Games Workshop was forced to take its official site, Warhammer.com, offline after scalpers wreaked havoc during the pre-order launch of the highly sought-after special edition of Siege of Terra: End of Ruin. This anthology of short stories explores the aftermath of the legendary Horus Heresy, the brutal civil war among Space Marines that happened 10,000 years before the current Warhammer 40,000 universe timeline. 
It’s the cornerstone of the grimdark lore that defines the franchise and explains how the Emperor ended up on the Golden Throne.
The special edition of Siege of Terra: End of Ruin boasts a striking leather-effect cover with gold foil, gilded page edges, and a metal emblem of a ruined Imperial eagle-making it an irresistible collector’s item. Games Workshop announced the pre-orders would open at 10 am UK time on June 10, using a queue system designed to ensure fair access and limit scalper interference. Unfortunately, this system faltered, leading to widespread frustration as genuine fans were locked out or unable to complete their orders.
As complaints flooded social media, Discord servers, and Reddit threads, Warhammer.com suddenly went offline. The company later confirmed the site was intentionally taken down after detecting scalpers using bots to circumvent protections. A statement from Games Workshop explained: “Scalpers attempted to use bots to bypass our normal safeguards. Our eagle-eyed Tech Priests caught this in real-time, so we pulled Warhammer.com offline.”
Currently, the special edition is unavailable on the official site. Instead, visitors can sign up with their email to get notified when the edition is back in stock. Games Workshop reassured fans that the edition is still coming and emphasized their commitment to ensuring real fans have the first chance to buy it. “All erroneous orders are being purged,” the statement continued, “This is our number one priority. Please forgive us for the delay as we sort it all out.”
While some see this as a small victory against scalpers, skepticism remains about how effectively the company can prevent bots in the future. Many fans have suggested implementing raffle-style sales or even a fun Horus Heresy quiz as a prerequisite for purchase, to truly prove who deserves these prized editions.
Scalpers have long plagued Games Workshop’s pre-orders, particularly for special edition books and minis, often reselling them at exorbitant prices. As the company prepares to relaunch the special edition pre-orders, all eyes will be on how they manage the process this time around.
It’s worth noting that Games Workshop is a thriving business headquartered in Nottingham, UK, recently rewarding staff with a £20 million bonus thanks to its continued success. While miniatures remain the core product, the company is expanding its IP reach through hit video games like Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2, animations such as Amazon’s Warhammer 40,000 Secret Level, and an upcoming cinematic universe starring Henry Cavill, in collaboration with Amazon. Plus, Space Marine 3 is in development, keeping the Warhammer world alive and kicking for years to come.
1 comment
If they made us pass a Horus Heresy quiz before buying, I’d be all in lol