Warhammer is not Satire (Full Essay)

The "God Emperor Trump" meme, which was inspired by Warhammer 40K.

Part of the Imagining Dystopia topic

            The Warhammer 40K (WH40K) series perpetuates a grim outlook on the world that falls perfectly in line with the fascistic beliefs of much of its player base. By the 2010s, a growing number of the "alt-right" neo-Nazis began to unironically identify with the violent and hyper-militaristic factions within the game. Games Workshop (GW), the owners of the Warhammer IP, were eventually forced to release a PR statement distancing themselves from the toxic elements within the Warhammer community. It was declared that Warhammer was "for everyone" and that all of the gratuitous violence committed by the in-game factions was "satirical". This response drew a lot of skepticism, both due to GW’s initial reluctance to address the issue and doubt over whether WH40K’s universe could truly be considered as satire.

            A common trend that had emerged during this time was the rather liberal employment of the "satire" label to escape scrutiny following a public gaffe. Any controversial statement could immediately be redacted by claiming that the person in question was satirizing someone else. A bold declaration could thus be put forth forward for commercial or social gain and the associated risks would be eliminated. This practice was used both by companies that made dubious creative decisions within their franchises and by individuals who expressed socially unacceptable political views. The former were motived by the high profit rewards and low risk of hiding behind the satire label. The latter wished to openly profess their fascist ideology in a controlled environment.

            In the case of WH40K, corporate greed and neofascism converged within the ugly universe that the series had created. GW profited off their reactionary base of consumers, and the WH40K fans were able to live out their extermination fantasies as military dictators within the game’s fictional setting. The in-game factions available to the players are all orientated towards a state of permanent war and their intensely militaristic cultures cater specifically to those with fascistic ideologies. WH40K promotes a nihilistic vision of the world in which ideologies are meaningless and wars of annihilation are inevitable. By contrast, many other fictional series provide a much more nuanced look at the motivations and struggles of various peoples. To prevent GW's perverse business model from encroaching upon the entertainment industry at large, it is important to deconstruct their claims of WH40K being "satire" and call their company out for its indirect role in normalizing fascist beliefs.

The Universe of Warhammer 40K

            To understand the ideology of WH40K, it is important to examine its various factions and what they represent. To start, it is worth noting that there are a litany of supernatural forces within the WH40K galaxy, as well as a clearly defined afterlife where souls travel once their corporeal form has been destroyed. WH40K is one of the many sci-fi series that combines space-faring societies with cosmic mysticism. Like every aspect of WH40K, the spiritual realm is a place of eternal torment where malevolent gods feed upon the suffering of the galaxy. Just like there are no virtuous factions in-game, there are no benevolent gods to balance out the evil supernatural forces.

            Four deities exist within the WH40K lore. Each one embodies specific drivers of entropy, such as violence, deception, decay, and hedonism. Whenever war, revolution, or extreme forms of decadence breaks out, the deities are empowered and can project themselves into the universe. As their presence grows stronger, they feed upon the denizens of the galaxy, sometimes consuming entire civilizations. Individuals are tempted into the service of these dark deities by promises of power and fulfillment. Those who accrue an army under a deity are part of the "Chaos" faction within WH40K. Their form is twisted as they become more corrupted and prey upon the galaxy as infernal warlords.

            What is immediately established with Chaos is that the universe itself is a cosmic crucible of suffering that only gets worse as time passes. There can be no hope nor peace. Everything is destined to be a never-ending battle of despair. WH40K is not meant to be anything other than a bleak wargame where the players concentrate solely on annihilating each other's armies on the field of battle. At a cursory glance, it would seem that Games Workshop merely wanted a simple backdrop for their tactical battle game. Many Warhammer fans would undoubtedly argue that WH40K's setting makes perfect sense, as the series is geared towards conflict and is not meant to be story-focused. Some might even make the case that WH40K's premise is kept simple in order to avoid any political controversy.

            From a more critical analysis, the notion of WH40K being apolitical is absolute nonsense. The presentation of war as a natural and unavoidable state of relations is itself a strong political statement. Every other gaming universe I have examined has always given a courtesy nod to the idea of peace and understanding between different peoples as being not only a desirable goal, but something that is attainable in the long run. For the sake of keeping the universe interesting and the gameplay exciting, all of these games must maintain some form of conflict among their various factions. Nonetheless, old problems can be solved, new ones can emerge, and sympathetic characters within the games can dream of a better world in the future.

