Pirates galore, a revamp of Henry Cavill’s favorite army, new undead storming through the Age of Sigmar, Warhammer 40K teases, and more have taken center stage in the New Year Warhammer Preview 2026.
Now that we’re halfway through January, Games Workshop is finally lifting the curtain on what we can expect this year from its various game systems – and hobbyists will need to clear a lot of space on their desks, by the looks of things. Warhammer 40K, Age of Sigmar, and Horus Heresy have all received enormous updates in the New Year Warhammer Preview 2026, with everything from revamped factions to beloved heroes making their grand return.
New Year Warhammer Preview – Warhammer 40,000
- Current campaign continues in ‘Maelstrom’
- Chaos Space Marine Red Corsair & Aeldari Corsair revamp
- A tease for Iron Warriors in the near future
The biggest reveals so far can be found in the Warhammer 40,000 universe, with a big faction revamp, a significant update to the ongoing campaign storyline, and the return of major characters.
Following on from 500 Worlds and the Titus expansion (which made one of our favorite Warhammer 40K armies much better), the next instalment of the campaign will be the ominously-titled ‘Maelstrom: Lair of the Tyrant.’ This takes place in and around the titular Maelstrom, a vast warp storm in Imperial space, and features two piratical factions crossing swords. The first are the Chaos Space Marine Red Corsairs, led by cyborg psycopath Huron Blackheart (who has been in dire need of a new miniature for years) and his entourage of champions. They’ll be battling Aeldari Corsairs – coming in a new box set called “Eldritch Raiders” – fronted by the returning Prince Yriel.
Aeldari Corsairs are all grace and glory
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Both Huron and Yriel have been highly anticipated by the community, but the Aeldari Corsairs in particular were generating a lot of buzz ahead of time. While it’s not a full faction in its own right, it features plenty of reworked units that were begging for a spruce-up. That includes a two-for-one vehicle, making a new version of the venerable Vyper or the ‘Starfang.’ The latter has been described by the Warhammer livestream as a “Space Marine-killer” that can also give your infantry stealth as a cheeky bonus, so it should be one to watch out for.
These vehicles are joined by the new, flying Corsair Skyreavers, which you can equip with all manner of death-dealing nastiness to suit your needs (be it anti-infantry or anti-tank weapons). A returning unit fans may remember from Kill Team, the Corsair Voidreavers, are included too, not to mention the mystical psyker Void Dreamer called Kharseth.
Pillage ‘n’ plunder with Red Corsairs
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As for the Red Corsairs, they’ve also got a hefty new army box alongside the Huron and clingers-on character pack. The headline act are the brand-new Red Corsair Raiders, a scrappier version of Chaos Space Marine Legionaries that Warhammer Community notes have “turned against the Imperium without the aid of the Dark Gods.” I’m a huge fan of Chaos and adore the less… gribbly units, so this is absolutely my jam. Thanks to their cobbled-together armor, they look suitably rag-tag.
This pack includes a Red Corsair upgrade kit too, which you can use to furnish your other Chaos units (like the Legionaries and Terminators in the box) with faction-specific goodies.
An iron-clad tease
To round things off, the folks at Warhammer gave us a sneak-peek at what can only be Iron Warriors resurgent. Following them taking the spotlight in Horus Heresy’s current edition, it’s a great time to be a fan of Perturabo’s finest.
When will we know more? With the next preview due in March, my guess would be then.
New Year Warhammer Preview 2026 – Age of Sigmar
- Ossiarch Bonereapers gain ranged & roguish reinforcements
- New heroes & Battletomes for Lumineth & Tzeentch
The cool reveals aren’t limited to 40K in the Warhammer New Year Preview; the Mortal Realms are also enjoying an influx of goodies. There’s a rebooted faction to contend with in 2026, not to mention new Battletomes and champions.
