Games Workshop Forced to Pull Its Own Website, Warhammer.com, Offline After Scalpers Descended Upon Pre-Orders for a Special Edition Horus Heresy Book

Games Workshop was forced to propulsion its ain website, Warhammer.com, offline aft scalpers caused chaos during the motorboat of pre-orders for the Siege of Terra: End of Ruin peculiar variation book.

The Warhammer shaper launched pre-orders for the hotly anticipated peculiar variation of Siege of Terra: End of Ruin, a caller anthology of abbreviated stories acceptable during the aftermath of the Siege of Terra and the Horus Heresy. For the uninitiated, the Horus Heresy is the Space Marine civilian warfare that took spot 10,000 years earlier the existent Warhammer 40,000 setting. It is the instauration of 40K’s grimdark universe, and reveals however the carrion Emperor ended up connected the Golden Throne.

Siege of Terra: End of Ruin is simply a hugely breathtaking merchandise for 40K lore fans, but its peculiar variation is adjacent much enticing. It features a leather-effect screen with golden foil details, gilt leafage edges, and a metallic emblem of a ruined Imperial eagle.

The peculiar variation of Siege of Terra: End of Ruin. Image credit: Games Workshop.

Games Workshop had signaled the peculiar variation would beryllium disposable “strictly portion stocks last,” and that it would spell connected merchantability astatine 10am UK clip connected June 10. It besides told fans it planned to usage a queue strategy “to guarantee just distribution.”

Unfortunately, this queue strategy caused chaos, with fans hopeless to pre-order the publication incapable to marque progress. Amid frantic messages of ailment crossed societal media, Discords, and subreddits, Warhammer.com suddenly… stopped. It was offline, and no-one knew why.

Anger grew arsenic those who had carved retired clip to beryllium determination for the pre-order motorboat were near bare handed. Eventually, Games Workshop issued a connection connected the debacle — a uncommon lawsuit successful itself — to accidental it had brought Warhammer.com offline itself due to the fact that it had noticed scalpers were bypassing its systems.

“Scalpers attempted to usage bots to bypass our mean safeguards,” Games Workshop said. “Our eagle-eyed Tech Priests caught this happening successful real-time, truthful we pulled Warhammer.com offline.”

The Siege of Terra: Era of Ruin hardback remains available. Image credit: Games Workshop.

The upshot is that Siege of Terra: End of Ruin is presently unavailable connected Warhammer.com, successful its spot is simply a leafage asking for an email for a notification. Games Workshop said the peculiar variation is inactive coming, “we’re conscionable perfectly determined that existent fans get it.”

“All erroneous orders are being purged,” Games Workshop continued. “This is our fig 1 priority. Please forgive america for a hold arsenic we benignant it each out.”

Games Workshop's statement. Image credit: Games Workshop / Facebook.

The connection has gone immoderate mode to calm aggravated fans who had hoped for a smoother motorboat of the peculiar edition. Some are calling Games Workshop’s actions present a “small victory” implicit the scalpers, though determination is simply a steadfast dose of skepticism astir the company’s efforts to genuinely combat the bots. Some are calling connected Games Workshop to usage a raffle system, arsenic different companies bash for their high-profile products, or, adjacent better, unit funny customers to walk a Horus Heresy trial to beryllium their worth.

In truth, Games Workshop has suffered pre-order problems for years now, and peculiar variation publication launches are often plagued by scalpers who spell connected to merchantability the products astatine hugely inflated prices. All eyes are connected Games Workshop to spot however it handles pre-orders for the Siege of Terra: End of Ruin peculiar variation erstwhile they’re yet re-launched.

And let’s retrieve that Games Workshop is nary minnow. In fact, the Nottingham, UK institution is doing truthful good that it’s handing retired £20 cardinal (approx. $27 million) to its unit arsenic a bonus.

Games Workshop’s main concern is the merchantability of miniatures fans assemble and overgarment for usage successful tabletop wargames, specified arsenic Warhammer 40,000. But it is progressively an IP business, with immense gross from smash deed video games specified arsenic past year’s Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2, and animations, specified arsenic Amazon’s Warhammer 40,000 Secret Level episode. Games Workshop and Amazon precocious finalized a woody for Henry Cavill's Warhammer 40,000 Cinematic Universe, which volition impact the instauration of films and tv series. Space Marine 3 is besides successful development.

Image credit: Games Workshop.

Wesley is Director, News astatine IGN. Find him connected Twitter astatine @wyp100. You tin scope Wesley astatine [email protected] oregon confidentially astatine [email protected].