FFG loses Warhammer license : page 5 statement, ends Feb 28, 2017

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**Ketara**

http://www.enworld.org/forum/content.php?3751-Who-Will-Pick-Up-The-Warhammer-Licenses-Next#.V84eWjWTX9I

Right now, speculation is that Fantasy Flight Games have lost the licensing to the Warhammer and Warhammer 40K franchises from Games Workshop. An unconfirmed source has told EN World that the license is, in fact, ended, but as of the time of publication no official word from either Fantasy Flight Games or Games Workshop have confirmed this information.

The PDFs for the Warhammer Fantasy Role-Play and Warhammer 40K role-playing lines have been removed as being for sale from the Fantasy Flight Games pages on the OneBookShelf sites. In June, the Bells of Lost Souls website reported that Games Workshop had been at the Licensing Trade Show And Expo in Las Vegas looking for licensing agreements for:

Battlefleet Gothic
Blood Bowl
Dark Future
Dawn of War
Dreadfleet
Fury of Dracula
Horus Heresy
Inquisitor
Man ‘O’ War
Mordheim
Necromunda
Space Hulk
Talisman
Warhammer 40,000
Warhammer Age of Sigmar
Warhammer Fantasy Battle
Warhammer Quest

The above image of the Games Workshop booth (taken before the opening of the Expo) shows that the company was looking to license their properties for video games, entertainment, apparel, collectables, publishing and toys. It is uncertain as yet if they secured a new licensee for the tabletop gaming rights, but it is hopeful that this will be explained when Games Workshop returns contact. It is also uncertain how this will impact the licensing of non-Warhammer games like Talisman.

Both Fantasy Flight Games and Games Workshop were reached out to for comment, but at the time of running this article neither had answered emails. We will update this article with more information as it comes to us.

**Eldarain**

The Conquest LCG doesn't have anything announced past the next two releases further pointing to this being rather likely.

**Vain**

Could be a reason why FFG's Deathwatch base in Jericho Reach wasn't mentioned in the Deathwatch Codex.

**MrFlutterPie**

I'm more interested in the fact GW chose Sister artwork to be so prominent at a trade show

As for FFG I have always felt they were starting to get to big for the britches and were starting to compete with GW a little too much so I'm not too surprised.

Now if only FFG would make a proper 28mm scale Star Wars game

**Mitochondria**

Well feth GW again. Those ladies men just cannot make a good decision.

Fantasy Flight was the only company making GOOD games using the GW IP.

Stupid, dumb, fethers.

**Kid_Kyoto**

I would not panic just yet.

GW licences lots of stuff to lots of folks, and the image from the licencing fair does NOT mention looking for RPG or board game licencees.

Possible sure.

But the only evidence there is PDFs being pulled, although it also seems a while since FFG put out anything new.

**Stormonu**

With FFG starting its own Fantasy Wargame, I think we're seeing the sundering of ways. I've always felt FFG had the better handles of the game aspect of things, and I think they've finally gotten smart enough/burned by GW to go their own direction.

Give them about 5 years for X-Wing / Assault to wind down and I'll bet they'll have their own Sci-Fi wargame in the wings. If they could start with something akin to Heroes of Normandie and build up from cardboard counters to 3D models, I think they could kick GW's butt.

Need to remember to pick up the rest of the Conquest base sets...

**-Loki-**

I wouldn't panic just yet. Licenses are never forever. It's likely, for example, the Conquest LCG didn't have planned releases after the end of the contract simply because it's not a smart business move to start development on something you might not be able to release.

If FFG's licensing is making them money, and no other competitor comes up with a better tender for the license, FFG will likely renew it unless GW has plans to develop those sorts of products in house, which is very doubtful.

**H.B.M.C.**

I fething hope they haven't gone away from GW.

**Arbitrator**

I'd not be the least bit surprised.

Only War hasn't had a supplement in two years, despite expectations of another 'prestige class' book for the careers that didn't get it.

Dark Heresy's 2nd Edition only received a handful of books and one(!) adventure. Even Only War got two.

Absolutely nothing new in the pipeline since the previous Dark Heresy supplement released in March I think it was?

Vain wrote:
Could be a reason why FFG's Deathwatch base in Jericho Reach wasn't mentioned in the Deathwatch Codex.

Which is funny considering almost all of the fluff in the new codex was copy/pasted from FFG's Deathwatch. I'm 99.9% sure Black Shields were one of their inventions.

**H.B.M.C.**

Looks like everything's gone from DriveThruRpg.

**Grot 6**

Great RPG's.

Be real nice to get them on the cheap, now. Along with all of the lickies and chewies, these games are awesome.

Only War was a bag of awesome sauce. Could honeslty not put it down for a week or so, while I supplemented my forbidden knowledge of the IG...

Then there was Black Crusade, where being evil never was as cool as taking over a cursed ship full of a ready made chaos crusade, while you go around gathering up more forces...

**Gamgee**

Aw man I wanted DW 2.0 so badly. I guess I'll have to make it myself.

**Kid_Kyoto**

they are great games.

Only Wars' entry on back up communication device (can't remember the proper name) should be in the 40k humor hall of fame.

**Gamgee**

I can't wait to see what new company gets the rpg line. I hope they make it all inclusive. I want to run games in the IoM, Tau space, Ork space, DE, and all the other factions. Like caaam aaan.

**BrookM**

It's a shame, but after they stopped working on their latest RPG lines without even a peep or notice as to why, this shouldn't come as a surprise.

**Jehan-reznor**

Stormonu wrote:
With FFG starting its own Fantasy Wargame, I think we're seeing the sundering of ways. I've always felt FFG had the better handles of the game aspect of things, and I think they've finally gotten smart enough/burned by GW to go their own direction.

