Upcoming BL Stuff 2026

[Felix Antipodes]

7 hours ago, Tolmeus said:

That said: Following the announcement of Abnett’s new duology, I’m glad to see some positive vibes here again. The criticism of Black Library so far has been justified, and I, too, am longing for some good new reading material. It’s a shame, though, that the only thing we seem to have in common at the moment is our ability to make snide remarks about the marketing (as I said, even if they are justified).
That's is in no way meant to be offensive, just a sad obersavtion when one (me) misses the ealier euphoria compared to the time of the ongoing Horus Heresy series )

 

I believe we all want to be positive about BL, both its future and its products.  They just make it hard to maintain that mindset with their lack of conversation with their audience.  Whether this is because they don’t feel the need, or is tied up in the NDA heavy world they work in, it pisses people off.

 

At least they have finished(?) this year’s Celebration on a high with the announcement of Hive.  Something new from Dan Abnett is always a welcome highlight (even though I’m always suspicious of any duology fearing editorial laxness).  A mention of Pandimonium also being on the release horizon would have been cream on the cake.

Now where is news on Scouring, Vol 2?

[Sothalor]

Golden timeline: Hive is good, sells well, shows the powers-that-be how much interest there is in gritty urban self-contained stories dealing with domestic discontent, social schemes, and low-stakes characters in a massive setting. More Crime novels get commissioned and we go on to a revival of that line. One can hope.

 

"Hope is the first step on the road to disappointment..."

[wecanhaveallthree]

Fraters, please. Let's be precise. It's not 'the' Hive, nor is it 'Hive'. It's HIVE.

 

All caps when you spell the book name. 

Edited Saturday at 03:36 AM by wecanhaveallthree
your favourite edit's favourite edit

[darkhorse0607]

38 minutes ago, wecanhaveallthree said:

Fraters, please. Let's be precise. It's not 'the' Hive, nor is it 'Hive'. It's HIVE.

 

All caps when you spell the book name. 

 

The biggest failure here is that it isn't

 

HIVE and HIIVE for the second volume

 

Also yeah, just for the record, salt from this week aside, Ill add my voice and say I dont want to be this mad about BL. I want to be excited about new releases, I want them to give me a reason to continue to care about this setting even with the changes happening that I don't necessarily love

 

I dont game, I paint and read the books, and what I paint is normally heavily influenced by the lore and what books I am going through at the time. If I collect a whole bunch of a certain faction, then it's almost 100% of the time because of some story/bunch of stories that are written about them. That's why they faction/chapter/whatever are important to me. You can get cool models almost anywhere now (hello Starcraft miniatures game), but GW has the stories to back the miniatures up. I wish theyd remember that, and remember that a chunk of the community spend money on their products because of the stories that are written about them

[wecanhaveallthree]

Quote

I wish theyd remember that, and remember that a chunk of the community spend money on their products because of the stories that are written about them

 

We don't know what their metrics are, but this is why I get more than a little frustrated when we discuss the earnings and people point out that BL's revenue is a tiny fraction of GW's overall. 

 

Like, yeah? They're effectively an advertising department. Reddit's 40klore sub, for example (the only one I'm in, so the only one I know about) has experienced such massive growth since 8th Edition. People are invested in the setting and stories. They want to read and then talk about what they've read, they want to speculate, they want to learn. The very common complaint is 'JUST READ THE WIKI', but people don't want to just do 'research', they want to engage. And they want to engage because of the books, and keeping people engaged in the hobby means they will generally spend more money over time. 

 

Obviously HIVE! needs to have four parts so it can wrap around to HIVE after HIIIVE.

 

[Felix Antipodes]

Quote off Abnett’s FB page…

 

Big Day! it's finally been announced! 

And before anyone says it... yes, it's not Pandaemonium. I'll get that to you as soon as the High Lords permit it. But trust me, you are going to love this epic.

 

Also, I notice that the experiment of digital releases on Friday seems to be over.

Edited Saturday at 07:22 AM by Felix Antipodes
Added note

[DukeLeto69]

10 hours ago, theSpirea said:

The Hive sounds and looks great, finally a BL book I'm excited about. But it still hurts, it could have been a nice fit for the Crime imprint. But we know Abnett can't really play well in multi-author series and always has to shove his ideas in there, so it's probably a good thing it's not set there after all.

