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Played from 2nd through 3.5/4th edition. Lost interest, left for 9-10 years.

Came back in late 7th, tried it...realized it was still re-skinned 3rd edition, so I didn't play. Hopped in with 8th at the start. Stopped playing about six months ago. Simply not having fun when I play the game (I simply lose all interest when units start rolling hundreds of dice...sometimes more than once). Will probably revert to playing a modified form of 2nd edition, and 8th occasionally if requested by friends.

I don't believe I'll be playing any future editions of 40K. I'm oddly okay with that, just gotta find another way to use the minis now (not a big deal).

I never leave 40k, cuz it's one of my biggest fandoms. the only reason I make me leave 40k is: it's crossovers are branded heresy

Hold on to your models, try some other games out there. If you like the setting, give Necromunda a try. Or just experiment with some narrative things, some of the games like Blackstone Fortress, or venture outside the GW racket and play with some other cool games like Infinity, Specter Operations, Frostgrave, Reality's Edge, or Tummysticks.

There's cool miniatures out there, and there's a lot of things you can do with cool miniatures if that's what you like.

The only reason I've not left 40k is because my friends enjoy it. My friends keep me motivated, we try new things, and find ways to "make the game be fun for us", rather than waiting for GW to do it (because they're not always good at it). I also struggle to find the motivation to sit down and paint, and when I'm alone I often get into a 'funk' and don't want to do anything- so my friends and I have "paint days" where we just talk about stuff, put on a movie, paint models, and go into the closet and take turns playing Tummysticks.

All creepy lewd jokes aside, you do what's best for you and your money. No one is required to be actively playing 40k to enjoy aspects of it. For many years, I just bought random models and read books and watched other people play and it was enjoyable.

Overall- for me, this hobby is more than the rules and the meta. It's my friends that make this game, and honestly this game has made me a lot of friends.

Tummysticks, on the other hand...

I had left the hobby a very long time ago, after enjoying 3rd edition, to pursue software development and the like; sometimes we have to make sacrifices and it involved seeing almost all my collection of models going in the bin.

Long story cut short, Lost Patrol and Space Hulk: The Card game bought me back to the 40K universe, but Kill Team(released in 2018) was my return to 40K itself. Dipped me toes in AoS and now looking at a possible return to modern 40K with Eldar and Tyranids - slowly rebuilding what was lost many years ago.

Will not be going beyond casual open play as the rule books would be too heavy. expensive and fluff-focused. This is where Kill Team knocks it out of the park.

I'm never leaving 40k.

But that doesn't mean that 40k didn't leave me.

A lot of my friends think I hate 40k, but the reality is, I'm not going to buy 5 main rulebooks to play, and then pay for basic balance updates, and 100s of strategems to remember. All for a game that's only a bit above mediocre in terms of gameplay.

Love the setting, love the fiction. I will actually buy the models that I like still. Then again no $35 dollar single characters.

Had a Tourny set for April, rescheduled July, and then my gaming store, and rec center closed. No games all of 9th.

I never quit the hobby of miniature painting and collecting, but from 2002–2004 and then a year or two around the 2010s I didn't play any GW games. In those days it was all Warzone, Void, Warmachine, and Confrontation. Nothing wrong with taking a break if you're not having fun.

If I had the choice, I'd leave 40k.
But there's just so few opportunity to play other games due to the sizes of communities.
In my city there's at least 4 different groups, all of at least a dozen members, playing 40k (albeit some members cross over).

Conversely there's about a dozen people across the whole city playing Necromunda, which is one of the more popular non-40k/AoS games.

So in a choice of playing 40k with friends or playing nothing, I'm forced into 40k. But I take any other game when I can.

 kirotheavenger wrote:
If I had the choice, I'd leave 40k.
But there's just so few opportunity to play other games due to the sizes of communities.
In my city there's at least 4 different groups, all of at least a dozen members, playing 40k (albeit some members cross over).

Conversely there's about a dozen people across the whole city playing Necromunda, which is one of the more popular non-40k/AoS games.

So in a choice of playing 40k with friends or playing nothing, I'm forced into 40k. But I take any other game when I can.

You might be surprised with what there is if you can figure out how to find it. Are there other game nights at your FLGS?
Look for Facebook groups in your city and/or province,
Infinity has risen in popularity such that you should be able to find players is most cities.

Been playing 40k since around 3rd, but after the big changes I stopped.
Moved to 30k, necro etc and then picked up AoS a lot more too.

As it is now, the game just feels like the launch of AoS all over again.
It’s clunky, has a lot of blatant issues and the way rules launches are handled just makes it a mess to me.
In time I’ll likely go back to it (as I did with AoS) but for now? It can wait.