Give them about 5 years for X-Wing / Assault to wind down and I'll bet they'll have their own Sci-Fi wargame in the wings. If they could start with something akin to Heroes of Normandie and build up from cardboard counters to 3D models, I think they could kick GW's butt.

Need to remember to pick up the rest of the Conquest base sets...

Maybe in 5 years FFG will buy GW?

**BrookM**

Let's hope not.

**-Loki-**

H.B.M.C. wrote:
Looks like everything's gone from DriveThruRpg.

Again, not really a sign that they've actually lost the license. If the license has expired and they're contracting a new one, they can't actually sell their products until the new license is signed.

I don't have a dog in this hunt at all, just playing devils advocate. Licenses take time to go through, and with FFG doing things like moving into their own miniatures game, GW might be making changes to the license as to what they can and can't do regarding that change of direction.

Of course, they might also have lost the license and just unceremoniously dropped everything without word from any part involved, but that's a pretty unprofessional thing to do.

**Chikout**

Ffg became a part of asmodee a while ago which in turn is largely owned by an investment company called eurazeo. It is possible that as part of this shake up Ffg decided to give up the gw licence. Given gw's aggressive licencing efforts recently, this seems to be the more likely scenario.

**Vain**

-Loki- wrote:
H.B.M.C. wrote:
Looks like everything's gone from DriveThruRpg.

Again, not really a sign that they've actually lost the license. If the license has expired and they're contracting a new one, they can't actually sell their products until the new license is signed.
....
Of course, they might also have lost the license and just unceremoniously dropped everything without word from any part involved, but that's a pretty unprofessional thing to do.

I would say that is a significant sign of license change. If you have a license that you are making money off, you do not let it expire and make sure you have renewed it before the expiry date.
This allows for future plans to be started and a smoother year of sales. Having doubt and uncertainty in business is a very bad thing.

It is possible (and I would hazard likely) that FFG and GW couldn't come to an agreement for their terms, and while both parties are making efforts (however half-hearted they may be) until it finally and completely expires there is not a lot of benefit to the company and potentially a lot of harm in letting people/consumers/non-shareholders know about the situation. Heck, they might even be legally required not to mention their dealing with those providing the license. In that situation then the only "professional" thing to do is to abide by the agreement they made, allow the license to lapse and then advise of any changes once it is set in stone.

**Do_I_Not_Like_That**

FFG are one of my favourite companies - great games, great products, so if I were FFG, I wouldn't lose too much sleep about being detached from the sinking ship that is GW.

FFG are bringing out Legend of the Five Rings in 2017, which is a firm favourite of mine, so there will be a big wad of cash heading their way next summer.

GW be damned!

**Gamgee**

As FFG has focused on Star Wars I have gotten so annoyed with them. I don't like any of their newer rpg's at all past 40k and I've given their star wars one and the apocalypse one a try. Super lame.

Star Wars in particular was terrible. One of the worst rpg's I've ever played in my life and I've played dozens. It's got to be one of the most over rated systems I've played.

**Fenrir Kitsune**

Damn that Alan Merrett......wait, he's gone. Okay, damn that Kirby........wait, he's not in charge... Right, damn that Mat Ward to hel.........wait. Who do people scapegoat in GW now?

**Herzlos**

I'm pretty sure that even if the license expires, they can still sell stuff they've already produced. I suspect that FFG doesn't need it anymore and GW were starting to be difficult, so they've probably just dropped it, which is a shame. Not for FFG though, they've got much more of their own stuff to produce

MrFlutterPie wrote:

Now if only FFG would make a proper 28mm scale Star Wars game

What do you want from a Star Wars game that you can't do using Imperial Assault with the included skirmish rules?

**Thebiggesthat**

Conquest is great, so disappointed if this is true.

FFG aren't getting rid of any Star Wars product btw, it's one of the most popular tabletop games around the world, and we are entering a golden age for star wars related merchandise. Disney love FFG.

**Gamgee**

Armada and X Wing are cool. Their other stuff is less well done and thought out. I have a rebel fleet sitting up on the wall. Guess what. No one wants to play me since I won too much. Seems to be a pretty common theme with me.

Anyways I feel Saga Edition is the penultimate star wars rpg.

**Mr Morden**

MrFlutterPie wrote:
I'm more interested in the fact GW chose Sister artwork to be so prominent at a trade show

Thats what I noticed first too

FFg have done a lot of good things.

**Stormonu**

Gamgee wrote:
Armada and X Wing are cool. Their other stuff is less well done and thought out. I have a rebel fleet sitting up on the wall. Guess what. No one wants to play me since I won too much. Seems to be a pretty common theme with me.

Anyways I feel Saga Edition is the penultimate star wars rpg.

Eh, of all the Star Wars versions, I find I like West End's D6 version the best. WotC's offering seem both too complicated and didn't seem to fit the tone properly. FFG's offering seemed to try to bridge the gap, but it too is far too overwrought.

I do hope that FFG is careful about having so many of its eggs in Star Wars products - it really caused West End no end of problems when they lost their license (like, they went out of business).

Personally, I'm happy FFG is splitting away from GW, and wish they could directly compete against them. Alas, while I generally like their rulewriting better (Waaay better), they don't have the depth and breadth of GW's model line. Strangely, there was a time I wish FFG would take over GW's rule writing. At this juncture, that is no longer the case.

**str00dles1**

Fits to what ive heard.

Apparently as the story goes, because FFG made Runewars, that broke the contract they had with GW. GW saying they cant make a table top miniatures game. FFG did, so GW pulled license.

Sucks because I really liked Warhammer quest Card game and this really nails the coffin down for Disk Wars.