Ossiarch Bonereapers, reborn
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Much like the Aeldari Corsairs and Custodes, fans were pretty sure that Nagash’s undead had been teased in the preview for this livestream a couple weeks back – and they were right. The Ossiarch Bonereapers have been due an upgrade for some time, and now they finally have one befitting these elite skeletons.
As has been the case for other major revamps (be it the Helsmiths of Hashut or Nurgle, which have been encouraging me to fix my Warhammer bad habit), players can expect a host of units to go with a new Battletome and heroes. I’ve always been hesitant when it comes to the Ossiarch Bonereapers because it feels like they’re re-treading ground already covered by the Soulblight Gravelords, but this refresh allows you to build a ranged, roguish force that’s all about keeping your enemies at distance while stabbing rival champions in the back. Yep, more archers – the Mortek Triaxes – are finally being added to the force alongside chariots (all the better for running rings around the foe) and the incredibly cool-looking assassins, the Mortis Reapers. These guys are a real departure from usual Ossiarch troops, being more lythe and dynamic with a penchant for badass hoods, smoke-bombs, and incredibly nasty blades.
New heroes & Battletomes for Tzeentch & Lumineth
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Two other factions in need of new Battletomes are getting their moment in the sun, and a couple of hero models have been added to the mix as well. First up are the Lumineth Realmlords (AKA High Elves in old-hammer speak). They’ve received a new Vanari Lord Regent to help them out on the front lines. This can be built one of two ways and feels like a dynamic addition to the range with either the classic sword and shield combo or rippling banners on their back and a pose ’80s action heroes would be proud of. Would I have liked to see more from the faction? Absolutely. But hey, the range is still pretty fresh as is so I’ll take what I can get.
The sorcerous Disciples of Tzeentch have also been given a boon this year via a new faction terrain set, the Argent Shards. These are conduits for magical power that phase in and out of reality, and they would make for great scenery pieces even if you aren’t a Ruinous Powers player. However, anyone who is will want to add the Fatemaster to their repertoire. These stylish warriors lead Tzeentch’s war efforts and are master duellists.
New Year Warhammer Preview – Horus Heresy
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- Custodes get absolutely gorgeous new plastic models
- A host of tanks are deploying for Space Marines
As expected thanks to this month’s teaser, the Emperor’s personal bodyguards are enjoying a refresh in 2026. However, what I didn’t expect was for them to be featured in the Horus Heresy game system rather than 40K.
These golden-hued warriors (who can go toe-to-toe with Space Marines and win, by the way) are now available in plastic with equally shiny new sculpts. These guys are famously Henry Cavill’s favorite army, and I suspect he’ll already be planning a new force of them based on these reveals – perhaps even the Legio Custodes Battle Group, which took the spotlight. This box set contains the lion’s share of revamped units with regal Custodian Guard, sword-wielding Custodian Sentinels, and the utterly gorgeous Caladius Annihilator Grav-tank. That’s perhaps one of my favorite additions, though the Custodes Dreadnought (which has been filigreed to all hell) is magnificent too. They’re led by the Shield Captain, who is straight-up aura farming.
Although it seems as if they’ll be sold separately, you’ll be able to get your hands on the winged Venatari (who remind me a lot of the Stormcast Eternal airborne units) in 2026 as well, and more grav-tank action.
Sure, more Space Marine tanks rumbled into view during the stream. But c’mon. The Custodes took all of the attention, let’s be real.
Other New Year Warhammer Preview reveals
- New High Elf Blood Bowl team
- We got our first look at a new Warhammer+ animation
While those three game systems (Warhammer 40K, Age of Sigmar, and Horus Heresy) got the bulk of reveals, they weren’t alone. Now that we’re a couple of months out from the latest Blood Bowl edition’s release, it’s time for another team to join the field – and this time, the classic High Elves are storming the pitch. In terms of how they play, they seem very versatile. While they favor agility most of all, they’re not necessarily the glass cannons I worried they might be thanks to Armor Value 9+.
We also got a look at the new Warhammer animation, Pentinence, that pits the Adepta Sororitas against Orks. This will launch later in the year.
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