Warhammer 40,000 lore followers are in overdrive after a single web page of a brand new marketing campaign guide 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 generally known as the Horus Heresy. Warhammer 40,000 as a story operated for many years with many of the primarchs both thought useless or misplaced within the warp.
At the moment, solely two primarchs are confirmed alive and energetic 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 puzzled when he’d lastly stumble upon his brother, Roboute. Now, it seems to be like that long-awaited household reunion will happen within the coming months, after a brand new marketing campaign guide teased a gathering of the Emperor’s sons.
Phrase comes from Warhammer 40,000 lore knowledgeable Arbitor Ian, who IGN has partnered with for numerous explainer movies, such because the one above. Arbitor Ian bought an early have a look at 500 Worlds: Titus, a quickly to be launched Warhammer 40,000 marketing campaign guide and narrative enlargement that options 80 pages of lore overlaying 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 turn into one of the 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 suggests he’s in control of 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 in control of holding issues protected and sound again dwelling, the place new Necron threats have emerged, as they at all times do.
In line with the brand new video from Arbitor Ian, 500 Worlds: Titus has an important piece of latest lore, discovered proper in the back of the guide, 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 discuss.”
This seemingly innocuous message teases a momentous plot improvement for the Warhammer 40,000 universe. By no means earlier than have two loyalist primarchs met within the present setting. In fact they spent a substantial amount of time with one another earlier than the forty first millennium. They have been, typically, friends throughout the glory days of the Nice Campaign, for instance. All of the primarchs (aside from the 2 we do not speak about) have been energetic throughout the foundational occasions of the Horus Heresy, which occurred 10,000 years earlier than the present setting. And we simply bought our first novel set throughout the period generally known as 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 will likely be a bit miffed at Roboute, who has alarmed quite a lot of inquisitive minds together with his Indomitus Campaign. Others suppose (hope?) the brothers will be a 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 all the pieces is… terrible, I think that lots will go fallacious, regardless of the Lion’s emotions about his brother.
After which there’s the hypothesis across the message itself: “Brother. We have to discuss.” That doesn’t sound aggressive essentially, however it does counsel a matter of some significance must be delivered to 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 carry 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 probably doing one thing comparable throughout the Horus Heresy when it appeared like Chaos would possibly win). Alternatively, Arbitor Ian suggests the Lion will reveal some new risk that turns into central to the plot of the subsequent Warhammer 40,000 marketing campaign guide, maybe to do with would-be fifth Chaos god Vashtorr the Arkifane.
No matter Video games Workshop has up its sleeve, it seems to be 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, properly… that will be very Video games Workshop, wouldn’t it?
The Warhammer 40,000 story, comparable to it’s, is a gradual transferring 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 recognition during the last decade. At this level any information on how the story would possibly 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’ll be able to attain Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
