SEGA and Creative Assembly closed out Total War’s 25th anniversary celebrations with a massive reveal during The Game Awards 2025: Total War: Warhammer 40,000, the series’s first leap into sci-fi and its boldest evolution yet. Introduced by Stranger Things and MCU star David Harbour, who will portray a mysterious in-game character, the announcement trailer showcased humanity’s crumbling empire, endless war, and cinematic large-scale battles across a ravaged galaxy.
The trailer underscores how naturally the 41st millennium maps onto Total War’s formula: massive armies, iconic factions, apocalyptic firepower, and a setting where conflict never ends.
Wage Total War Across the Galaxy
For the first time in franchise history, Total War abandons Earth and fantasy realms for a galactic sandbox, inviting players to conquer star systems, capture and bombard planets, customize their factions, and unleash devastating armies in real-time battles.
Creative Assembly describes the title as the beginning of a long-term vision one meant to grow into the ultimate Warhammer 40K strategy experience, matching the scope and brutality of Games Workshop’s legendary universe.
Four Factions Clash in the 41st Millennium
At launch, players will command four of the most iconic Warhammer 40K armies:
- Space Marines — Tactical precision and elite, adaptable forces
- Astra Militarum — Massive armies, heavy armor, and overwhelming artillery
- Orks — Chaotic aggression and brutal melee supremacy
- Aeldari — High-speed psychic finesse and pinpoint lethality
Each faction plays differently across both the campaign and battlefield, offering radically distinct strategic paths and war stories.
Planetary Conquest, Apocalyptic Weapons, and Destructible Battlefields
Total War: Warhammer 40,000 expands the series’ scope with new mechanics and cosmic-scale destruction:
- Conquer planets, control fleets, and manage a war economy
- Bombard enemy worlds from orbit
- Fight cinematic ground battles across diverse, destructible terrain
- Deploy elite squads and colossal war machines
- Unleash planet-killing weaponry when all else fails
Whether you’re waging war across a sector or annihilating a planet, the game promises scale unlike anything Total War has attempted before.
Forge Your Own War Machine
In another franchise first, players can customize their faction’s identity, adjusting titles, heraldry, iconography, traits, and tactical specializations. This allows each campaign to feel yours uniquely, emphasizing expression and long-term progression across the stars.
A New Era for Total War Begins
Game Director Attila Mohacsi calls Warhammer 40K a “science-fantasy setting without equal,” noting Creative Assembly’s 15-year relationship with Games Workshop and their aim to create the definitive 40K strategy game just as they did with the Total War: Warhammer trilogy.
Total War: Warhammer 40,000 is in development for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S, marking the series’s first major entry on console.
For more updates, fans can wishlist the game now and follow news at the official website.
