Games Workshop's Big Autumn Warhammer Preview is scheduled to air on Friday, September 18, bringing a broad slate of announcements across several of the company's tabletop settings. The showcase begins at 11am PDT, 2pm EDT, and 7pm BST, and its promotional material has already started the familiar pre-reveal guessing game.
A short teaser video and a collection of spray-painted symbols have pointed fans toward everything from Warhammer 40,000 and Kill Team to Necromunda, Warhammer: The Old World, Horus Heresy, and Warhammer Age of Sigmar. Some elements are effectively confirmed, while others remain educated speculation based on faction iconography, visual puns, and the timing of recent releases.
The most eye-catching possibility is a return for the Legion of the Damned, the infamous spectral Space Marines associated with flaming bones, sudden interventions, and a mysterious place in the Imperium's mythology. Elsewhere, the teasers appear to point to new Custodes, an Alpha Legion development, Imperial Agents or Inquisition support, Nehekhara-themed releases, and a fresh duardin army for Age of Sigmar called the Khazalites Holds.
A packed preview across Warhammer's major games
The event's announced lineup gives the teaser symbols considerable weight. Rather than focusing on a single flagship game, the Big Autumn Warhammer Preview is positioned as a cross-range presentation. That creates room for both major army releases and smaller expansion-style announcements, including miniatures, specialist-game factions, campaign material, and individual characters.
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For Warhammer 40,000 players, several symbols stand out immediately. A stylized flaming skull resembles historical Legion of the Damned imagery, a gold banana-shaped icon is widely associated with the Adeptus Custodes, and another mark resembles the iconography used by the Inquisition and Imperial Agents. A pair of crossed Xs may be a nod to the Alpha Legion, the 20th Legion of the original Space Marine Legions.
On the fantasy side, the teaser campaign includes references that appear connected to Nehekhara and the Tomb Kings in The Old World, alongside clear confirmation that Age of Sigmar will receive a new duardin faction. Necromunda is also represented, with a clue that seemingly references one of the underhive game's most brutal gangs.
Not every symbol has a settled explanation. Squigs seem to be present in the promotional imagery, for example, but their meaning is less obvious. Greenskin forces have recently received attention in Age of Sigmar, while squig-focused Orks have also had a Warhammer 40,000 update. That uncertainty is exactly what makes these teaser campaigns effective: even seemingly straightforward symbols can point to a new model, a new rules direction, a game expansion, or something more unexpected.
Legion of the Damned could rise from the warp again
The Legion of the Damned speculation has generated particular excitement because the faction occupies such a distinctive place in Warhammer 40,000 lore. Unlike a conventional Space Marine Chapter, the Legion is often portrayed as a phantom force appearing when Imperial defenders face impossible odds. Their warriors are commonly depicted with skeletal details, black armour, and supernatural flames, before vanishing as abruptly as they arrived.
That imagery makes the flaming-skull symbol especially notable. It is not an exact duplicate of older Legion of the Damned branding, but it closely resembles the kind of icon associated with the force. If the hint does lead to the Legion, the September 18 stream could potentially reveal a new Warhammer 40,000 unit, a limited detachment or rules supplement, or a Kill Team connected to the chapter's eerie identity.
There is still no confirmation that the Legion of the Damned is returning in a major way. The symbol could conceivably refer to another Imperial or Chaos-related project. Yet the Legion's visual language is unusual enough that the comparison is difficult to ignore, particularly with both Warhammer 40,000 and Kill Team included in the show.
A modern interpretation would also arrive at an interesting moment for Space Marines. The range remains central to Warhammer 40,000, and any renewed focus on unusual Imperial successors, legendary formations, or smaller narrative forces could offer a change from the game's more familiar Chapter releases. The Legion of the Damned is a natural fit for a compact, characterful release because its mythology does not necessarily require a full standalone army to make an impact on the tabletop.
Custodes clue may connect to a previously seen Terminator
The golden curved symbol in the teaser has been read as a Custodes reference, drawing on the famously tall and rounded golden helmets worn by the Emperor's bodyguards. This possibility is supported by an earlier accidental glimpse of a new Custodes Terminator-style unit in a Warhammer Academy video.
If that unit is indeed part of the preview, it could have relevance beyond one game system. Recent Custodes releases have had potential homes in both Warhammer 40,000 and Warhammer: The Horus Heresy, making a dual-system model a plausible direction. The Custodes are one of the Imperium's most visually recognizable elite forces, and Terminator armour would provide a straightforward way to expand their battlefield role without changing their core identity.
