'Era of Ruinin' Scalps' — Games Workshop Revives Special Edition Horus Heresy Book After Scalpers Brought Down Warhammer.com — and This Time Fans Actually Have a Chance of Buying It

Games Workshop has revived the Siege of Terra: End of Ruin peculiar variation publication aft scalpers descended upon its pre-orders, forcing Warhammer.com itself offline.

In June, Games Workshop pulled 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.

Siege of Terra: End of Ruin is an 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.

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

Siege of Terra: End of Ruin was 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.

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.

Eventually, Games Workshop issued a connection connected the debacle — a uncommon lawsuit successful of itself — to accidental it had brought Warhammer.com offline 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.”

At the time, Games Workshop promised Siege of Terra: End of Ruin would return, but fractional a twelvemonth went by without immoderate news. Now, Games Workshop has announced plans to merchantability the peculiar variation erstwhile again — but with 1 cardinal accidental that has already got existent fans excited.

In a station connected Warhammer Community, Games Workshop said the peculiar variation of Era of Ruin is being made disposable this coming play arsenic a “guaranteed banal run.” Order it betwixt Saturday and 8am UK clip connected Christmas Eve, and “you’ll beryllium connected the database to person a transcript of this sumptuous variation capping disconnected the Siege of Terra series.”

This means the peculiar variation is simply a “guaranteed banal product,” with Games Workshop printing the books based connected demand. As a result, accumulation and transportation tin instrumentality up to 180 days.

Reaction to the quality among fans is hugely positive, with immoderate declaring it a triumph for existent fans of the Warhammer 40,000 mounting and a large L for scalpers. “Era of Ruinin’ Scalps,” declared 1 instrumentality connected the Black Library subreddit. “It’s the champion determination they could make,” said another. “The secondhand marketplace is 95% scalpers.” Another instrumentality added: “Print connected demand, what saccharine words to read!” “Do I request this book? Absolutely not. Will I beryllium purchasing truthful they spot however affirmative this determination is? Absolutely,” declared different fan.

Some are present hoping Games Workshop uses this merchandise method for each its peculiar editions going forward. “I’m wholly chill with waiting a spot of clip to get my transcript if people connected request is an enactment moving forward,” said 1 hopeful. “It’s astir freaking time. I’ve been saying this for 5 years. It’s astir clip they did thing sensible,” added another.

“This is REALLY large news, HUGE triumph by GW and BL. And present I thought we weren't going to person thing for Christmas, this is the champion present. And I anticipation they spot the imaginable of this benignant of order, it could virtually alteration everything. Really truly pleasantly surprised.”

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. Fans are present crossing their fingers this caller method of selling books really gets them into the hands of existent fans.

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].