            WH40K has none of these subtleties. Though far from being neutral, the series does, in fact, have something to say about humanity. In the past decade and a half, there has been a surge in "YouTube historians" and online political personalities that have chosen to weigh in on many past events and contemporary issues. A common complaint regarding these amateur commentators is that they often ignore the scientific method and lack awareness of their own personal biases. They instead operate off of "vibes", or the personal feelings that they attribute to various parties in the historical or contemporary examples that they examine.

            Despite these online commentators acting independently of each other, many parrot the same talking points and have circled back around to the idea that human nature has certain static characteristics that will never change. A pervasive conclusion that they inevitably reach is that humanity is violent, deceitful, and driven by personal greed. The timeline of human development is a fascinating tapestry of events, in which our species adapted to numerous changes in our environment through constant societal evolution. Cultures and mores of the past would seem alien to us in the present day, and we can only imagine how human societies will operate in the future. All of this rich history and possibilities for the future are discarded in a crude attempt to pin down a single underlying trait that can be used to describe a basic human nature.

            WH40K contributes to this subject in much the same way as the online commentators. Written in the very fabric of the WH40K universe is the suggestion that the worst elements of humanity are an inherent part of us and that any hope for a better future is naive idealism. Violence and despair are consistent themes that are shoved in the players' faces at every opportunity. One of the clearest examples of WH40K's nihilistic philosophy is shown in the lore of the Eldar faction. The Eldar are quite literally "space elves", a lazy adaptation of the elven race form Warhammer's fantasy series. They are immortal, their society is ancient, and they are one of the most technologically-advanced civilizations in the galaxy. After achieving a society free from hunger, sickness, and poverty, the Eldar became bored with their luxuries and turned to sadistic forms of entertainment in an attempt to find new pleasures. Acts of slavery, torture, and murder were committed against each other and towards races that the Eldar deemed to be lesser.

            The Eldars' debauchery caught the attention of one of the Chaos gods, who fed upon their energies. Chaos energy seeped out from the spiritual realm, cumulating in a galaxy-wide cataclysm that wiped out most of Eldar civilization. The fact that the Eldar were wiped out by their own decadence suggests that any attempt to improve society is a futile endeavor. The common belief among leftwing progressives is that improving a population's material conditions will cause its society to become stronger, happier, and kinder. WH40K's opinion of this topic is not just a stark contrast to leftwing ideologies, but a firm reactionary rebuke of progressivism.

            When engaging in philosophical debates against their leftwing counterparts, reactionaries will consistently mock progressivism as a naive form of utopianism. Any attempt to promote societal advancement is decried as an unobtainable goal that will only waste resources and possibly even bring about greater suffering. The story of the Eldar is written to reflect this argument. It plays out almost as a moral tale, reminding us all that human nature is that of a vile beast that will never be satisfied by security and community. What is revealed here is a disturbing look into the mindset of a reactionary. They see a world in which the constant struggle for survival is the only thing holding humanity back from committing even greater acts of violence against one another.

            WH40K's reactionary assault on progressivism extends to the Tau Empire, a faction formed from a coalition between several alien races. The Tau are the closest to being a "good" faction within the WH40K universe. They espouse a utilitarian ideology and favor peaceful integration of new worlds into their empire over forced assimilation. Nonethless, in true WH40K fashion, the Tau are portrayed as a hypocritical civilization that prioritizes aggressive expansion. The political structure of their empire is that of a stratified caste-based oligarchy. Their state ideology is used as a tool of indoctrination that brainwashes its lower castes into fighting in the constant wars that plague the galaxy. If the Eldar are a harsh comment on utopianism, then the Tao are a sneering dismissal of leftwing governments and political movements.

            In addition to the typical rightwing talking points levied against progressivism, WH40K includes overtly racist tropes embodied within the Ork faction. The Orks, like the Eldar, are an unimaginative integration of the Orc race from the original Warhammer series. In this case, the "c" in "Orc" is replaced with a "k" to differentiate the "fantasy orcs" from the "space orcs". Otherwise, the two races are exactly the same. Orcs have traditionally been characterized in fantasy as being warlike, destructive, brutish, and bent on exterminating other races. The origin of this trope lies in J. J. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings series, in which orcs were the primary enemy of the protagonists.

