With rising costs on many goods and services, it should come as little surprise that Games Workshop announced price increases on many of their products via their Warhammer Community Blog. According to the 9 February post, increases will begin on 7 March. That gives us just a couple weeks to buy at current prices. Per the post, some products will increase by 5 percent or 10 percent, while other products will not face an increase.
Which Warhammer 40K Models and Products Will Cost More?
This is the fourth year in a row Games Workshop is raising prices on its Warhammer models.
Resin models, and books, such as Warhammer 40K 9th Edition Codexes, will reflect the 10 percent price increase.
There are also a few metal models sets increasing by 20 percent, but that is a minority.
- Age of Sigmar battletomes
- Codexes
- Boxed sets, including two army sets
- Boxed Games
Warhammer isn’t the only line getting a price increase. Lord of the Rings and other less popular Games Workshop products are also affected, so if you play other Games Workshop games, consider stocking up now.
Which Warhammer 40K Products Will Not Increase?
Per the official blog, most starter sets, tools, paint sets, brushes, and paints will not face price increases. Additionally, national currencies from Japan, China, New Zealand, and Australia will see no price increases—the increase in price varies by currency.
When Should I Order Warhammer Models Facing a Price Increase?
The time to order is really yesterday, lest you risk the all-too-familiar “out of stock” notification that we’ve come to expect with supply chain shortages. Your best bet to get Warhammer 40K models before the price increase is to order locally from your Friendly Local Gaming Store (FLGS). Bastrop Games and Hobbies in Bastrop, TX is an FLGS that serves the Bastrop community—but they also ship throughout the US, so give them a call if you want to get your hands on a particular Warhammer army or character model prior to price increases.
Why Are There Price Increases in 2022?
Price increases from Games Workshop and goods in general are currently occurring due to inflation, trade issues, and supply chain shortages. In 2019, trade regulations with China interfered with American gaming companies’ ability to source and ship printed RPG books affordably. (Previously, having books and other gaming materials printed in China was an inexpensive solution.) Many gaming companies large and small are still reeling from the effects of tariff changes. While Games Workshop is based in the UK, trade difficulties between two major economic superpowers likely affected their cost of production.
Many indie game creators felt the impact hard: imagine crowdfunding a game that Warhammer or other RPG fans might like only to find that your estimated shipping costs faced sudden increases. This happened to indie RPG product creators and larger companies alike, and the gaming industry is still feeling the effects. Additionally, in-person live action role playing games (larps) and gaming conventions (possibly even some Warhammer larps) are feeling price increase crunches due to the increase in cost of renting a venue and maintaining the proper event insurance.
Additionally, supply chain shortages and shifts in energy and graphics card usage due to the production of non-fungible tokens NFTs have affected almost every industry in some way. The gaming industry is no exception, which is especially of concern as Games Workshop ships Warhammer products around the world. Since computer chips and semiconductors are in short supply, the difficulty and expense of procuring equipment as simple as an iPhone or personal computer has increased somewhat.
As these issues affect everyone, let’s not blame Games Workshop for the price increases. They’re doing their best to maintain quality production standards in a competitive environment, and things just cost more there across the board.
What is Inflation and Why Does It Affect the Cost of Warhammer 40K Games Workshop Products?
According to Investopedia, “inflation is a measure of the rate of rising prices of goods and services in an economy.” Inflation can occur for multiple reasons, including an increase in demand for a particular product. In 2022, inflation in gaming products largely affects the rise the cost to produce products, including Warhammer codexes, supplements, and models.
You’ve probably noticed significant increases in the cost of food, gasoline/petrol, housing, and (if you live in the US or another country without socialized medicine) healthcare. This raises the price on just about anything—rising real estate prices and rents affect commercial properties like warehouses; transportation costs increase due fuel cost. While the global economy recovers from the devastating impacts of COVID-19, shortages and supply chain issues remain. This process is called cost-push inflation, and is what largely impacts Games Workshop Warhammer production today.
For some context, the full Consumer Price Increase index hit 6.2 percent. We haven’t had inflation reflected that way since 1990.
How Do Cost Increases Affect Warhammer Players?
In addition to the price increase for Warhammer products in 2022, Warhammer players experience the affects of inflation in other specific ways. Due to graphics card shortages largely publicized by ASUS in 2021, gamers find that the cost of gaming computers, especially laptops, have risen considerably. Console gamers will see similar increases. As you can imagine, there’s a huge crossover covering fans of video games and Warhammer players.
Premium gaming tables and even the snacks you bring to your friend’s house or FLGS are going up, too. It even costs more per mile just to drive to play Warhammer. And speaking of your FLGS—the cost of commercial rent increases just like you might be experiencing with your own home rental, and cost-conscious gaming and comic book stores need ways to cover that expense.
As the pandemic tapers down, FLGSes are still reeling from the impact of the pandemic on their retail locations. While people were gaming at home more and still ordering Warhammer and other products, many community-minded gaming stores depend upon local gamers playing, buying snacks, and purchasing products for income. Those lively communities make stores work, and these gaming stores thrive on sales and tournaments for Warhammer 40K, Magic: the Gathering (MtG), Dungeons & Dragons (D&D), and Pokemon. From Warhammer models to card sleeves necessary to preserve the condition of Magic cards, it’s taken a minute for a lot of gaming stores to readjust stock and order appropriately to turn a profit.
To get around the price increase, we recommend ordering any affected products as soon as possible. Contact Bastrop Games and Hobbies today to place an order.
