Scalpers pose a significant problem across various hobbies, particularly in gaming hardware and related products. In more recent years, their impact has been especially pronounced. Games Workshop, the company behind popular franchises like Warhammer and Warhammer 40K, is facing this challenge as well.

Pre-Order Controversy

The current issue involves the pre-orders for the special edition of Siege of Terra: Era of Ruin, part of the notable Horus Heresy saga. Initially, Games Workshop implemented a queue system on their website intended to deter scalpers employing bots from ruining the experience for genuine fans.

However, the strategy backfired when scalpers successfully bypassed these measures using malicious bots. As a result, Games Workshop made the decision to take down their entire website temporarily to address the crisis. On their social media, they explained:

“You might have noticed that we’ve paused Warhammer.com for a short period—here’s why: Today we launched our pre-order for the much-anticipated special edition of Siege of Terra: Era of Ruin anthology. Unfortunately, scalpers attempted to use bots to bypass our normal safeguards.”

They further stated, “We’re pausing the launch of Era of Ruin and have removed it from Warhammer.com for now. Don’t worry, it’s still coming—we’re just absolutely determined that real fans get it.”

Games Workshop continues to clear up erroneous orders while prioritizing the concerns of their dedicated fanbase. As the situation unfolds, only time will tell how both collectors and the company adapt.