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Factions
May 26, 2026 at 01:51 PM
Added explicit dual-track sub-faction system (renowned + custom warbands), Chaos-not-at-launch with planned addition, future faction roadmap framing
Total War: Warhammer 40,000 launches with four confirmed playable factions. Each faction has its own identity, visual language, and strategic character, offering meaningfully different experiences across both the turn-based campaign and the real-time battles.
Faction | Type | Playstyle |
|---|---|---|
Imperial | Elite and few in number; each warrior is immensely powerful. Quality over quantity. | |
Xenos | Vast, brutal hordes driven by the WAAAGH!, capable of fielding colossal war engines such as the Stompa. | |
Xenos | Fragile and deadly glass cannon; psychic precision and elegant weaponry. Rewards careful, precise tactical decisions over brute force. | |
Imperial | Massed ranks of human soldiers and heavy armour; humanity's largest fighting force, winning through sheer numbers and combined arms. |
Each launch faction features both renowned named sub-factions and warlords from established Warhammer 40,000 lore, and fully custom warbands assembled by the player. Specific named sub-factions, chapters, regiments, clans, and craftworlds have not been confirmed yet, and are expected to be revealed throughout 2026 as Creative Assembly continues the marketing campaign.
Every faction supports deep army customisation across colours, iconography, wargear, names, traits, and tactical abilities. Creative Assembly has described this as tabletop-style freedom and as a first for the Total War series. Players can build armies that reflect their own aesthetic choices within the visual and thematic identity of each faction, while still drawing on lore-grounded warlords and unit archetypes.
Chaos Space Marines are not among the four launch factions. Creative Assembly has stated that Chaos will be added at a later point, along with the other iconic factions from the setting. The studio has confirmed an intent to expand the faction roster over time rather than gate Chaos behind a pre-order bonus.
The development team has framed Total War: Warhammer 40,000 as the start of a long-running project that will grow into a sprawling galactic battlefield, packed with iconic heroes, fearsome war machines, and richly realised worlds. Specific post-launch faction additions beyond the eventual Chaos arrival have not been announced.
