The architects behind the Warhammer 40,000 universe just threw cold water on the tabletop community’s biggest ongoing rumor. During a recent video broadcast previewing the upcoming 11th Edition ruleset, Games Workshop hosts Adam Troke and Eddie Eccles tackled a flood of fan questions. One specific query dominated the chat: who will be the next loyalist primarch to return to the active lore?
Eccles took the question and delivered a deadpan response, answering simply that he was pretty sure the remaining demigod brothers are all dead. Troke jumped in immediately after to lean into the joke, poking fun at the Imperial Guard’s habit of naming heavy armor after the legendary figures. He noted that Leman Russ and Rogal Dorn are technically already back in the game as battle tanks, adding that if he were a betting man, players could eventually expect to see tanks named after Jaghatai Khan, Ferrus Manus, or Sanguinius.
The anchor report verifying Games Workshop’s exact Q&A response also highlighted a major narrative tease regarding the two loyalist primarchs who are actually alive in the current setting. When pressed on whether Roboute Guilliman and Lion El’Jonson will finally reunite in the 11th Edition storyline, Troke kept the studio’s cards close to the chest. He offered a vague “maybe, maybe not,” but admitted he personally hopes the reunion happens on the tabletop soon.
This intense community speculation didn’t materialize out of nowhere. For decades, the genetically engineered sons of the Emperor were relegated to historical myth, effectively removed from the active game during the ancient Horus Heresy. Games Workshop completely upended that static timeline in 2017 by resurrecting the Ultramarines leader Roboute Guilliman, followed by the Dark Angels’ Lion El’Jonson in early 2023. Both releases generated incredible sales and completely rewired the franchise’s narrative direction. Fans have spent the last three years searching for clues pointing to a third returning brother, with figures like Leman Russ and Vulkan at the top of the wishlist since their lore technically classifies them as missing rather than confirmed casualties.
Despite the studio’s sarcastic dismissal on the livestream, debate across social media and Reddit remains incredibly active. Long-time lore enthusiasts refuse to take the “all dead” comment seriously, knowing exactly how lucrative a new primarch centerpiece model would be for the impending 11th Edition launch cycle.