The other reason to leaving 40k is just the models at the moment.
I can happily sit down and paint 1000 points of AoS in a week or so without any issue.
For some reason (maybe aesthetics?) I just cannot sit down for long to paint 40k, I just get bored and stop after a couple of hours.
The models just don’t really inspire me to paint at the moment if that makes any sense?

 DarkBlack wrote:

 kirotheavenger wrote:
If I had the choice, I'd leave 40k.
But there's just so few opportunity to play other games due to the sizes of communities.
In my city there's at least 4 different groups, all of at least a dozen members, playing 40k (albeit some members cross over).

Conversely there's about a dozen people across the whole city playing Necromunda, which is one of the more popular non-40k/AoS games.

So in a choice of playing 40k with friends or playing nothing, I'm forced into 40k. But I take any other game when I can.

You might be surprised with what there is if you can figure out how to find it. Are there other game nights at your FLGS?
Look for Facebook groups in your city and/or province,
Infinity has risen in popularity such that you should be able to find players is most cities.

Well, like I said, there's a dozen or so Necromunda players and we're pretty close with similar visions of the game. It's enough to get semi-regular games and I really enjoy it.
I've also recently picked up Titanicus, which seems to have a small community as well.
Napoleonic seems quite popular, although not my bag.
But there are other games I want to play, like Blood Red Skies, but that has only had buy in from three people including myself, which makes games very difficult to get.

But 40k? You're tripping over people playing 40k, the numbers are insane compared to anything else.

The standard game size is too big these days. My problem is time, not money, if 1000 or 1250 points was the standard competitive game I'd manage, but I can never stick to one project long enough to paint 2000 points of models.

I still paint and list build but I doubt I'll actually play the game again.

Played all through 3rd then skipped 4th but played a year of 5th. Then came back in right at the end of 6th and have stayed.

No particular reason, it was just a mix of usual friends dropping out so games became tight, life getting in the way (uni, travel). Found some players abroad (NZ) so took my models with me and played 5th ed there but eventually came back and had no local players for 6th but eventually stumbled into a new group of mates/players and we've had regular games since.

Having moved to Warmachine 7years ago I've never felt an urge to invest more in 40k since then. It was like a revelation - "so a wargame doesn't have to be silly 'roll dice and see what happens' affair but can be extremely decision heavy and intellectually challenging like a good boardgame?"

Even with WM&H plunge in popularity I can't see myself going back to WH40K in its current form. It would be like going back to Snakes&Ladders after years of playing Brass Birmingham, Dominant Species and Forbidden Stars.

I left the hobby completely for about 15 years. LotR drew me back in: 40k and WFB followed.

More recently, I had a quiet couple of years where I couldn't face painting minis and just gamed. Covid gave me the space again, and I've completed several painting projects.

Modern 40k and AoS don't really do it for my group. We started an Estalian campaign for 6th Edition Fantasy before lockdown, and we've been collecting 2nd Edition 40k books to have some fun when we're allowed to meet up again.

One piece of advice: if you give up, keep your minis unless you really need the money. You never know when you'll get interested again, or meet a bunch of great players.

I'm done with 40k. It saddens me, because I am a huge fan of the lore. As a guard player, it's been a roller coaster.

7th edition was very rough to play, but Guard felt right. Platoon organization, command structures, it just felt right (general weakness of the faction aside.)

Early 8th edition was a breath of fresh air and I felt like it played great. Unfortunately, Guard felt very bland. Far more effective, but lacking character. The massive buffs that came with the codex didn't make sense to me.

9th edition's core rules seem very good, but the codex's throw any sense of balance out the window. It's an exercise in putting models on the table then packing them back up.

The other major issue which I've had is the price increases. Even as I started to back out of playing the game, I still collected and painted the models. They were a great outlet for creativity. With the most recent price increases, I cannot justify it anymore. The value just isn't there.

Again, it makes me sad. I love the lore and I love painting the models. If they literally cut the prices of models in half, I might get back to it. But that's not happening.

Nurglitch wrote:
I wouldn't say I've left. It's just that earlier this summer I realized that I didn't want to play anymore. Not selling any of my stuff. Indeed, I'm enjoying the painting more than ever. Just not jonesing for it like I used to. It's weird.

I'm still not playing Warhammer.

"Give up 40k" is a bit too final for my tastes.

I started collecting about 20 years ago. I love the flavor, the models, and the game, but it's a pretty time intensive hobby, so it frequently gets de-prioritized, sometimes for years at a time.

I'm not choosing to leave, it just sort of happens naturally, and I'm never far from getting inspired to return whether by my old projects or a shiny new one.

I deliberately play at least 2 systems so that at any given time if one game gets stale I can ditch it and switch to the other one.

Warning: ranting ahead.
Been playing since 2nd. 40k was never really my favourite game. WHFB would take that title in ANY edition.

