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Fantasy Flight Games Splitting From Warhammer
Recent months have seen some big shake-ups in the tabletop gaming industry, and many of those changes have been connected to the prominent tabletop games publisher called Asmodee. First, we had the acquisition of Days of Wonder (Ticket To Ride) and the merger of Fantasy Flight and Asmodee back in 2014. More recently, it was revealed that Asmodee is in serious talks to acquire F2Z, the publishing parent company behind big games like Pandemic and Dead of Winter. Today brings news of the end of an important licensed relationship, as Fantasy Flight (now merged with Asmodee) is ending its years-long licensing relationship with Games Workshop, which previously yielded multiple games for the Warhammer and Warhammer 40K universes.
Fantasy Flight and Games Workshop have maintained a relationship for seven years. The conclusion of the connection between the two companies means that board games like Forbidden Stars and Talisman, as well as RPGs like Dark Heresy and Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay will no longer be produced or sold by Fantasy Flight, beginning on March 1, 2017.
That also means that not only will Warhammer 40,000: Conquest be discontinued, but organized play for the game will also halt after the 2016 World Championships.
According to a press release from Fantasy Flight, all of the following games will be discontinued:
• Black Crusade
• Blood Bowl: Team Manager
• Chaos in the Old World
• Chaos Marauders
• Dark Heresy
• Dark Heresy Second Edition
• Deathwatch
• Forbidden Stars
• Fury of Dracula
• Only War
• Relic
• Rogue Trader
• Space Hulk: Death Angel
• Talisman
• Warhammer: Diskwars
• Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay
• Warhammer: Invasion The Card Game
• Warhammer Quest: The Adventure Card Game
• Warhammer 40,000: Conquest
• All Fantasy Flight Supply products showing imagery licensed to Games Workshop
The discontinuation of the business relationship seems to be occurring because a license term is expiring without an update or new license relationship going into place. In its release, Fantasy Flight makes a point to thank Games Workshop for the long working relationship, and wish the other company “the best in their future endeavors.”
Our Take
Asmodee and Fantasy Flight have been the catalysts for some profound changes in the tabletop gaming industry as of late, and the end of this fruitful relationship with Games Workshop is yet another example. Warhammer is a huge property internationally, so this shift is an important one. I’ll be interested to see if Games Workshop begins to do more board, card, and role-playing games internally, or whether they establish a new relationship with another publisher. Meanwhile, Asmodee and Fantasy Flight have no shortage of strong licensing relationships and original games, including everything from Star Wars and Game Of Thrones to 7 Wonders and Android.
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