Games Workshop Responds To ‘Nazi Player Problem’ In Warhammer
Games Workshop reiterates that “The Imperium is driven by Hate. Warhammer [the Hobby] is not.”
It’s been a crazy couple of weeks in the real-world regarding Warhammer the Hobby and real-world hate groups. If you missed it, the long and short of it is that a player showed up wearing clear Neo-Nazi symbols on their clothes. This has been covered both in Spanish and English. You can check out those links for more details. Abe wrote about it and shared his (and our collective thoughts about it at BoLS) in bright red lettering at the bottom. He even asked Games Workshop to chime in. And they have!
Captain America 1941 – Courtesy of Marvel Comics
Anyhow, it’s been about a week since that went out and Games Workshop has responded to the issue. You can read the response in full here. But there’s a particular section you need to read:
We’ve said it before, but a reminder about what we believe in:
“We believe in and support a community united by shared values of mutual kindness and respect. Our fantasy settings are grim and dark, but that is not a reflection of who we are or how we feel the real world should be. We will never accept nor condone any form of prejudice, hatred, or abuse in our company, or in the Warhammer hobby.”
If you come to a Games Workshop event or store and behave to the contrary, including wearing the symbols of real-world hate groups, you will be asked to leave. We won’t let you participate. We don’t want your money. We don’t want you in the Warhammer community.
While they might have to be a bit more corporate in their word choice by calling out “real-world hate groups” I think the point is pretty clear. The Imperium of Man in the Grimdark is satirical, not aspirational. And they are putting their money where their mouth is by saying it out loud and very clearly:
“We won’t let you participate. We don’t want your money. We don’t want you in the Warhammer community.“
Well said, GW. And folks running Warhammer Events out there, Games Workshop would like you to join them in that stance, too. So let’s all spread the word: Nazis aren’t welcome in Warhammer.