I stopped playing when 9th released. I was already losing interest when Psychic Awakening began because it was the ONLY game my group played from the launch of 8th and every game felt the same.

Psychic Awakening, CA and other misc supplements were already bloating the rules and making things hard to keep track of everything going on (especially as I own six armies), then 9th turned up and both added more bloat AND changed the rules and shoved in more book keeping it became a chore to keep up. I'd hoped that after Psychic Awakening was done GW was going to release 8.1 Ed with a few tweaks and a much longer release time between rules updates. Maybe catch up on some ranges that badly needed updating and release a codex every 6 months like they used to but it doesn't seem like they intend to slow down. The only thing that HAS slowed GWs releases was a literal plague.

Around the time 8th started I also started playing board games and I was introduced to games with multiple layers of strategy and tight, well balanced rules that the creators had clearly put a lot of time and love into and I just don't want to go back to the bloated time sink that 40k has become. Each decision in my lightest games feel more considered than when I play 40k. Even the most complex board game I own takes less time and effort to set up and play than 40k. Board games are also a fraction of the price. For the price of a single 40k model I can get what people would consider an expensive board game or even two mid-range cost games and I'll get more value, plays and satisfaction out of them than a €100 GW model. It hasn't helped that I'm renovating a house and the changed in priorities means GW basically priced me out of the game.

I tried playing 40k and enjoy it towards the end of 8th, mostly because of the SoB release and getting to use my metal models but it just felt so bland and repetitive. So I made an effort to paint the models I have and I've packed them away for the time being and given up on GW. I'm content to sit on the sidelines and watch GW continue to make the same dumb decisions they always did and watch them make continued EA level decisions that people will support for some reason.

 Frozocrone wrote:
I've decided to stop playing and painting 40k for the time being. The reasons why mainly me becoming tired of the imbalance in the game and generally getting no enjoyment from the hobby,. Why spend my time and money into something that clearly isn't doing any good for my wellbeing? There is no answer that could convince me otherwise, even when I forced myself to paint to try and enjoy it.

That said, I'm not selling my models, they'll probably go back into my attic for if I do decide to start again, then I don't have to buy all the stuff required to start.

I'm curious, how many people have been tempted or have actually quit the hobby? Poll included for answers, possibly left out some response options.

You need an "other" option.

I have stopped following 40K because i hate 9th edition and the direction GW is taking the game and lore. to me it isn't 40K anymore so i jumped off the train. i don't follow or care about new rules, models or lore.


However that doesn't mean i don't love all the models i have in my large collection, or that i do not still play 40K. our group just plays 40K when it was fun via 5th edition with a few house rules. so it isn't quitting 40K, it's quitting GW as i have no interest or need to buy anything from them ever again.

I've been on again off again since 2nd edition. Life gets in the way. Take some time off and don't get rid of anything. You will regret it. Both from a collector's view and the cost to replace models. I am looking to see how the new Orks shake out. That will determine if I play 9th or not. Right now prepping for a move and everything is on hold.

I want to leave 40k, permanently, but its a tough go for miniature players to do so.

I enjoy other GW games like Underworlds and BB much much more, and I can comb through gaming stores in the whole state, work forums, and help grow communities for maybe a few games I have to drive far for...or I can dust of the 40k collection and get a mediocre game at will.

MegaDombro wrote:
I want to leave 40k, permanently, but its a tough go for miniature players to do so.

I enjoy other GW games like Underworlds and BB much much more, and I can comb through gaming stores in the whole state, work forums, and help grow communities for maybe a few games I have to drive far for...or I can dust of the 40k collection and get a mediocre game at will.

I recall hanging on to Warhammer for the same reason, but then I realised that I could find a game of Infinity in pretty much any major city (even in South Africa), so that reason went away.

I have miniatures for more games than I have time to play and I have stopped playing Infinity too (for very different reasons).

I think to me the straw that's broken the camel's back on GW is the people who play it, much more so than the game. The game's still pretty much the same; GW's still gouging people on rules they couldn't be bothered to test or edit, updating one army at a time to be absolutely sure people buy second, third, fourth, etc. armies to tide them over while they wait for the rules for the minis they actually like to be a bit less gak, letting the sculptors lead the way on what minis to release instead of considering what the customers might want, and slowly strangling the last vestiges of creativity out of the hobby. If that was enough to drive me away I'd have quit years ago, all that's been going on since Priestly left. The thing that's convinced me it's time to quit is the army of slavishly-devoted cultists who are convinced that 8th was the beginning of a glorious sunlit upland of redemption. I used to be able to talk to Warhammer players; we could commiserate over gakky things GW did to our armies, acknowledge that maybe we need to fiddle with the rules a bit to play the game, discuss the lore, have a game that might approach being fun. These days if I suggest trying to do anything other than the exact as-written sanctioned GW experience I get ignored, or get strange looks, or get rants about how everything in 9th is perfect because it's better than 7th (and if I point out that I liked 7th better the rant extends to a long explanation of why everything I like is awful), or get people gently taking me aside and suggesting that if I don't like tournament-standard 9th maybe wargaming isn't the hobby for me. I don't know if I've gone insane or if everyone who plays Warhammer has gone collectively insane, but I can't deal with it anymore. I'm still on Dakka because this feels like the last bastion of negativity where anyone's willing to acknowledge what GW actually is and does, and I still have some minis to play 30k or homebrew systems with when I can find people to play with, but I don't think I'll ever read another new GW rulebook again. Probably. Maybe if GW announces the heads of design on 10th edition are Rick Priestly and the ghost of Alan Bligh I'd come back.

