Creative Assembly wants Total War: Warhammer 40,000 to give you much of the freedom that makes the tabletop hobby appealing, with extensive customization planned for units, equipment and visual appearance.
The studio says customization was considered an essential feature from the beginning of development. The goal is to let you build armies that feel personal while still fitting naturally into the Warhammer 40,000 universe.
That approach extends beyond simple color selection. Units can develop throughout a campaign, receive different equipment and gradually specialize into more advanced battlefield roles.
Total War: Warhammer 40,000 is currently planned for release in 2027 on PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S.
| Feature | What is planned |
|---|---|
| Visual customization | Colors and other appearance options |
| Official paint colors | Real Games Workshop paint colors |
| Unit equipment | Different weapon and loadout choices |
| Campaign progression | Units can level up and specialize |
| Advanced units | Certain troops can develop into stronger roles |
| Platforms | PC, PS5, Xbox Series X and Series S |
| Release window | 2027 |
Custom armies are central to the design
Creative Assembly says it understood early that players needed the ability to create their own identity within the game.
The tabletop version of Warhammer 40,000 gives players considerable freedom to paint armies, select equipment and develop a force around their own preferences. The studio wants to carry that same idea into its strategy game.
One part of that effort involves authentic paint colors. The game will include actual colors used for physical Games Workshop miniatures, allowing you to recreate armies that resemble collections you already own.
That should be particularly useful for longtime tabletop players who want their digital forces to reflect the armies they have built and painted outside the game.
The customization system will also go further than appearance.
Units can change throughout a campaign
Individual units will be able to specialize as your campaign progresses.
Creative Assembly used Space Marine Intercessors as an example. You may be able to equip them with options such as bolt rifles, auto bolt rifles or stalker variants, depending on how you want the unit to perform.
Those troops can then gain experience, receive new equipment and potentially develop into more specialized units such as Sternguard.
That creates a progression system where the army you finish a campaign with may be substantially different from the force you started with.
The approach also gives equipment decisions more importance because customization can affect battlefield roles rather than serving only as a cosmetic feature.
Creative Assembly is working closely with Games Workshop
The developer says it has worked with Games Workshop to make the experience feel authentic to Warhammer 40,000.
That includes the visual identity of armies, established lore and the way combat should feel to people familiar with the tabletop game.
Creative Assembly is also trying to reproduce some of the broader appeal of the physical hobby. Warhammer 40,000 is built around collecting, painting, customizing and gradually expanding an army, so bringing those ideas into the campaign appears to be an important part of the adaptation.
The studio has not yet detailed every available weapon, upgrade path or visual option, and more information is likely to arrive before launch.
What is already clear is that army customization will be closely connected to progression. You will be able to shape how units look, how they fight and how they develop over the course of a campaign, giving Total War: Warhammer 40,000 a stronger link to the tabletop experience when it arrives in 2027.
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