            From the beginning, there were always conspicuous racial undertones ingrained within the orcs as a fantasy race. Numerous observers have pointed out that Tolkien's orcs reflected the common Western anxiety over People of Color (PoC) at the time of Tolkien's writing. The orc civilization could easily be a stand-in for Mongols, Saracens, Slavs, and various other "oriental" peoples. Tolkien was a conservative Catholic Englishman, and his fictional writings were heavily influenced by his typical Western prejudice. In the time since Tolkien set the stage for the modern fantasy genre, many of the later fantasy writers have worked to add more dimensions to their own versions of orcs, removing the inherent evil nature that had come to be associated with the race.

            WH40K on the other hand, doubled down on the racist portrayal of the original orcs. Within the universe of WH40K, Orks are unfathomably stupid, extraordinarily violent, and uniformly possess a thuggish demeanor. Perhaps even more disturbing, is the fact these quantitative differences are accompanied by an updated racial stereotype that better conforms to the views of the contemporary "race realists". The Orks are described as the "most numerous" species in the galaxy. It is said that they breed at an "alarming" rate and pose a "threat" to all other civilizations. Aside from this disturbing terminology, it is also worth noting that the Orks are often referred to as "greenskins" within the universe, drawing attention to their skin color. While Tolkien's original version of orcs represented the common prejudicial views of his time, the WH40K Orks are more akin to the depiction of PoC in the infamous neo-Nazi novel The Turner Diaries.

            Of course, the Orks simply fall into a pattern of reactionary tropes. Far from "satirizing" fascism, WH40K in actuality reproduces the worldview of the fascists. The Chaos faction is a "heretical" demon-worshiping group whose beliefs are diametrically opposed to the order-obsessed human Imperium. Chaos could easily be read to represent a cardboard cutout of Muslim Jihadist groups. The Eldar are like the soft social-democratic parties of the West, who ignore the danger of Chaos and allow themselves to be destroyed by their own decadence. The Tau Empire closely resembles the crude Western caricature of socialist states in the East.

            Whether or not these comparisons are fair, it cannot be denied that all of these factions bear an eerie resemblance to reactionary propaganda. An intense "othering" allows the players to see the alien civilizations as simply dangers that need to be eradicated. There is no thinking in WH40K, only mindless violence and misery as multiple races engage each other in an endless state of total war. This is the world that fascists believe is inevitable. To them, any decline in militarism will lead to a civilization's destruction by hostile alien forces. Diplomacy is a sign of weakness. Hopes for a sustained peace is a naive pipedream. WH40K is not a satire of fascism, but a mockery of progressivism.

Warhammer 40K and the Alt-right

            By far the largest defense of WH40K is that it takes place in a dystopian future that is supposed to serve as a "warning" against the dangers of militarism and nationalism. It is said that the cartoonish villainy of the factions in itself is supposed to be a comment on reactionary political groups that promote war and sectarianism. However, there are absolutely no indicators that GW ever meant to convey such sentiments. Before the advent of WH40K, there existed many forms of dystopian worlds within cyberpunk, dark fantasy, and other genres. These versions of fiction always offered a clear critique of heavy topics such as fascism, to varying degrees of success. They also typically contain moments of hope and feature some good-hearted characters, both of which contrast with the darker elements. In this way, the unnecessary evils of a possible future are accentuated, as are the dreams of a nascent revolutionary movement.

            Every one of these series shares a clear message with the viewers. At best, they inspire social activism among apolitical fans. At worst, the reactionary fans simply do not understand the moral of the story and their worldview remains stagnant. Realistically, art is more likely to attract consumers who ignore the political aspects or already have a predisposition towards the political views espoused by the creators. At the end of the day, art is entertainment rather than a vehicle for social change. To think otherwise would be extreme idealism.

            In this vein, it is important to keep in mind that I am not accusing GW of "radicalizing" players into the alt-right or willfully promoting reactionary beliefs. Nonethless, the ideological content within WH40K and the fanbase it attracts says much about the series. The subgenre of the series is often called "grimdark", a term invented by Warhammer fans to describe the outrageously dark atmosphere of the Warhammer franchise. In a market filled with talented writers who knew how to inject nuance and cleverness into their storytelling, WH40K simply exploited the dystopian craze by doubling down on the gritty features of the genre. This was essentially a race to the bottom that had GW attempting to create the most disgusting and shock-inducing world possible. The result was an absurd level of evilness among the in-game factions that showed no understanding of realistic social relations.

