With the latest expansion for Warhammer 40,000, the “500 Worlds”, Games Workshop is advancing the story of the universe. However, what exactly that means is not clear to some players, especially newcomers. On the surface, the set may seem like an attempt to squeeze money out of people with little effort. But there is actually much more behind it.
This is happening right now in Warhammer:
- New content is regularly released for Warhammer 40,000, mostly in the form of miniatures, but often accompanied by new rules and books.
- In 2025, there were plenty of innovations: Warhammer Fantasy or The Old World received its first new army in 15 years, in Age of Sigmar new Dwarfs with forbidden practices emerged as an army, and Warhammer 40,000 introduced its own Space Dwarfs.
- At the end of the year, there was a big announcement with the “500 Worlds” that entrusted a legendary hero with a special mission. However, there is more to it than just trying to squeeze money from nerds.
So what are the 500 Worlds? This question was posed by a user on Reddit, who wonders what Games Workshop is actually aiming for. The community knows the answer and summarizes it briefly: the “500 Worlds” are simply an expansion for the tabletop system.
However, the 500 Worlds serve as a sort of conclusion to the current 10th Edition of Warhammer 40,000. The users explain:
[The 500 Worlds] are an “End of the Edition, be wild” fun mode that combines all kinds of game modes like boarding actions or crusade elements. It is a fun celebration of the end of the edition with a fun narrative way to play. If you want to play the latest lore with Titus and the start of the 500 Worlds campaign, you can play these missions.
hotshot11590 on Reddit
The 500 Worlds are therefore something like a “DLC” for the physical version of Warhammer, explains another user. They include books with new rules for presumably all armies and mission books – that is, narrated battles for the tabletop game – as well as new miniatures (like Captain Titus and his retinue). The rules will simply mix up the 10th Edition again when it is released on January 24. However, there is still more behind it.
The 10th Edition of Warhammer 40,000 is nearly 3 years old – and thus nearing the end of its cycle, if Games Workshop maintains its current pace:
500 Worlds – The End of the 10th Edition and the Start of the New Lore
With the expansion, Games Workshop also continues the story of Warhammer 40,000. Recently, Roboute Guilliman, the Primarch of the Ultramarines, returned and became the new “de facto” leader of the entire Imperium.
The war in many areas of the Imperium continues, and Captain Titus (no longer Lieutenant!), whom you know from Space Marine 2, is now to reclaim the 500 Worlds of Ultramar at the behest of his Primarch – hence the name.
The campaign includes exactly such missions with some related stories, only that you play them not in a video game, but on the tabletop with your miniatures (as long as they are painted, remember: at least 3 colors on the armor!)
In the narratives, Games Workshop also transitions into the upcoming 11th Edition, which is expected to be released in June 2026. It is interesting that in seemingly insignificant asides, major changes are implied.
There is exactly one sentence in the previously known publications where the two Primarchs Lion El’Johnson and Roboute Guilliman are apparently planning a meeting (via GameStar). For the lore, this means that for the first time in 10,000 years, two loyal Primarchs are speaking with each other. For the nerds, it is a reason for great excitement, even if we still do not know what will happen.
That such important details are found somewhere in footnotes in the rulebooks, where one does not even necessarily expect them, has almost become a tradition at Games Workshop. Just recently, one of the greatest secrets of the universe was revealed this way: Games Workshop officially reveals one of the greatest secrets from Warhammer 40,000 and seals a cruel fate for the Emperor
