Warhammer 40,000 lore followers are in overdrive after a single web page of a brand new marketing campaign ebook teased one thing that’s by no means occurred earlier than within the setting: the assembly of two loyalist primarchs.
The primarchs are the overpowered, genetically-engineered demigod sons of the Emperor, the leaders of the loyalist House Marine legions earlier than they have been damaged up into chapters following the catastrophic civil battle often called the Horus Heresy. Warhammer 40,000 as a story operated for many years with a lot of the primarchs both thought useless or misplaced within the warp.
At this time, solely two primarchs are confirmed alive and lively within the present Warhammer 40,000 setting: Ultramarines boss Roboute Guilliman, who returned to the galaxy throughout the Gathering Storm occasion in 2017, and Darkish Angels chief Lion El’Jonson, who miraculously popped again into existence as a part of the Arks of Omen storyline in early 2023. These have been galaxy-shaking plot developments for the Warhammer 40,000 setting, and ever since Lion El’Jonson’s shock return to Warhammer 40,000, followers have questioned when he’d lastly stumble upon his brother, Roboute. Now, it seems like that long-awaited household reunion will happen within the coming months, after a brand new marketing campaign ebook teased a gathering of the Emperor’s sons.
Phrase comes from Warhammer 40,000 lore knowledgeable Arbitor Ian, who IGN has partnered with for plenty of explainer movies, such because the one above. Arbitor Ian acquired an early have a look at 500 Worlds: Titus, a quickly to be launched Warhammer 40,000 marketing campaign ebook and narrative enlargement that options 80 pages of lore masking the start of the Ultramarian Reclamation, and printed a brand new video on its most explosive lore reveal.
To again up briefly, Lieutenant Titus from the House Marine 2 online game has develop into one of the crucial recognizable faces in Warhammer 40,000 following its huge success. To capitalize on Titus’ newfound fame, Video games Workshop promoted him to Captain and made him Grasp of the Watch, which implies he’s answerable for defending the five hundred Worlds of Ultramar, the realm of House Marine poster boys, the Ultramarines. With Roboute Guilliman off gallivanting together with his Indomitus Campaign, Titus is now answerable for preserving issues protected and sound again dwelling, the place new Necron threats have emerged, as they all the time do.
In accordance with the brand new video from Arbitor Ian, 500 Worlds: Titus has a vital piece of recent lore, discovered proper behind the ebook, that teases a gathering between Guilliman and Lion El’Jonson. It’s an intergalactic message written by Lion El’Jonson and meant for Roboute Guilliman that reads: “Brother. We have to speak.”
This seemingly innocuous message teases a momentous plot growth for the Warhammer 40,000 universe. By no means earlier than have two loyalist primarchs met within the present setting. After all they spent an excessive amount of time with one another earlier than the forty first millennium. They have been, usually, friends throughout the glory days of the Nice Campaign, for instance. All of the primarchs (other than the 2 we do not speak about) have been lively throughout the foundational occasions of the Horus Heresy, which occurred 10,000 years earlier than the present setting. And we simply acquired our first novel set throughout the period often called The Scouring, which noticed the loyalist primarchs enact their revenge on the traitor legions within the aftermath of the Horus Heresy.
The query now’s, how will this assembly between Lion El’Jonson and Roboute go? It’s laborious to inform. Some followers are speculating the Lion shall be a bit miffed at Roboute, who has alarmed quite a lot of inquisitive minds together with his Indomitus Campaign. Others assume (hope?) the brothers will be part of forces to assist drive again the forces of Chaos and rekindle the glory days of the Imperium. Given that is Warhammer 40,000 and every little thing is… terrible, I believe that lots will go flawed, regardless of the Lion’s emotions about his brother.
After which there’s the hypothesis across the message itself: “Brother. We have to speak.” That doesn’t sound aggressive essentially, nevertheless it does recommend a matter of some significance must be dropped at Guilliman’s consideration. What does the Lion know that his brother doesn’t? Does he carry a warning? Has he found some grand conspiracy about their father, the Emperor? Does he convey excellent news? Is one other loyalist primarch about to return?
Arbitor Ian speculates that the Lion could also be upset with Guilliman as a result of he believes his brother to be making an attempt to usurp the Emperor with all this Indomitus Campaign and Ultramarian Reclamation enterprise (there’s an entire factor about Roboute doubtlessly doing one thing comparable throughout the Horus Heresy when it regarded like Chaos may win). Alternatively, Arbitor Ian suggests the Lion will reveal some new menace that turns into central to the plot of the subsequent Warhammer 40,000 marketing campaign ebook, maybe to do with would-be fifth Chaos god Vashtorr the Arkifane.
No matter Video games Workshop has up its sleeve, it seems like we’re set for some solutions over the subsequent few months. A minimum of, that’s the hope. Followers have been ready three years for the Lion and Guilliman to get collectively. If Video games Workshop simply sat on this tease for an additional few years, effectively… that will be very Video games Workshop, wouldn’t it?
The Warhammer 40,000 story, equivalent to it’s, is a gradual shifting beast. The scribes at Video games Workshop typically take years to inch the overarching plot ahead. Tantalizing plot threads are left dangling, typically for many years. Solutions stay frustratingly out of attain. Cliffhangers appear destined to hold in a perpetual state of anticipation, by no means to be fulfilled. Such is the character of Video games Workshop’s grimdark forty first millennium, which has exploded in reputation during the last decade. At this level any information on how the story may really transfer ahead is analyzed to inside an inch of its life, as if below investigation by the Inquisition itself.
Wesley is Director, Information at IGN. Discover him on Twitter at @wyp100. You may attain Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