            GW completely misinterpreted what made dystopian worlds appealing to broad audiences. Regardless of political background, average consumers could appreciate scenes that reflected their own socio-economic issues and they enjoyed having relatable characters as protagonists. The "grimdark" universe of WH40K lacked these critical components. Worse still, by eschewing any form of true political commentary, excessive violence and nihilism became the only themes present within WH40K. It was an environment that was guaranteed to be beloved by fascists everywhere. Finally, they could wage endless war upon hated alien races without being interrupted by irritating moral considerations.

            The growing presence of neo-Nazis in WH40K circles drew significant attention following the rise of the "alt-right" movement in the mid to late 2010s. Emboldened by the election of Donald Trump to the US presidency, closeted neo-Nazis began to loudly proclaim their political beliefs to the world. One of the vessels of this movement was WH40K. The United States under Trump was likened to the highly fascistic Imperium of Man, the human faction within WH40K. Trump himself was coronated as the "God Emperor" of the American Empire, a title that mirrored that of the immortal leader of the Imperium. The new administration as a whole was seen by the alt-right fans of WH40K as a way to fulfill the idealized crusade presented within the fictional universe.

            Liberal fans of WH40K flocked to defend the series, upholding the line that the factions represented in-game were actually a brilliant satire of fascism. The alt-right, the liberals maintained, simply did not understand that the game was mocking their reactionary ideals. Around this time, GW eventually released its lukewarm statement denouncing far-right extremism. GW did not want its association with the neo-Nazis to harm its profits, and liberal fans of WH40K did not want to admit that one of their favorite games was ideologically fascist in nature. In the liberal-directed "resistance" movement against the alt-right, the morally-ambiguous corporation that produced WH40K was labeled as a staunchly anti-fascist force in politics.

            Still, it remained unclear as to what constituted as "satire" in WH40K. The series is consistently described as a general satire against militarism, nationalism, and fascism. Yet even these vague concepts are not properly addressed anywhere within the series. It is assumed by liberal fans that consumers will automatically connect the dots between fascism, racial hatreds, and endless war. GW itself makes no effort to point out these links in their telling of the grand narrative, meaning that players will draw conclusions on the game based solely on their own biases. Where some players see a commentary on fascism, others see a glorification of genocidal war.

            As noted above, the structures of all WH40K factions actually seem to conform more closely to the reactionary views of the world. The alien races resemble caricatures of cultures that are widely seen by Western chauvinists as a threat to their fundamental values. Likewise, in-game, all of these alien factions present a constant existential danger to humanity. Extraordinary violence must be inflicted upon these races, least they overrun human colonies in pursuit of their own civilizations' dominance. In this context, the fascistic Imperium of Man has no reason to hold back on its own genocidal campaigns. There is a strong "kill or be killed" mantra present within the series that positions the Imperium as the default protagonist. The most common excuse for war and genocide is to ensure security against inherently violent enemies. Against the backdrop of numerous hostile forces, the Imperium almost seems to be justified in its fascistic crusade.

            Apart from foreign policy, we do get glimpses into the everyday operations of the Imperium. Life within the Imperium-controlled worlds is clearly portrayed as a grim dystopia, yet the fascist human government is still somehow presented in an unfairly favorable light. The all-powerful military arm of the Imperium is hypercompetent, disciplined, and possesses a huge arsenal of advanced technology. Workers at every level of the society dutifully contribute their labor to keep the factories, spaceship yards, and war machines running in perpetuity. Intergalactic fleets are massive in size and carry impressive superweapons.

            The picture painted of the Imperium is disturbingly similar to how many movies and games depict the Third Riech. The Nazis are often thought of as being extraordinarily evil, yet competent managers of their state and military. In reality, the German economy under the Nazis was sustained entirely through war plunder and their military was much less effective than is commonly believed. Despite having a large industrial base, the Nazi military remained largely unmechanized. Vital resources were allocated towards useless "superweapons" and the country as a whole proved unable to sustain a prolonged war on the eastern front. Residual pro-Nazi and anti-Soviet propaganda has colored the Western perception of WWII, and this has been reflected in popular media like WH40K. This misrepresentation of fascism is unacceptable any context, but it is especially offensive in a series that claims to be satirizing fascism.

