Warhammer 40K: The End Of 9th Edition Is Here

Let’s take a look at why Warhammer 40K’s 9th Edition might be ending.

After several years it appears that Warhammer 40,000 9th Edition might be about to wrap up. It has been an edition full of changes, both during its run and in breaking from prior editions. It’s also been an edition that has seen its share of controversy. Many have complained that 9th Edition has been marked by a cycle of broken books and armies. Whatever you think about the edition, its clear that its end will mark a period of great change. Let’s take a look at why that change may be upon us.

End of the Cycle

Pretty much every edition of 40K is marked by a codex cycle. In this cycle, books are updated to match the new edition and released. Sometimes alongside models, other times without. Now a codex cycle doesn’t always finish. Several past editions have ended without every army getting an updated book.  In the past this has lead to some armies going multiple editions without updated rules (looking at you Dark Eldar). Conversely its extremely rare that a 40K edition continues long after the codex cycle has completed. With very few exceptions, normally Space Marines, armies don’t get more than one book an edition. 

And, well, the 9th Edition cycle is complete at this point. Every codex has been updated to the current edition. In addition there have even been some new books added. For instance,  the World Eater’s Codex is a new book this edition. It’s also the last announced Codex in the pipeline. Beyond it there really aren’t any more rules we know about.  It’s pretty fair to say that with Codex: World Eaters 9th Edition will be complete.

The Story Book Ending

That’s not to say that Codex: World Eaters is the last thing announced. We do have a couple more books that we know are coming out. The 4 book Arks of Omen series is coming out across this winter and spring. Now, at this point we’ve kind of seen this pattern before. Both 7th and 8th Editions ended with a large narrative event spread out over several books. Rise of the Primarch brought major changes to 40K, while Psychic Awakening put many people to sleep. 

Now given that the Arks of Omen books won’t have matched play rules in them, we know they aren’t campaign books. That puts them squarely in the narrative event bracket. Overall it seems pretty likely that these books are going to act as 9th’s swansong, giving us a few plot developments and leading int0 10th Edition. It’s a a pattern we’ve seen enough times from GW, that combined with everything else it seems pretty clear.

Just In Time

New editions of Warhammer come out in the summer. Normally around July or August. Now Arks of Omen is going to last through winter and into Spring 2023. That means it will just be wrapping up in time for summer. How convenient. Ark’s end seems perfectly timed to lead into a summer launch for the new edition. In addition 2023 will be 9th’s third year. Both 8th and 7th Edition lasted 3 years (with 6th was around for a mere 2). The timing really lines up to suggest a new edition coming now as well. Everything we’ve looked at really points to 9th’s end point being in sight. Get ready!

Let us know if you buy that 9th is almost over, down in the comments! 

Author: Abe Apfel

Abe is that rare thing, an Austin local born and raised here. Though he keeps on moving around, DC, Japan, ETC., he always seems to find his way back eventually. Abe has decades of experience with a wide range of tabletop and RPG games, from historicals, to Star Wars to D&D and 40K. He has been contributing to BOLS since almost the start, back when he worked at and then owned a local gaming store. He used to be big into the competitive Warhammer tournament scene but age has mellowed him and he now appreciates a good casual match. He currently covers 40K tactics and lore, as well as all things Star Wars, with occasional dabbling in other topics. Abe remains in mourning over the loss of WFB to this day.