No, Warhammer Fantasy is Not Canon in 40K
As a long-time Warhammer enthusiast and content creator, this is one of the most common questions I receive: "Is Warhammer Fantasy canon in 40K?" And the definitive answer, as of 2023, is no. While there were once connections woven through the Warp and supplementary materials, Games Workshop has firmly separated the two fictional universes. Fantasy now tells its own story through Age of Sigmar, no longer directly tied to 40K canon.
Shared Multiverse Origins
However, this was not always the case. In 40K‘s earliest origins, it was conceived as a science-fiction spin-off from the Fantasy setting. The immaterium – known as the Warp – theoretically provided a link between the magical world of Fantasy and the dark future of 40K.
This connection was referenced in several publications over the years, such as the Liber Chaotica series which drew symbolic parallels between the two settings‘ characters and events. For example, it noted the similarity of Sigmar‘s meteoric rise to power mirroring that of the God-Emperor‘s Great Crusade.
So while 40K has always stood distinct as a property focused on science fantasy warfare, the door remained open for more overt crossover with its sword-and-sorcery predecessor.
The Sundering of the Worlds
However, this subtle interlinking came to an abrupt end in 2015. After 30+ years as a standalone tabletop war game, Games Workshop made the shocking decision to destroy the Fantasy setting‘s old world through an apocalyptic event known as the "End Times". This coincided with the cancellation of the Warhammer Fantasy Battles game and discontinuation of the brand.
In its place, Warhammer Age of Sigmar rose like a phoenix from the ashes. Marketed as a more accessible, streamlined gaming experience, Age of Sigmar transformed the setting into a whole new cosmology of magical realms.
While parts of the old world do live on through characters and references, Warhammer Fantasy was effectively cast out of the "core" canon shared with 40K. Age of Sigmar now stands as its own distinct property set in a high fantasy universe apart from that sci-fi realm of aliens and starships.
Why Was Fantasy Battles Discontinued?
This decision to so utterly transform Fantasy after 30+ years still proves controversial in the fandom. Why would Games Workshop so dramatically end the brand that laid the foundations for its rise to industry giant?
Reviewing financial statements, we can read between the lines of corporate diplomacy. Fantasy Battles simply was not selling well in its current form, instead hemorrhaging money over several years prior to its conclusion.
In 2014 alone, the company reported a staggering ₤10.6 million loss in stock write-downs “as a result of rationalisation of the Warhammer range as we reorganise the business to align it with customer needs”. Age of Sigmar represented a chance to rekindle interest and revenue.
Alongside lackluster sales, insider reports suggest Fantasy faced growing issues around IP rights. As the setting grew, characters and lore became spread across a labyrinth of supplementary material published over 30+ years by authors with varying rights claims. This made maintaining canon consistency almost impossible.
Resetting the universe through Age of Sigmar offered a chance to reassert control over IPs and publish definitive lore moving forward. It also made room for more ambitious new armies without concern for restrictive past canon.
From a business perspective, the death of Fantasy was a massive gamble to ensure financial sustainability. Even years after launch, Age of Sigmar still draws criticism as an overly streamlined setting compared to the beloved old world. But its continued existence proves Games Workshop made the tough call it felt was needed.
Do Fantasy Elements Still Exist in 40K?
With Age of Sigmar now standing apart in its own realms, is there anything left connecting 40K to those Fantasy roots? Theoretically, the all-encompassing insanity of the Warp could continue bridging these fictional worlds in cosmic chaos.
Passionate fans have seized upon snippets of lore to suggest figures like Sigmar live on reincarnated in the far future of 40K. One oft-cited example claims a lost human fleet discovered by Skaven held a corpse matching Sigmar‘s description. But alas, no overt link to the God-Emperor has ever been made canon.
Similarly, no Fantasy armies or characters have officially crossed over into 40K despite superficial similarities between Space Marines and Sigmarines. While fun to speculate on, these theories ultimately prove unsupported wishful thinking by nostalgic fans like myself!
Where Do We Go from Here?
I‘ve now covered over 2,300 words exploring this question from the business factors behind Fantasy‘s cancellation to the lingering lore connections. So in closing from my view as a pop culture commentator, where might the future take this complex relationship between Games Workshop‘s flagship universes?
Personally, I don‘t expect either brand to walk back explicit crossover content anytime soon. Both settings now stand firmly on their own both financially and narratively. However, franchise owners recognize the passion players still hold for Fantasy‘s legacy even as AoS forges its own path.
Subtle lore references through metaphysical links in the Warp still offer intriguing Easter eggs for the discerning fan. I could even envision a celebratory range of alternate-art models or special event revisiting legacy characters down the road. But a full-fledged return to official canon confluence no longer appears in the cards.
Whether you‘re a devout believer that "Sigmar Willed It" or pragmatically accept reality‘s harsh truths, the creative visions guiding Warhammer‘s fantasy and future-fiction worlds now blaze distinctly through stars separated by voids of corporate necessity. We must seek our own meaning in their subtle echoes still resounding faintly across dimensions.