            In its more broadly rightwing tendencies, the Imperium promotes social stratification as a natural way of life. The universe of WH40K is not one where material conditions propel ordinary people to support certain leaders or revolutions. Instead, we are presented with the common "great man" trope, the idea of exceptional individuals who direct the course of history. The most prominent of these individuals is the immortal Emperor of the Imperium. After a cataclysmic event cut off all human worlds from one another, a strong human leader became Emperor and worked to reunite humanity under his banner. The Emperor is not an evil man by the standards of the universe. In fact, he is depicted in an almost angelic way in the art of WH40K. It is from this character that the "God Emperor Trump" meme was created. With the power of fascism, the God Emperor of the Imperium revitalized a mighty civilization. WH40K fans believed that Trump would do the same in the real world.

            Below the Emperor, there is a strict hierarchy between different segments of the military. Their elite soldiers, the iconic "Space Marines", are genetically modified to be Übermenschen who possess incredible strength and endurance. The title of "Space Marine", which GW infamously tried to trademark in order to prevent others from using, is actually somewhat misleading. The WH40K Space Marines more closely resemble feudal knights than special naval forces, in both equipment and social status. The common soldiers are meant to bow down to the Space Marines and refer to them as lords. There is an unmistakable glorification of chivalry and honor present within this sub-faction, reminiscent of the far-right's idealization of the past.

            Below the Space Marines are the common soldiers, known as the "Imperial Guards". The Guards are essentially cannon fodder, utilized in wave formations to bog down the enemy forces. Political officers known as "commissars" are attached to Imperial Guard units and ensure loyalty through intense ideological conditioning and coercion. In some cases, the commissar will execute a Guardsman to motivate the other squad members. The narrative surrounding the Imperial Guards shows a complete misunderstanding of human psychology on GW's part. Fear is the worst possible motivator when attempting to maintain ranks within a military unit. Any force that uses these tactics will swiftly disintegrate. It is also worth mentioning that there are a surprising amount of women within the Imperial Guard. Societies like the Imperium are typically highly patriarchal. The inclusion of women in the Guard thus only serves to pinkwash fascism.

            From an outsider's perspective, the plight of the oppressed Imperial Guards might draw much sympathy. For the actual WH40K players, the Guards will forever be nameless pawns on a chessboard. The players themselves roleplay as generals, commanding an entire army of overpriced plastic toys. While it is normal for player characters to occupy positions of high status within other games, there are many scenarios that require them to interact with non-player character (NPC) commoners on a regular basis. Over the course of a campaign, players will learn the unique backstories of numerous NPCs, work to resolve local conflicts, and build up goodwill with certain factions.

            None of this is present in WH40K. In every game played, one side simply deploys an army to crush their rival's army. This cursed gameplay loop, when coupled with the complete lack of characterization for the common folk within the in-game universe, is a thoroughly dehumanizing way to present a world. Besides the Imperial Guards, we never see any struggles at the individual level. The lore describes entire castes of slaves forced to labor away on the Emperor's war machines and colonial populations reduced to serfdom, but there is no resistance to this system. Everyone accepts their place. Slaves do not revolt. Common citizens never challenge the status quo. Soldiers do not mutiny. War weariness does not exist. The military is allowed engage in an uninterrupted conflict, and everyone else willfully endure sacrifices to keep the military juggernaut fed. In other words, the universe of WH40K is a paradise for fascists.

Warhammer 40K as Dark Fiction

            One last point that must be made regarding satire, is that this particular style of writing requires a decent amount of expertise. It is necessary to have a thorough knowledge of the subject being discussed, a certain degree of witty commentary skills, and the ability to clearly state the thesis of the work without being too aggressive with the messaging. From a purely literary lens, WH40K fails on all counts. The developers have absolutely no understanding of how societies function or even what motivates individual interests. There are no moments of satirical comedy in WH40K. The moral message, if one does indeed exist, is greatly muddled. The fact that GW attracted such a massive alt-right crowd is evidence of their failure to properly articulate their supposed opposition to fascism.

