The Untold Story: The Warhammer RPG That Could Have Been
By Image by method of Frontier Developments.
A Warhammer RPG in development at Thought Pennies was recently terminated by South Korean developer and publisher Nexon.
According to sources speaking with Eurogamer, the title was a collaboration between the two companies. Speculation about the project’s cancellation surfaced last week, and a representative from Thought Pennies informed the outlet that Nexon “made a strategic decision.”
“The partnership was productive, and we received extensive input…but towards the end of last year, we mutually decided to conclude [it],” the spokesperson noted.
Last November, Thought Pennies downsized after losing funding on a then-unknown project. During that time, CCO Daniel Erickson stated that the similarly unnamed publisher had chosen to pursue a new “strategic direction,” without providing further details.
A partnership between Games Workshop (the owner of Warhammer) and Nexon was initially announced in 2021. This project was intended to be based on the Warhammer Age of Sigmar fantasy universe, as confirmed by sources to Eurogamer.
When the project was initially announced, Nexon described it as a PvE game for PC, mobile, and consoles. Thought Pennies was not mentioned as a developer at that time, and this could have marked its first project after launching in 2020.
Not all Warhammers are equal
While there have been Warhammer 40,000 games for years, developers have only recently begun creating games based on the Age of Sigmar miniatures. It launched with two mobile titles in 2018, with the latest being Frontier’s Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Realms of Ruin in 2023.
There was an Age of Sigmar game last year, an autobattler titled Soul Arena, but that was canceled.
Meanwhile, the 40K license continues to draw players. It was recently revealed that Warhammer 40K: Space Marine II reached 6 million players since its September 2024 launch, making it a success for publisher Focus Entertainment. Owlcat Games’ Warhammer 40K: Rogue Trader, another title in the sub-series, has just recently sold 1 million copies. More 40K media, games and other content, is on the way.
Similarly, there is a steady stream of games based on the Warhammer Fantasy universe, with the latest entry being 2023’s Blood Bowl 3.
Given the success of recent Warhammer titles and how prominent the franchise remains in the industry, it makes Nexon’s cancellation of its Sigmar RPG even more surprising.
About the Author
Contributing Editor, GameDeveloper.com
Hailing from Kansas City, MO, Justin Carter has written for a wide array of websites including IGN, Polygon, and SyFy Wire. In addition to Game Developer, his articles can also be found on io9 at Gizmodo. Don’t ask him about how much gum he’s chewed, as the answer may be more than he is willing to acknowledge.