The world of Warhammer 40,000 is known for its grim setting, where there is no hope. For some, this is a meme, for others, exaggerated edginess. MeinMMO editor Benedict Grothaus spoke with someone who knows more about the universe than most people and learned something about Warhammer that surprised him.
I have loved Warhammer for half my life – since I was old enough to understand and appreciate the world to some extent. I still maintain that World of Warhammer would be the largest MMORPG in a perfect world today.
Anyone who regularly visits MeinMMO has certainly read some of my texts about Warhammer. I would confidently call myself an expert, even if there are people who know more, especially in their specialized areas.
We had the opportunity to talk with Anatoly Shestov, the Executive Producer of Dark Heresy, the upcoming role-playing game for Warhammer 40,000, and of course, I had to seize the opportunity.
For an hour and a half, two nerds discussed Warhammer as if it were a research topic – and rarely have I felt so dumb. What Anatoly explained to me made it very clear how elaborate the world of Warhammer really is.
“The current situation is the best possible”
The moment I had the biggest “Aha!” effect in years came after the question of whether there could ever be peace in Warhammer 40,000. The world is grim, and there is no one who is truly “good”. Every faction exists in moral gray areas with their own goals and doctrines.
Some factions still work together from time to time, especially the Imperium of Man and the Aeldari, who were once the most powerful species in the galaxy. Nevertheless, there can be no peace, and Anatoly explains to me why:
This is one of the fundamental rules of the setting. It is impossible for the situation to get better when you look at the big picture. If there were this possibility, the Emperor would have already made it happen. There isn’t any. The current situation is the best possible. Either you believe this, or you are a filthy heretic. Those are the only two options.
Anatoly Shestov, Executive Producer at Owlcat
That makes sense. As long as the war in Warhammer has been going on, it is likely that all possibilities have already been exhausted. And more importantly: If there wasn’t constant warfare, the Imperium couldn’t exist at all.
Everything in the Imperium, from its infrastructure to the organizations that control everything, is geared towards a war economy. Without war, the administration would collapse, people would no longer work in factories, and there would be no fanatical unity left – something that powers like chaos are just waiting for.
Dark Heresy is already playable, with the alpha encompassing about 15 hours of gameplay. You can find Dark Heresy on Steam here. For alpha access, you need to purchase the Developers Digital Pack or the Collector’s Edition in the official shop.
“There must be side effects that make everything worse”
Anatoly further explains that this dark (and indeed “grimdark”) atmosphere is exactly what defines Warhammer. If there were peace, it simply wouldn’t be Warhammer:
When you create something, devise something, design a story for Warhammer, the most dangerous thing you can do is tell a story where things go well. Suddenly, you lose the entire Warhammer experience with such an approach. There must be side effects that are even worse than what you have achieved. There must be consequences that worsen the circumstances.
So yes, the whole idea that the Imperium could achieve long-term peace, control immigration, enter cooperation or trade with Xenos is completely off the table. Not because it would be boring, but because that would absolutely not be Warhammer.
Anatoly Shestov, Executive Producer at Owlcat
After Anatoly explained this to me, I also understood why the first role-playing game for Warhammer 40,000 by Owlcat unfolded as it did. I loved Rogue Trader, but even the good
ending was just dark.
The “Dark Heresy” leader is, by the way, an even bigger Warhammer nerd than I am. When I asked him how deep he is into the material, he couldn’t exactly answer but explained to me:
- He played tournaments with his Necron army between 2015 and 2017, now he has landed with Custodes.
- Since release, he has played every Warhammer game that has come out.
- He has played or master thousands of sessions in various role-playing systems.
- He even created his own Space Marine chapter and published articles for nerds about the Emperor and other god-like beings.
An hour and a half of nerd talk with more information than I expected
Here you read only a small excerpt from the conversation (I don’t want to call it an “interview”, as it was too nerdy of a discussion). We talked about all sorts of topics, from gameplay to Dark Heresy to Warhammer lore to the physical figures, armies, and the “hobby” itself.
Since our conversation lasted an hour and a half, we will publish everything gradually with thematically summarized content. Consider this article as part 1 of what is expected to be 4 of the entire interview.
It’s not the first time that things have gotten a bit out of hand when I talk to Anatoly about his games and Warhammer in general. Already at gamescom 2025, we… talked a bit more than planned. I had to be practically pulled out of the interview box: A short conversation with the head of Warhammer 40,000: Dark Heresy escalated totally, but now I know exactly how the classes work.