            There are numerous examples of other games that have themes similar to WH40K, yet manage to handle these heavy topics with significantly more grace. When it comes to armed conflict, most games go beyond WH40K's prophetic idea of "race wars". In the Elder Scrolls V, there is a civil war in the province of Skyrim between the native Stormcloaks and the Tamrielic Empire. Although many have criticized the simplicity of this struggle, it should be noted that even this narrative example has countless more dimensions than any conflict that can be found within WH40K. On the surface, the civil war is a typical secessionist movement against a centralized authority. The Stormcloaks show a lack of long-term considerations and have great contempt for non-native races in Skyrim. The Empire is dictatorial and its leader angered many of his subjects when he signed controversial peace accords with the rival elven Aldmeri Dominion.

            Of course, the roots of the conflict go much deeper. The Empire won all of its territory through brutal subjugation. The animosity for the imperial core was likely a strong motivator for the local rebellions. The Aldmeri Dominion itself was created from a group of breakaway provinces that held resentment for atrocities committed by the human-led Empire during the imperial conquests. There is a wider cycle of conflict between elves and humans that has seen the highs and lows of each side throughout history. The Empire believed that it could bring an end to this cycle by forcing unity upon the entire continent. While the "cosmopolitan" nature of the Empire made it more benevolent than previous powers, its reliance on violence to impose order would only cause a continuation of hostilities further down the line.

            Within the Skyrim civil war, we see a logical progression of events, consequences for past sins, and a critical examination of all parties involved. Anyone who plays the game will also gain a multitude of opinions at the individual level when they talk to the denizens of Skyrim. Some fully support the Empire, seeing it as a bastion of order. More politically-aware loyalists might point out that an independent Skyrim would weaken the Empire, causing it to be less effective in a future war against the Aldmeri Dominion. Stormcloak supporters fear the Dominion and insist that the Empire has come under the influence of the elves. Many stay neutral. Migrants from other provinces see the conflict as none of their business. Others simply have little stake in either side.

            Selfishness, racism, and hopelessness are often present within the Elder Scrolls universe, yet are presented more tactfully than in WH40K. The exploration of cosmic forces in the Elder Scrolls is also significantly better. Unlike the Chaos gods of WH40K, which simply represent a malevolent energy within the universe, the Elder Scrolls has a complex pantheon of deities with various agendas. The Aedra, who created the world of Nirn, hold common human values and are greatly sympathetic to the sentient races. The Daedra, by contrast, had nothing to do with the world's creation. Since the Daedra lack the same connection to Nirn as their Aedra counterparts, they have an entirely different view of morality than humans.

            While we might consider many of the Daedra to be "evil" or "chaotic", a more proper description would be "alien". What makes these particular deities so terrifying is their inability to relate to humanity in any way. Much like an advanced autonomous AI, the Daedra have no reason to place any value upon human life. This can lead to them engaging in acts of great cruelty or destruction in pursuit of their own mysterious goals. There is an alluring mystique surrounding each of these deities. Working for them can bring incredible rewards, but at the same time, invites perilous outcomes. The Daedra's enigmatic behavior and opposition to the Aedra are a fascinating dive into the nature of our commonly-held beliefs and mores in the real world. This dynamic is something that the gods of the WH40K universe sorely lack.

            When it comes to political factions, WH40K is outclassed by just about every other strategy and role-playing game available. The Warcraft series, which like WH40K, has the word “war” in the title, contains numerous elements outside of combat. In particular, it gives a convincing portrayal of the inner-workings of factions and the various actors within these organizations. Alliances between factions are formed based on mutual interests. Clashes between factions stem from conflicting goals and past animosities. There is a clear delineation of competing philosophies, rather than the cynical dismissal of ideology that we see in the WH40K universe. Players identify strongly with the Warcraft characters and their associated factions.

            Warcraft is no stranger to controversy when it comes to racist typecasting of in-game civilizations, yet it still created more appealing cultures than anything in WH40K. Of notable comparison is the orcish race in Warcraft. In Warcraft I and II, the orcs followed the original model from Tolkien's work, acting as a brutish force that was bent on destroying the human kingdoms. By the time of Warcraft III, the universe had grown much more complex and the orcs were given significantly more depth. A new backstory revealed that the orcs had been under the thrall of demons when they attacked the humans. With the demons defeated, the orcs were able to break free from their bloodlust, but the animosity between orcs and humans remained. The rest of the Warcraft series deals with these two races trying to come to terms with their violent past and doing their best to move forward.