 AnomanderRake wrote:
I think to me the straw that's broken the camel's back on GW is the people who play it, much more so than the game. The game's still pretty much the same; GW's still gouging people on rules they couldn't be bothered to test or edit, updating one army at a time to be absolutely sure people buy second, third, fourth, etc. armies to tide them over while they wait for the rules for the minis they actually like to be a bit less gak, letting the sculptors lead the way on what minis to release instead of considering what the customers might want, and slowly strangling the last vestiges of creativity out of the hobby. If that was enough to drive me away I'd have quit years ago, all that's been going on since Priestly left. The thing that's convinced me it's time to quit is the army of slavishly-devoted cultists who are convinced that 8th was the beginning of a glorious sunlit upland of redemption.

As someone that fell for that, initially during 8th only to see his main army being disasmbled step by step by GW, and the secondary being baseline the 2.0 laughing stock dex that hurt and the realisation of that hurt even more. Also people don't like being told that their investment for their "baby" (and gw 40k collections are certainly in that realm considering time and money invested in some collections) has been invested upon false hopes on GW..

I used to be able to talk to Warhammer players; we could commiserate over gakky things GW did to our armies, acknowledge that maybe we need to fiddle with the rules a bit to play the game, discuss the lore, have a game that might approach being fun. These days if I suggest trying to do anything other than the exact as-written sanctioned GW experience I get ignored, or get strange looks, or get rants about how everything in 9th is perfect because it's better than 7th (and if I point out that I liked 7th better the rant extends to a long explanation of why everything I like is awful), or get people gently taking me aside and suggesting that if I don't like tournament-standard 9th maybe wargaming isn't the hobby for me.

FWIW, i understand where you are comming from, the end of simulationist elements initially was one of the few big jarring points from 7-.8th for me personally.
GW also fostered a competetive community type deal for the first time and it shows.
Further, i had also more fun in 7th, but that was despite 7th and the dexes and formations and had more to do that R&H for the first time really had a list that was fun and i had a group that were aligned in that fun department as in no formations and the worst excesses were kept from the table or 30k rules were brought over to fix the mess that was 7th.
8th just felt bland, less strategic overall. Stratagems have become a blight upon the game and when you lose a main army to detirioation and bad design overall (free traits , lmao) and preferential treatment i don't think that 8th overall was much better than 7th.... Especially after marines 2.0 and pre castellan nerf.
Further praising something from GW because it " Is BeTtEr tHAn 7Th " is a really damn low bar and by virtue of that not really an argument.

I don't know if I've gone insane or if everyone who plays Warhammer has gone collectively insane, but I can't deal with it anymore. I'm still on Dakka because this feels like the last bastion of negativity where anyone's willing to acknowledge what GW actually is and does, and I still have some minis to play 30k or homebrew systems with when I can find people to play with, but I don't think I'll ever read another new GW rulebook again. Probably. Maybe if GW announces the heads of design on 10th edition are Rick Priestly and the ghost of Alan Bligh I'd come back.

Sideeffect of GW fostering and discovering competitive personalities using them as makreting tools.

AnomanderRake

I was planning out a scenario game for next week when one of our regulars piped up and said "quite trying to sell him on 5th edition' the player i was talking to said "shut up, he already has" and a few added colorful anecdotes.

I'm not allowed to mention 5th edition, it gets immediately shut down with how bad 7th edition was

Here those that are into "oldhammer" basically prefer 3rd over 5th. I love both editions.

 AnomanderRake wrote:
I'm still on Dakka because this feels like the last bastion of negativity where anyone's willing to acknowledge what GW actually is and does

/tg/ on 4chan has frequent GW hate threads with the added bonus of not having to be polite or have arguments that make sense. But I'm with you on this. I feel dumb that I used to defend 8th with the exact same arguments I criticize now but I feel the fact that I can acknowledge that I was wrong then gives me some credibility. Not that anyone cares, its always the same chorus of "GOD FORBID you talk to your oppoenent before a game and have them tone down their list" or "Just play Open or Crusade".