Edition Design Timelines

[Valkyrion]

I'm not sure if anyone can answer this really, but at what point do GW decide to start work on a new edition?

 

For example, when a new edition is released, is the plan for it to be the final edition until opinion tells them otherwise, or do they set out with a (3) year plan in mind?

 

Do they know, for instance, that Tyranids won't be getting a new codex this edition (hypothetically) or is it a case of Tyranids are due to get a codex in year 4 of the edition but the edition might not get that far?

 

 

[Marshal Loss]

No edition of 40k is ever (or has ever been) intended to be a final edition, because new editions drive sales and help attract player interest with a new starter set/rules changes which shake things up, etc.

 

In recent years the temporal gap between editions has been shrinking to the extent that there's little doubt that GW will already be working on 10th and may have been doing so for quite some time, but the "3 year gap" that folks talk about has historically not been a hard and fast rule. All 9th edition codexes are done and have already been playtested (however, we know from playtesters that major changes do occur after playtesting ends). Models are usually completed years before we see them (the DG release took c. 2.5-3 years from start to finish, for example, and some projects take far longer). Long story short: GW work years in advance and by the time we learn anything about anything, they're usually going to be years ahead of us.

 

Since 8th they have also appeared determined to give every army a new codex as well, although whether that continues is anyone's guess (it's only really imperative in 9th f'rex because of the introduction of crusade, etc - I'd say that this trend continuing is quite likely) but in the past it wasn't uncommon for armies to go an entire edition(s) without a new codex.

 

To put things into perspective:

• 6 years between RT and 2nd
• 5 years between 2nd and 3rd
• 6 years between 3rd and 4th
• 4 years between 4th and 5th
• 4 years between 5th and 6th
• 2 years between 6th and 7th
• 3 years between 7th and 8th
• 3 years between 8th and 9th

GW's massive success in recent years means they'll probably stick to the 3 year gap between editions for now, although whether this is impacted by the pandemic with 10th in particular remains to be seen.

[Valkyrion]

In recent years the temporal gap between editions has been shrinking to the extent that there's little doubt that GW will already be working on 10th and may have been doing so for quite some time, but the "3 year gap" that folks talk about has historically not been a hard and fast rule. All 9th edition codexes are done and have already been playtested (however, we know from playtesters that major changes do occur after playtesting ends). Models are usually completed years before we see them (the DG release took c. 2.5-3 years from start to finish, for example, and some projects take far longer). Long story short: GW work years in advance and by the time we learn anything about anything, they're usually going to be years ahead of us.

 

 

Is that definite? That's good to know as there are a dozen factions needing new codexes so even if they were conservatively released every two months it gives us at least another 2 years of this edition.

[Marshal Loss]

 

In recent years the temporal gap between editions has been shrinking to the extent that there's little doubt that GW will already be working on 10th and may have been doing so for quite some time, but the "3 year gap" that folks talk about has historically not been a hard and fast rule. All 9th edition codexes are done and have already been playtested (however, we know from playtesters that major changes do occur after playtesting ends). Models are usually completed years before we see them (the DG release took c. 2.5-3 years from start to finish, for example, and some projects take far longer). Long story short: GW work years in advance and by the time we learn anything about anything, they're usually going to be years ahead of us.

 

 

Is that definite? That's good to know as there are a dozen factions needing new codexes so even if they were conservatively released every two months it gives us at least another 2 years of this edition.

 

The second part is definite, the first part is almost certain. Playtesters have unanimously said that all 9th edition books were tested alongside each other. As above, we know that changes have been made since then (e.g. when the Dark Eldar book was playtested, Dark Lances were not the D3+3 damage that they are now, which took playtesters by surprise at release) so it's possible that some books are in the tweaking stage but at bare minimum GW have already completed the overwhelming majority of work on the new edition's codexes and will already know/have already known for a long time which (presumably all of them) are getting a new book this edition.