            With these minimal details provided, we get a good understanding of the orc civilization within the Warcraft universe. The traditionally violent nature of the orcish race is overridden by a lore-based explanation for past misdeeds. Some elements of their warlike culture remain, yet are tempered by a slow transition back to their pacifistic shamanism roots. A heavy feeling of guilt pervades the minds of older generations of orcs. Younger orcs grow into a world of uncertainty and doubt, surrounded by prejudice towards their kind. This storytelling base provides a lot of material for the Warcraft writers, allowing for interesting conflicts between factions. In WH40K, Orks never show any growth as a society and merely wish to exterminate every other race.

            The issue is not the cruelty of WH40k races, but the consistent lack of direction or compelling motivation. There are plenty of amazing villains in fiction who have little or no morality. However, they all possess some form of objective or purpose. Dark fiction as a genre has no shortage of malevolent actors, though what sets them apart from WH40K is that they are, in fact, actual characters rather than painted chunks of plastic. In the universe of the Dragon Age series, the player is exposed to a plethora of misery including slavery, racial discrimination, sexual assault, widespread poverty, and political oppression.

            In this environment, one can identify the causes of the societal ills and fully understand the motivations of every malevolent character involved. From there, the player can try to make a positive change, keep the affairs of others at a distance, or help the villains in order to gain material rewards. At the end of each game, the world does not fundamentally change by one character's actions, even if they are the hero of the series. Dragon Age is a grim reflection of our own world that nonetheless is able to provoke emotional responses from its large player base. The existence of games like Dragon Age proves that a darker setting can be used while still maintaining a cohesive story and balanced environment. As mentioned before, WH40K relies entirely on shock value and does not introduce any morally-good characters that could serve to juxtapose against its villainous characters.

            The skeleton of a decent sci-fi series is present under the bloated body of WH40K. If the lore was revised and the grim elements toned down, the game could theoretically become the intended product of an exciting space war with mild political commentary. From a gameplay perspective, there is an interesting asymmetry between each civilization. The Eldar are extremely advanced, but since they were nearly wiped out by a cosmic event, they are hamstrung by their limited numbers and lack of political influence. The Tao are a flexible power that thrives on cooperation rather than individual strength. The Orks are very powerful individually, yet are also politically divided. Being the youngest civilization, humans have less advanced tech than the other factions; it is their large numbers and strong desire to become the dominant power allows them to compete with the other factions.

            Lastly, a faction I have not yet mentioned are the Necrons, who constitute a fallen empire that has emerged out of stasis after thousands of years. The Necrons are a machine race possessing forgotten tech that severely outmatches all other factions. This advantage is balanced out by the significant damage sustained by their arsenal and population over the course of their long hibernation. Out of all of the WH40K factions, the Necrons are by far the least offensive. They follow a very standard sci-fi formula, combining mysterious tech, an otherworldly culture, and a tragic backstory involving their loss of humanity. Were there more of this type of worldbuilding present in WH40K, it might have got a passing grade as a fairly typical action sci-fi game.

            Unfortunately, the universe that GW ultimately produced was one that relied on extreme stereotypes, hollow military conflicts, and a glorification of fascism. Worse still, the influence of WH40K has begun to seep into other games. One of my favorite franchises, the Total War series, has copied many aspects of the WH40K rulebook in its later games, even going so far as to create three separate "Total War: Warhammer" titles. In the past, Total War focused on historically-based settings where players took control of old civilizations and could change the course of history through conquest and diplomacy. These earlier iterations of Total War had unique mechanics, such as large formations being commanded as a group instead of as individual soldiers, an advanced application of battlefield physics, and a robust morale system that could cause entire armies to rout if properly exploited.

            The soldiers themselves could die easily due to the lack of a "health bar" system, forcing players to use clever positioning instead of relying on damage soak. The hard physics of the battles gave their bodies and weapons solid weight, offering a very realistic feel to the combat. Above all, the morale system made the armies feel truly alive. Soldiers would gain encouragement if their flanks were secure. Being charged from behind or sustaining heavy casualties would lower a unit's morale, possible leading to it abandon the fight. A trickle of fleeing units could easily turn into a flood once the other soldiers noticed that their allies were running away. All of these features give the soldiers a great amount of character and relatability.

