Warhammer 40K 2026 Calendar

2026 is the edition transition year for Warhammer 40,000. 10th Edition has finished its main codex run, 11th Edition launched in June with the Armageddon box, a free Core Rules download and Games Workshop has confirmed that existing 10th Edition codexes remain legal under the new edition. The new Warhammer 40k 2026 calendar has been one of the most active in recent memory; here is a chronological run-through of everything that has landed and what is still to come.

The Warhammer 40k 2026 release calendar at a glance

The 2026 calendar has three phases. January to April: late 10th Edition supplements, the Eye of Terror campaign, and the Armageddon launch box. June: 11th Edition launch, with free Core Rules and the new detachment, terrain, and stratagem rules. Summer onwards: Codex: Orks as the first 11th Edition codex, four new Battleforces, and a steady drip of new codexes carrying the edition into 2027.

January to March 2026: late 10th Edition releases

January 2026 opened with the 500 Worlds Supplement, bringing updated rules for Ultramarines and Necrons. February 2026 added the Huron Blackheart datasheet, the Maelstrom Corsairs detachment, and updated Xenos Character rules. March 2026 brought Eye of Terror, the late-edition Iron Warriors campaign book, which arrived with the Defiler kit, the Knight Destrier, AdMech updates, and new Imperial Knights options. The biggest March announcement was at AdeptiCon 2026, where Games Workshop officially confirmed the 11th Edition for a June launch.

April 2026: the Armageddon box and the Return of Yarrick

The Armageddon box was the headline release of Q2 and the bridge product into the 11th Edition. The box pitted Orks against Imperial forces and contained the new Wazdakka model, the Return of Yarrick model, Astra Militarum reinforcements, Adepta Sororitas elements, and Imperial Agents content. Unusually, Armageddon was released without the usual allocation issues, with general availability on day one. Armageddon Battalions and Armageddon-specific datasheets followed in the same window.

Codex: Emperor’s Children, the final 10th Edition Chaos codex

Codex: Emperor’s Children, released in the first half of 2026, brought the Slaanesh-devoted legion their first standalone codex, alongside a full new model range. The headline release was a new Fulgrim Daemon Primarch centrepiece, joined by updated Noise Marines sculpts and a wave of Slaanesh-themed daemon engines. The book closed out the 10th Edition’s Chaos codex run.

Warhammer 40k 11th Edition release date: June 2026

11th Edition launched in June 2026, with the Core Rules available as a free download via the Warhammer 40K app. The headline message from Games Workshop is that 11th Edition is a refinement of 10th rather than a full overhaul, the kind of "soft reset" the game has never had. Confirmed changes include new detachment mixing rules, updated terrain rules for obscuring cover, a one-stratagem-per-phase limit, leader abilities that persist after the bodyguard unit dies, and new Force Disposition objectives. Existing 10th Edition codexes remain legal at launch.

Summer 2026: Codex: Orks, the first 11th Edition codex

Codex: Orks is confirmed as the first 11th Edition codex in the new format, landing in summer 2026. The book ships with 15 detachments out of the gate and is supported by a fresh wave of WAAAGH! Energy: a new Trukk kit, a new Mek, a new Warboss, refreshed Boyz, and standalone Armageddon-themed releases. Space Marines are expected to follow as the second 11th Edition codex.

Post-launch 11th Edition Battleforces

Four new Battleforces are confirmed for release in the months following the June launch: Astra Militarum, Tyranids, Chaos, and Necrons. Each ships at the standard Battleforce price point with army-starter contents tailored to the new edition’s detachment rules. Expect them to land in waves through Q3 2026.

Q3 to Q4 2026: rumoured and expected Warhammer 40k codex release dates 2026

The rest of the calendar is shaping up around the new 11th Edition codexes, but several still sit at the rumoured stage at the time of writing:

• Codex: Adeptus Custodes (rumoured Q3 2026, supported by Horus Heresy Custodes kits)

• Codex: Astra Militarum (rumoured late 2026 off the back of Yarrick and Armageddon)

• Possible Death Guard or World Eaters codex as the first 11th Edition Chaos book

• Possible Dark Angels codex (rumoured but not dated)

• October 2026 secondary Ork wave: new multi-part Warboss, additional kits

• Space Marine Outriders new multi-part kit

Other 2026 Warhammer 40K releases worth knowing about

Alongside the main calendar, 2026 has delivered an Aeldari Exodites Kill Team box, a new Ciaphas Cain model, new Inquisitor Kroyle and Intranza Fraye datasheets, an updated Horus Heresy roadmap for Summer 2026 (more Solar Auxilia and Legion expansions), continued Legions Imperialis releases at 8mm scale, and the Old World 2026 roadmap running in parallel.

What the soft reset means for hobbyists

The 11th Edition launch is the most player-friendly edition transition Games Workshop has ever attempted. Existing 10th Edition codexes remain legal at launch, faction rules continue through balance dataslates and the Warhammer 40K app, and the pressure to buy a new codex on launch day is lower than at any previous edition change. New codexes will roll out across 2026 and 2027, but they arrive on top of an army that still works.

An alternative route to the flagship 40K product

For UK hobbyists who would rather chase a flagship 2026 release than pay full retail, WinWink runs regular Warhammer competitions on boxes like Armageddon, Combat Patrols, Battleforces and codex bundles, with draws conducted live on Facebook. Recent Warhammer winners are listed with links to the live draw recordings. Crossover collectors who follow LEGO or trading card hobbies might also enjoy the LEGO competitions for the year’s biggest licensed builds, or TCGs and more for other game systems. Strictly UK 18+.

The short version

2026 is the year 40K turned the page. Armageddon was the bridge, June was the moment, and Codex: Orks is the start of the next chapter. Whatever army you play, your codex still works, and the calendar from here forward is about expansion rather than replacement.

FAQs

When did Warhammer 40K 11th Edition launch?

Warhammer 40K 11th Edition launched in June 2026 with the Core Rules released as a free download via the Warhammer 40K app. The edition was officially confirmed at AdeptiCon 2026 in March.

What was in the Armageddon box?

The Armageddon launch box, released in April 2026, contained Orks versus Imperial forces, including the new Wazdakka model, the Return of Yarrick model, Astra Militarum reinforcements, Adepta Sororitas elements, and Imperial Agents content. It was the bridge product between the 10th and 11th editions.

Are 10th Edition Codexes still legal in the 11th Edition?

Yes. Games Workshop has confirmed that all existing 10th Edition Codexes remain legal at the launch of the 11th Edition. Faction rules continue to be maintained through balance data slates and the Warhammer 40K app, making this the most player-friendly edition transition Games Workshop has ever attempted.

What is the first 11th Edition codex?

Codex: Orks is confirmed as the first 11th Edition codex, releasing in summer 2026 with 15 detachments and a fresh wave of new Ork kits (Trukk, Mek, Warboss, Boyz). Space Marines are expected as the second 11th Edition codex.

When does Codex: Orks release?

Codex: Orks releases in summer 2026 as the first 11th Edition codex. It ships with 15 detachments and is supported by a wave of new Ork miniatures alongside the Armageddon launch-box releases.