It will be interesting to see if it is truly standalone or has some subtle (or even overt) links to other elements of the Abnettverse.

Edited Saturday at 08:44 AM by DukeLeto69

[DukeLeto69]

1 hour ago, Felix Antipodes said:

Quote off Abnett’s FB page…

 

Big Day! it's finally been announced! 

And before anyone says it... yes, it's not Pandaemonium. I'll get that to you as soon as the High Lords permit it. But trust me, you are going to love this epic.

 

Also, I notice that the experiment of digital releases on Friday seems to be over.

In the 90s I worked for a bit in the film industry. Development timescales are long! But I do wish we soon had something more concrete on the FW/Amazon slate.

Reason for raising that is that we know Pandaemonium cannot be released until they have ensured all the lore lines up for the Amazon slate and (I suppose) the next edition of the TT game. What started out as a fun bit of lore progression in a single book series in the Abnettverse has seemingly been decided to have such ramifications (which GW like and are planning to adopt widely) that it all now needs to align.

 

Shame for us awaiting the novel (for years) but interesting to see what happens.

 

One fear I have is when they eventually do release part 3 it is in a new edition style forcing me to buy a third copy of Pariah and a second copy of Penitent grrrr

 

I totally expect the first Amazon project to be Eisenhorn but that will have tentacles into other spin off series so that it all ties back to what happens in Pandaemonium.

 

So…I will be surprised if there are no easter eggs in HIVE.

Edited Saturday at 08:55 AM by DukeLeto69

[Nagashsnee]

1 hour ago, DukeLeto69 said:

What started out as a fun bit of lore progression in a single book series in the Abnettverse has seemingly been decided to have such ramifications (which GW like and are planning to adopt widely) that it all now needs to align.

 

11th editions enuchia phase was a bold design choice, even more so when you consider no other game having the players scream at eachother irl for gaming purposes has even been attempted.

 

Shame what it did to the tournament scene tho. 

Edited Saturday at 09:57 AM by Nagashsnee

[theSpirea]

The GW website is an absolute s** show. This was going to be my first order this year; it hasn’t happened in ages that I’ve gone three months without buying any BL product.

They spent tons of money on this atrocious website that looks like crap, and somehow performs even worse. Now they’re also going to kill bl.com and introduce an app. Based on their track record, the app probably won’t work or run well either.

 

GW/BL has been ruining my weekends for more than a year at this point. Today was the final step. I’m done with them. I have better things to do on Saturdays, and there are other companies that actually care about their customers and deserve my money.

 

Luckily, there are other ways to engage with BL fiction.

 

 

 

 

Edited Saturday at 10:24 AM by theSpirea

[Nagashsnee]

Everything still for sale on the EU site, i hope you get what you wanted @theSpirea. 

[Felix Antipodes]

1 hour ago, DukeLeto69 said:

In the 90s I worked for a bit in the film industry. Development timescales are long! But I do wish we soon had something more concrete on the FW/Amazon slate.

Reason for raising that is that we know Pandaemonium cannot be released until they have ensured all the lore lines up for the Amazon slate and (I suppose) the next edition of the TT game. What started out as a fun bit of lore progression in a single book series in the Abnettverse has seemingly been decided to have such ramifications (which GW like and are planning to adopt widely) that it all now needs to align.

 

Shame for us awaiting the novel (for years) but interesting to see what happens.

 

One fear I have is when they eventually do release part 3 it is in a new edition style forcing me to buy a third copy of Pariah and a second copy of Penitent grrrr

 

I totally expect the first Amazon project to be Eisenhorn but that will have tentacles into other spin off series so that it all ties back to what happens in Pandaemonium.

 

So…I will be surprised if there are no easter eggs in HIVE.

 

I’m not convinced the Pandaemonium delay is because of the Amazon deal, since there are two and a half trilogies to get through before it would come into the focus of the show.  While I have no knowledge of why it is held up, I suspect it is the upcoming 11th edition of W40K that is the issue.  Maybe whatever Dan’s big plot change is about has been marked by GW as central to the storyline going forward.

[Casual Heresy]

Had a chat with the manager at my former local Warhammer shop this morning. 
 

He says there are still some announcements to come alongside in-store activities linked to BL celebration. Both on or around the 21st March. 