            Aside from the innovative tactical battles, there was also a system of empire management that involved a royal family tree for each major faction. Family members would govern cities and lead armies during military campaigns. Over the course of the game, they would develop traits based on their actions and environment. A defeat against a certain enemy might cause a general to gain a phobia towards the victorious army's culture and suffer a command penalty in future conflicts against the same enemy. A governor who built a temple to Bacchus might become a social drinker, earning him a morale bonus among his troops and boosting his popularity at home. This trait could then mutate into a drinking problem, giving the character negative social modifiers.

            All of these unique features were discarded when Creative Assembly (CA), Total War's developer, moved in a different direction following the launch of Total War: Rome II. There was an adoption of a simplistic ruleset that closely resembled the formula of Warhammer and similar games. Not long after, CA would make a deal with GW to launch a Warhammer-based series of Total War games that doubled down on the gameplay changes. Much like how the perverse business practices of Microsoft, Amazon, and Netflix allowed them to dominate and redefine their respective fields, the enormous popularity and high profit margins of GW gave it a great deal of influence over the entertainment industry. In this manner, GW directly contributed to not only a decline in the quality of gaming products, but also to a general sidelining of the humanitarian sciences that have traditionally helped to mold fictional in-game universes.

Warhammer 40K as Ideology

            Given the above critique of WH40K, many readers might wonder what Games Workshop truly believes in as a company. To this, I can confidently state that GW has no agenda other than to sell overpriced miniatures to a large consumer base of adults who collect plastic toys. After years of selling their fantasy line of Warhammer figurines to loyal customers, GW announced that the Chaos gods had "won" the long war and had destroyed the universe. Subsequently, the fantasy series was rebooted as "Warhammer: Age of Sigmar". A new line of figurines was introduced, and the company informed its customers that their expensive, and now outdated, figurines could not be used in the newest iteration of the game. To participate in the exciting new version, they would have to buy the newest figurines.

            GW never cared about Warhammer. They were more than willing to demolish their original universe just to sell more product. The series has always been a reliable cash cow for the company, and nothing more. When GW insists that they did not intend to create a safe space for neo-Nazis, I believe them. Nonetheless, in its pursuit of profit, GW recklessly created the world that the fascists have always wanted. From this episode in gaming history, we can see how certain forms of art can normalize and embolden reactionary tendencies. "Grimdark" is an utter failure as a subgenre and should never be reproduced. In my opinion, I do not think that WH40K as a series can be ethically consumed unless more drastic action is taken by GW to properly address the glaring deficiencies within its work.

            As for the fans of WH40K, I obviously do not think that that all of them are fascists. Still, many seem to hold reactionary viewpoints and it is worrying that the more progressive players are willing to ignore the inherently fascistic elements within the game. When doing research for this essay, something I noticed was that all YouTubers who produce lore videos on WH40K display a certain kind of giddiness during their presentations. They excitedly emphasize the most gruesome parts of their beloved universe, as if purposely trying to "trigger" their audience. Watching these videos, one gets a sense that the Warhammer fans feel that their chosen fandom is more intense than other fandoms and that WH40K's willingness to trample across all socially-acceptable lines makes it superior in some way.

            Not to look too much into it, but I will say that, historically, fascists have often resorted to shock value in order to promote their ideology. A common tactic of fascists is to inflict despair upon their enemies. They take a certain glee in wearing people down, in convincing them that any progressive aspirations for society is pure folly. Fascists see nothing but a blighted hellscape when they look towards the future. They can only hope that, when that future comes, they will be one of the ones on top.

Relevant Media

Many others have covered similar topics regarding Warhammer and Games Workshop. I wanted to add my own voice to the discussion. Below are some of the great critiques that inspired me to write this essay. My thanks to the creators of these works.

How Total War Sold Out to the Toy Company from Hell (on GW's business practices)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7eR7bfdPFA4&t=2925s&ab_channel=Volound

Total War: Fall of a Franchise (on the "Warhammerization" of Total War)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=diqsYSEymHk&ab_channel=Dishonorable_Daimyo