This is speculation, but I’m guessing that tariffs and other economic chicanery killed GW bookshelf games this year.
2025 has been slim pickings at B&N. We’ve definitely had more the last few years than this year. Dawn of War: Onslaught came out this year, but that’s it. By my count, at least 14 games 2019-2024.
Only one in 2025.
So here’s a summary of some of the most interesting boxed (bookshelf) games released by Games Workshop. I’m not even counting “mainline” games like Age of Sigmar, Kill Team, or Underworlds starter sets.
Combat Arena
In previous years, we had three versions of Combat Arena:
Warhammer Quest: Lost Relics
This is a bookshelf stand-alone Warhammer Quest game. I haven’t tried it yet, but I hear is a puzzle/optimization type game, rather than a true dungeon crawler.
Blitz Bowl
We’ve had three editions of Blitz Bowl, plus all the team expansions from the first edition (and Blood Bowl teams).
Space Marine Adventures
There are FOUR(!!!!) sets of Space Marine Adventures, plus some small expansions in 2019.
Crypt Hunters
Only one round of Crypt Hunters (though it’s reimplemented from Lost Patrol from 20 years prior).
Bladeborn & Fireteam
A couple skirmish games.
So, all-in-all, I don’t know for sure that tariffs killed GW bookshelf games. Maybe GW wasn’t planning on releasing many this year? Does that make sense? No. It doesn’t. Every prior year we’ve seen multiple. I bet GW and other gaming companies are looking really hard at what makes business sense when governments aren’t making much sense.
