Malstrain Genestealer goodness.
- Autumn 2027: ‘Underhive Brutes’ for the original six houses – teaser art shows a Luther pattern ‘Ambot’
- Winter 2027: Bounty hunters
Looks cool, but personally I’m way too distracted by the surprise cancellation just 35 days after the game was announced, to think much about that right now.
What happened? Share your wild theories with us over on the Wargamer Discord.
Source: Wargamer