[Halandaar]

Agreed, while the three-year cycle wasn't always there historically, it's definitely a thing now. All three editions of AoS and the last three editions of 40k have been three years apart from each other, even during the pandemic, so although some things have slipped they obviously want to stick very strictly to that life-cycle for the new editions of the major franchises.

 

I'd be very surprised if the initial design work for 10th Edition 40k isn't already underway, and the miniatures for it's launch box are probably already done. 

[Noserenda]

The Rules designers are usually about a year ahead solidly but have been working on pretty much everything to some extent in that time because the actual release schedule is 100% driven by minis and thats a different thread entirely. So for example they might have codex Talons of the Emperor 99% complete but the new Sisters character and Custodes jet wont be out for another 2 years so they work on Codexs Tau and the Return to Caliban campaign book instead in the meantime. 

I they never stop iterating on the next edition in some ways either but i dont think serious work begins until we are a few codexes into the previous one and they can see where the problems are with it once its in the wild.

[MARK0SIAN]

I was once in a seminar that Stu Black was giving and he said that the roadmap the rules team have is generally a 5 year one. So, for example, he knows everything due to happen from now until 2026 in terms of models being worked on that will need rules and new editions. That doesn’t mean obviously all that is being worked on five years in advance from a rules perspective but to even know what is happening must mean that as a business they must’ve committed to the edition lifecycle.

 

The seminar was pre Covid though so it’s possible some of their plans have been pushed back.

[MegaVolt87]

Four years was the sweet spot for edition change IMO. Three years is too short, the pandemic has only further shown this.

[Rik Lightstar]

What's the count on factions these days? It looks like 30 if you include the new Ork book, although 9 (I think) are Space Marine Supplements.

 

They seem to be doing 6-8 Codexes a year. Although "supplements" seem to come in pairs.

 

I think that's going to be our best clue to it longer term. The changes from 8th - 9th have been pretty good and it seems to be in a decent place (for 40k balance*) for Factions that have a 9th Ed book.

 

So if there's around 25 books (counting supplements as half as the come pairs pretty often) then that tracks at 3 years currently or 4 years once there's Ynnari, Black Templars and the possible World Eaters and Emperor's Children books.

 

Four years felt about right previously, although I think 5 would be the sweet spot with a "reprint" that includes FAQs coming out at around the 3 year mark.

 

Rik

[MegaVolt87]

I think GW should be hot dropping every codex at the beginning of an edition. They won't have new units, only revised/ re-sculpts of old kits. New stuff in campaign books. New units rolled into the app if you already redeemed the initial codex code, otherwise get the dead trees for new units per usual. I was hopeful with 9th ed's start, SM + Necrons on the opener. I was expecting a SM supplement and a xenos/chaos codex release same month, every month after. I assume that was the 40k plan pre-pandemic- maybe. 

Edited August 4, 2021 by MegaVolt87

[Xenith]

I'm not sure if anyone can answer this really, but at what point do GW decide to start work on a new edition?

 

For example, when a new edition is released, is the plan for it to be the final edition until opinion tells them otherwise, or do they set out with a (3) year plan in mind?

 

Do they know, for instance, that Tyranids won't be getting a new codex this edition (hypothetically) or is it a case of Tyranids are due to get a codex in year 4 of the edition but the edition might not get that far?

 

If you're interested in GW's working practices, I can reccomend the Voxcast and Stormcast podcasts. They go into this a lot. 

 

Basically, GW starts on the new edition as soon as they're done with the latest edition. After it goes to print, there's still ideas etc that they have, which get saved for the next version - usually we see the first instances of these in things like psychic awakening, as the authors begin to prep older and newer codexes for the mechanics and themes of the next edition. 

 

Now GW are more organised under the new CEO. Each faction has got a codex in the last edition. Their plan was to have all codexes released within a year of 9th, however covid hit. 

 

I don't think we'll see any more instances of a codex going multiple editions without receiving some kind of update.