Games Workshop is currently navigating two very different kinds of challenges: a legal campaign targeting its most dedicated fans and, in a story grabbing mainstream attention, a tiny bat single-handedly halting corporate expansion.
While some news outlets are focused on the charming tale of a protected animal delaying a car park, a more concerning story for hobbyists is unfolding. According to a report from Spikey Bits, Games Workshop’s legal department has recently issued Cease and Desist notices to fan creators in the cosplay and live-action roleplaying (LARP) communities.
One prominent target is Galactic Armory, a YouTube channel focused on 3D printing and cosplay guides. The creator received a Cease and Desist from Games Workshop, leading to the removal of over two dozen videos from the platform. The timing has raised eyebrows in the community, as the legal notice arrived shortly before Games Workshop and JoyToy announced an official, wearable Ultramarines Lieutenant Titus helmet with a retail price of around $260. The now-removed fan content included free and purchasable 3D files that would allow enthusiasts to print their own Warhammer-themed armour.
The legal scrutiny doesn’t end with 3D printing. Swordcraft, a large Australian LARP group known for its events heavily inspired by the Warhammer Fantasy aesthetic, has also confirmed it is in discussions with the company. In a statement to its members, Swordcraft‘s organisers reassured players that no events were cancelled but confirmed they were proactively removing explicit references to Warhammer from their materials as a gesture of good faith while discussions about licensing take place.
These legal moves are not without precedent and seem to be part of a broader, long-term strategy. Hobbyists will recall the controversy surrounding the 2021 launch of the Warhammer+ streaming service, which was accompanied by a zero-tolerance IP policy that effectively shut down popular fan animation projects. This history of vigorous IP defence suggests the current actions are less a one-off and more a continuation of a policy to control how its brand is expressed, especially when official, high-priced alternatives are being brought to market.
A Bat in the Works
This crackdown on fan creativity comes at a time of unprecedented commercial success for Games Workshop. With a highly anticipated Warhammer 40,000 cinematic universe in production with Amazon and star Henry Cavill, the company is arguably at the zenith of its power and mainstream appeal.
This context makes one of its other major challenges all the more unusual. The company’s latest annual report, which boasted a 29% rise in profits to £263 million, was delivered to investors by CEO Kevin Rountree. In the report, Rountree acknowledged two primary headwinds for the wargames giant. The first involves potential US tariffs, which he noted could impact profits. He told investors:
Our current estimate is that if we did nothing, new tariffs could impact profit before tax by c.£12 million (approx. $15.9 million) in 2025/26… This new problem will be dealt with in our normal pragmatic way.
Rountree described the second, and more peculiar, obstacle as “the cute looking pipistrelle bat that is delaying our work on our new temporary car park.”
This is no metaphor. A real, 4cm pipistrelle bat, a protected species in the UK, has taken up residence on land Games Workshop acquired for £2.1 million opposite its Nottingham headquarters. The site was intended for a temporary car park to support a new paint production facility, a key part of the company’s efforts to increase its production capacity to meet soaring demand. As a protected species under the Wildlife and Countryside Act, the bat cannot be disturbed.
Games Workshop stated it was “carefully looking after the bat,” but could not give a timeline for when work on the crucial car park might resume. For many observers, the situation presents a striking juxtaposition: a multi-million-pound corporation, at the height of its success and flexing its considerable legal power against its own fans, is simultaneously being held at bay by one of the UK’s smallest mammals.
Image credit: Denley Photography.
