Warhammer.com Goes Offline Due to Scalper Frenzy Over Special Edition Horus Heresy Book Pre-Orders

Games Workshop was compelled to take its official website, Warhammer.com, offline temporarily following widespread disruption caused by scalpers during the pre-order launch of the *Siege of Terra: End of Ruin* special edition book. The release is a major event for fans of Warhammer 40,000 lore, offering a collection of short stories set in the aftermath of one of the most pivotal events in the universe—the Siege of Terra and the Horus Heresy.

For those unfamiliar, the Horus Heresy recounts the devastating civil war among the Space Marines that ultimately led to the Emperor's entombment on the Golden Throne—setting the stage for the grimdark future of the 41st millennium. As such, this anthology holds deep significance for lore enthusiasts.

The special edition of *Siege of Terra: End of Ruin* is particularly appealing, featuring a premium leather-effect cover with gold foil detailing, gilt page edges, and a metal emblem of a ruined Imperial eagle—making it a highly desirable collector’s item.

Games Workshop had made it clear that the special edition would be available “strictly while stocks last,” with pre-orders opening at 10am UK time on June 10. To ensure fairness, the company announced plans to implement a queue system for the sale. However, things quickly unraveled.

Fans attempting to place pre-orders found themselves stuck in an unresponsive queue, leading to mounting frustration across social media platforms, Discord servers, and Reddit communities. Eventually, Warhammer.com went offline without warning, leaving customers confused and disappointed.

And so, it begins – u/Jello429 in r/Warhammer40k

As anger grew among fans who had dedicated time to participate in the launch, Games Workshop finally issued a rare public statement explaining the situation. The company confirmed that it had taken the site offline intentionally after detecting scalper activity involving bots circumventing security measures.

“Scalpers attempted to use bots to bypass our normal safeguards,” Games Workshop stated. “Our eagle-eyed Tech Priests caught this happening in real-time, so we pulled Warhammer.com offline.”

As a result, the *Siege of Terra: End of Ruin* special edition has been temporarily removed from the site, replaced only with an email notification option for interested buyers. Games Workshop reassured fans that the product will still release, but only once they are confident genuine customers—not resellers—will receive it.

“All erroneous orders are being purged,” the company continued. “This is our number one priority. Please forgive us for any delay as we sort it all out.”

The transparency behind the statement helped ease tensions among disappointed fans, with many viewing the shutdown as a small win against scalpers. Still, skepticism remains about whether Games Workshop can truly combat bot-driven abuse effectively. Some have suggested implementing a raffle system similar to other collectible-based brands, or even more creatively, requiring users to pass a Horus Heresy knowledge quiz before purchasing.

Unfortunately, this isn’t the first time Games Workshop has faced issues during high-profile releases. Scalpers have long plagued special edition launches, often reselling items at dramatically inflated prices. All eyes remain on the company to see how it manages the next wave of pre-orders when they resume.

It’s also worth noting that Games Workshop is far from struggling financially. In fact, the Nottingham-based giant recently rewarded its employees with a £20 million (approximately $27 million) bonus pool—a sign of its strong market position.

While the company is best known for its tabletop miniature games like Warhammer 40,000, it's rapidly expanding as an intellectual property powerhouse. Major revenue streams now include hit video games like *Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2*, animated series such as Amazon’s *Warhammer 40,000 Secret Level*, and a newly inked deal with Henry Cavill to develop a full cinematic universe based on the IP. Development on *Space Marine 3* is also underway.