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The Orks are one of four confirmed playable factions in Total War: Warhammer 40,000. They are among the most widespread and belligerent species in the galaxy, a tide of green-skinned warriors who wage war not out of strategy or necessity alone but because fighting is simply what Orks do. Their entire culture orbits the concept of the WAAAGH!, a psychic and physical phenomenon generated by large concentrations of Orks that amplifies their already formidable aggression and cohesion.
The WAAAGH!
The WAAAGH! is central to the Ork faction's identity in the game. It represents the collective momentum and fervour of an Ork horde building toward a massive offensive. Creative Assembly has confirmed the Orks as a faction driven by the WAAAGH!, though the specific mechanical implementation of this concept across the campaign and battle systems has not yet been detailed. The WAAAGH! is expected to play a meaningful role in how the Orks grow stronger and more threatening as the campaign progresses.
Playstyle
The Orks are confirmed as a faction of vast, brutal hordes. Their strength lies in numbers and aggression rather than the elite precision of the Space Marines or the tactical finesse of the Aeldari. Ork armies are expected to be large, loud, and relentless, grinding down opponents through sheer mass and ferocity. They share some structural similarities with the Astra Militarum in needing to build resources and field a large number of troops, but the Ork lean is toward brute aggression and improvised, unpredictable weaponry rather than disciplined regiments.
Confirmed Units
The June 2026 PC Gaming Show reveal showed the Orks fighting the Astra Militarum on Armageddon. The following Ork units appeared in that footage:
Unit | Role |
|---|---|
Boyz | The core of any WAAAGH!: vast mobs of close-combat and shoota-armed Orks that win through numbers. |
Gretchin | Small, cowardly grots fielded in swarms as expendable fodder and support. |
Stormboyz | Jump-pack infantry that use Rokkit Packs to leap into the enemy line. |
Deff Dreads | Walkers piloted by a single Ork, plowing into enemy formations with saws and guns. |
Stompa | A colossal scrap-built war engine bristling with weapons; one of the largest single units on the battlefield. |
Ork War Machines
Despite their crude, scrap-built aesthetic, the Orks bring some of the largest single units to the battlefield. The reveal trailer prominently featured an Ork Stompa, a colossal walker bristling with weapons and built in the Orks' characteristically improvised style. The original announcement trailer also depicted what appears to be an Ork Gargant, the titan-class super-walker that sits at the top of the Ork engineering hierarchy, though it has not been named again in later material. Crude Ork engineering is expected to extend to a variety of clanking battlewagons, walkers, and shock vehicles, though the full Ork roster has not yet been detailed.
Ghazghkull Mag Uruk Thraka
Ghazghkull Mag Uruk Thraka is a confirmed faction leader for the Orks. The Warhammer Skulls 2026 teaser on 21 May 2026 placed the game on Armageddon, a world famous for the Ork invasions Ghazghkull led, and the June 2026 PC Gaming Show reveal confirmed him as the Ork leader facing the Guard there. Ghazghkull is the most powerful and influential warboss of his age, and his campaigns against Armageddon and his rivalry with Commissar Yarrick are among the setting's best-known conflicts.
Sub-Factions and Warlords
Beyond Ghazghkull, renowned Ork sub-factions and warlords are part of the faction system, but no specific Ork Klan or other named Ork character has been confirmed publicly. Details are expected to be shared throughout 2026.
Army Customisation
Like all factions, the Orks support deep army customisation. Players can personalise colours, iconography, wargear, names, traits, and tactical abilities, building custom WAAAGH! warbands within the visual and thematic identity of the Orks.