[DukeLeto69]

5 hours ago, Felix Antipodes said:

 

I’m not convinced the Pandaemonium delay is because of the Amazon deal, since there are two and a half trilogies to get through before it would come into the focus of the show.  While I have no knowledge of why it is held up, I suspect it is the upcoming 11th edition of W40K that is the issue.  Maybe whatever Dan’s big plot change is about has been marked by GW as central to the storyline going forward.

I’m told it is but not exclusively the Amazon deal but the wider picture and desire to ensure it all fits together.

 

The point is that the Bequin books have a huge lore implication that it has been decided will feature in the setting per se not just the books. It would be weird to launch a TV and film slate then render them obsolete due to a reveal in a single book series.

[Scribe]

1 hour ago, DukeLeto69 said:

I’m told it is but not exclusively the Amazon deal but the wider picture and desire to ensure it all fits together.

 

The point is that the Bequin books have a huge lore implication that it has been decided will feature in the setting per se not just the books. It would be weird to launch a TV and film slate then render them obsolete due to a reveal in a single book series.

 

Well, thats going to be dire.

[Ubiquitous1984]

I wonder if they’ll have Keeble re-record the whole HH (for those he didn’t originally narrate) to get one consistent voice?

 

Obviously other than Scars!

 

 

[DukeLeto69]

5 hours ago, Scribe said:

 

Well, thats going to be dire.

Maybe, maybe not. Regardless it will be what it is and you either accept the lore changes/ramifications or ignore everything since third edition and head canon out the rest.

[Scribe]

1 hour ago, DukeLeto69 said:

Maybe, maybe not. Regardless it will be what it is and you either accept the lore changes/ramifications or ignore everything since third edition and head canon out the rest.

 

I've had one foot out the door a long time, TEaTD left me hanging on by a thread. If they are going to fundamentally shake up the IP, they'll be doing me a favour really.

 

If they are shaking it up AND letting Abnett drive the ship?

 

[DukeLeto69]

7 hours ago, Scribe said:

 

I've had one foot out the door a long time, TEaTD left me hanging on by a thread. If they are going to fundamentally shake up the IP, they'll be doing me a favour really.

 

If they are shaking it up AND letting Abnett drive the ship?

 

Things evolve over time. Some enjoy the journey. Some don’t and prefer the way things were. Twas ever thus! I think the great thing with W40k is that you can just opt to focus on the elements you like and there are plenty of people who wish we were still in third edition lore-wise.

 

Very much doubt Abnett is driving the ship. Years ago he told us he had an idea that he needed to get GW permission to pursue. Even though Abnett is influential he remains a (big) gun for hire.

 

What is clear is that as time has gone on, GW has given more thought to what Abnett proposed and decided they liked the ramifications for the lore.
 

Breadcrumbs have been seeded for a few years now beyond just Abnett’s own work, such as in Haley’s books and lore snippets in game material. It is happening. The lore is evolving. Some change is coming (well it already has with Great Rift and Primarchs coming back). 
 

It looks like some of the old lore (ironically considering opening point of the post) is making a comeback. Ian Watson-esque treatment of the God Emperor, Starchild, internecine war between the Inquisition factions etc. So first edition (and some second edition) lore ideas.

 

Depending on how this is treated I am down for that. Perhaps because I have been here since that time. Playing W40KRT and 2nd ed and reading Inquisitor and Space Marine at the time as my first W40K fiction (and setting the tone in my head eversince). I stopped playing before 3rd ed but continued buying up game books and novels simply because I love the lore and setting. 
 

So I remain open-minded to see where this goes. 

Edited Sunday at 09:13 AM by DukeLeto69

[Krelious]

11 hours ago, Scribe said:

 

I've had one foot out the door a long time, TEaTD left me hanging on by a thread. If they are going to fundamentally shake up the IP, they'll be doing me a favour really.

 

If they are shaking it up AND letting Abnett drive the ship?

 

I felt like the first Scouring novel was definately some damage control to get things back on track from Abnetts excesses. I actually dont mind the idea of re-reading old HH novels that are rereleased because its been years since i read them in the first place and it comes down to the fact that id rather read quality material and not slop thats driven out and has no real bearing on the larger plot.

 

For me im just mostly in it for ADB and Wraigth as their top tier writers and i guess id hope that the rest of the scouring series is as good as the first book. 

