Total War: Warhammer 40,000 at Gamescom: One Game That Keeps Growing, Traitors and an Hour of Play

No numbered sequel is planned for Total War: Warhammer 40,000, and that is the real news out of Gamescom 2026. Creative Assembly presented its game as a base to grow, not as the first part of a trilogy. The studio also hinted at a threat of traitors in the campaign, which is not the same thing as a Chaos faction.

Update, October 26, 2026: the release is expected in 2027 on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, with no precise date (Geek Culture). Closed beta registration ended on September 14, with no test date announced (Steam announcement). Tokyo Game Show then revealed the warlord creator, covered in our TGS article.

One game, not a trilogy

Combat lead Dave Petry told PC Gamer that the initial release is meant to be the foundation Creative Assembly keeps building on. He points to the Immortal Empires mode of Total War: Warhammer, where every faction shares a single sandbox. In his view, the real Total War experience is that sandbox.

Asked by TheSixthAxis, he adds that the studio plans big additions, but inside the same game. For the player, the advantage is clear: no more stitching three games together, one executable to keep up to date and DLC to buy as you wish. The catch is still unproven: everything depends on the pace and the price of that content.

Four factions, then the rest

The game starts with four customisable factions: Space Marines, Astra Militarum, Aeldari and Orks. PC Gamer notes that this is thin compared with Warhammer Fantasy. The Space Wolves are already confirmed for later, the Genestealer Cults are on the table, and Chaos waits in the wings.

On that last point, Creative Assembly answered in writing that Chaos Space Marines are not in the game at launch, but will be part of future plans alongside the other iconic factions. They are therefore not confirmed for the starting roster.

The Traitor Guard: a campaign threat

What Gamescom did show is the Traitor Guard, regiments of the Imperial Guard that have gone over to the rebels. According to Tecnoandroid, its icon was spotted during a test session, though its regiments did not appear on the battlefield.

Dave Petry confirmed some presence of traitor elements, enemies to fight that will cause unrest and uprisings in the campaign, before closing the subject. He did not say whether they would be playable. A faction that appears on the map without being controllable is nothing unusual for the series, but the question stays open.

An hour of play and an award

For the first time, the press could play a build. PC Gamer spent about an hour with it and praised a tutorial that, in its words, got the writer excited. The game won the best PC game award at Gamescom, chosen by a jury and the public.

A trade-show award does not say whether the finished game will keep its promises, and PC Gamer says so itself. What matters now is the 2027 release date, the DLC pricing model and the exact nature of the traitors.

To follow the announcements, see our Total War: Warhammer 40,000 page.