[darkhorse0607]

Great preorders today guys, see you all next week 

[Lorehunter]

On 3/13/2026 at 2:52 PM, Tolmeus said:

That said: Following the announcement of Abnett’s new duology, I’m glad to see some positive vibes here again. The criticism of Black Library so far has been justified, and I, too, am longing for some good new reading material. It’s a shame, though, that the only thing we seem to have in common at the moment is our ability to make snide remarks about the marketing (as I said, even if they are justified).
That's is in no way meant to be offensive, just a sad obersavtion when one (me) misses the ealier euphoria compared to the time of the ongoing Horus Heresy series )

Speaking as a COMPLETE outsider here, I'm glad to see this. I try and keep a couple fingers on the pulse of the BL communities around the net to help inform my weekly column for Goonhammer, and I'd already sort of figured this place was going to be where I came to get the Statler-and-Waldorf vibe check. 

 

To be clear, that's not a bad thing! The options of the jaded and cynical veteran has just as much place at the table as the most fresh-faced novice, and each should be taken with a relative pinch of salt. In fact, the contrast right now is of particular interest to me because of recent, "on-ramp-friendly" moves from the BL. We saw this with the reception to John French's phenomenal Dropsite Massacre, where a lot of the longtime folks dismissed early on ("do we really need another story about this?")- though it turned out to be a banger- as well as the efforts to make the HH more accessible with the 12-book "essential" HH Saga reprint series. 

 

Still, I'm always happy to see balance, measure, and positivity too. :) 

[grailkeeper]

Does anyone know what happened to BL and why it has gone downhill?

 

It doesnt have a big outside factor like the chapterhouse case to explain it.

 

Did they lose some big people who organised things behind the scenes? Alan Bligh passed and I know that affected a lot of the writers on a personal level, but I think he was in charge of a different department. I know a bunch of people went into Aconyte books- could that have been it?

[System Sound]

1 hour ago, grailkeeper said:

Does anyone know what happened to BL and why it has gone downhill?

 

It doesnt have a big outside factor like the chapterhouse case to explain it.

 

Did they lose some big people who organised things behind the scenes? Alan Bligh passed and I know that affected a lot of the writers on a personal level, but I think he was in charge of a different department. I know a bunch of people went into Aconyte books- could that have been it?

I'm not familiar with early BL as much, and all of this is pure speculation, but I imagine Laurie Goulding leaving didnt help things.

 

Also, GW as a whole was never good at marketing, so mishandling BL as a marketing branch is not surprising. And seeing how well 3rd-party Warhammer stuff is doing, they're relying more on that now than on in-house marketing. I imagine that eventually the books will be outsourced too. 

 

Also, their commission payouts are probably not very lucrative. So only the established authors get a decent paycheck. While all the newcomers are fans who wanted to write for BL, they take a pay cut. 

 

I'm not even gonna mention the scalpers and warehouse problems and how that my sour GW higher-ups on BL as well.

Edited 14 hours ago by System Sound

[Nagashsnee]

4 hours ago, grailkeeper said:

Does anyone know what happened to BL and why it has gone downhill?

 

It doesnt have a big outside factor like the chapterhouse case to explain it.

 

Did they lose some big people who organised things behind the scenes? Alan Bligh passed and I know that affected a lot of the writers on a personal level, but I think he was in charge of a different department. I know a bunch of people went into Aconyte books- could that have been it?

 

See you shoot yourself in the foot here. Cause you dont define downhill.

 

Modern BL has made more of my fav warhammer books then classic BL (last 10 years vs before that, not counting fantasy since it died).

It makes as many books per year as it ever did (the math on this is posted pretty often).

They actually have tried to branch out and not just be bolter action books.

 

So what do YOU mean by downhill? 

Cause like Chris Wraith, Guy Haley and others are still putting out BANGERS.  The books still come and i still buy them. They have great stuff and terrible stuff. 

 

I LOVE to bash GW and BL (KYME GIVE ME BACK MY SALAMANDER HH TRILOGY MONEY YOU THIEF!). But honestly open day aside, its hasnt really changed much. I find that in many cases its fans who went from teens to well read adults who did more changing then BL. 

 

Edit on marketing, its hard to say if its BL or a GW that is a problem. Never forget they are NOT indepedent and in many cases its hard to pinpoint where BL starts and GW ends. 

Edited 11 hours ago by Nagashsnee