Of course, the teaser alone does not establish exactly which ruleset, era, or format any new Custodes model will support. The reveal will need to clarify whether the focus is a single unit, a broader range expansion, or something designed specifically for Horus Heresy's civil-war setting.
Alpha Legion and Imperial Agents are possible 40K follow-ups
The crossed-X imagery could indicate the Alpha Legion, whose association with secrecy, misdirection, and the phrase "I am Alpharius" has made them a fan favorite for decades. In the Horus Heresy setting, the Legion has obvious historical relevance. In Warhammer 40,000, meanwhile, it has been some time since Alpha Legion players received a particularly dedicated spotlight compared with more prominently supported Chaos Space Marine forces.
That means the symbol could support several interpretations. It might herald Horus Heresy miniatures or rules, a Warhammer 40,000 character or upgrade project, or a narrative announcement built around infiltration and sabotage. Alpha Legion clues are inherently difficult to take at face value, which is fitting for the faction, but their inclusion would be welcome in either setting.
The Inquisition or Imperial Agents mark is more direct. The symbol appears alongside the word "Ready?", suggesting that Imperial Agents may be queued for an update or addition. A reveal could range from an individual Inquisitor and retinue to a specialist force intended for Warhammer 40,000 or Kill Team. The faction's flexible identity, drawing together inquisitors, assassins, agents, and other Imperial operatives, makes it well suited to a smaller release with strong narrative appeal.
Necromunda's Corpse Grinder Cults may be next in line
Necromunda's clue appears to be a tin marked "Corpse Starch," a grim reference that strongly evokes the Corpse Grinder Cults. These gangs are among the underhive game's most savage factions, blending industrial horror with the blood-soaked influence of Khorne.
Necromunda recently entered a new edition, so a return to existing gangs would make sense as the game's range continues to develop. New models, updated rules, weapons, hangers-on, or a scenario-driven supplement are all conceivable, though the exact form of the announcement remains unknown. Corpse Grinder Cults are visually distinct enough that even a small release could be an immediate focal point for Necromunda collectors.
The possibility also reinforces the preview's unusually broad scope. A presentation containing grand army announcements alongside a gang expansion and a potential Kill Team reveal would cover nearly every scale of Warhammer tabletop play.
Nehekhara could mean new Tomb Kings material for The Old World
The use of "Nehekhara" is one of the more surprising hints. Nehekhara is the ancient land associated with the Tomb Kings, a major force in Warhammer: The Old World. Tomb Kings were already a prominent part of The Old World's launch period, but much of that initial range drew from older miniatures.
That history makes a refreshed unit kit, new characters, or a small selection of updated sculpts a realistic possibility. It is also possible that the tease refers only to heroes or accessories rather than a full range overhaul. Even so, any new Tomb Kings material would be significant for a game that has steadily rebuilt its roster around familiar factions while selectively introducing new takes on classic concepts.
For collectors, Nehekhara offers one of Warhammer's most visually distinctive aesthetics: animated skeleton legions, gilded chariots, monumental constructs, and rulers bound to preserve their ancient dynasties. A modern miniature release could be especially attractive if it expands unit types that have been difficult to obtain or updates iconic figures with contemporary design techniques.
Khazalites Holds bring a traditional duardin direction to Age of Sigmar
One part of the preview is more than a theory. Age of Sigmar is getting a new duardin faction named the Khazalites Holds. Early details point toward a more traditional dwarven fantasy approach centered on mountain strongholds, runic craftsmanship, and imposing constructed warriors.
The new Gholem unit is already associated with the faction, suggesting that runic constructs will be an important component of its battlefield identity. This distinguishes the Khazalites Holds from Age of Sigmar's existing duardin cultures while preserving familiar pillars of dwarf fantasy: sturdy holds, master-crafted arms, ancient traditions, and stone or metal creations animated through craft and magic.
The timing is notable because Age of Sigmar's recent faction work has maintained a strong pace. The Sons of Behemat have received models that reinforce their towering scale and personality, while the Ogors have continued to lean into their direct, hard-hitting character. A brand-new duardin army gives the game an opportunity to fill a different niche, especially for players who have wanted a more classically rooted mountain-hold faction.
Answers are close
The Big Autumn Warhammer Preview will resolve the speculation on September 18. Until then, the promotional material suggests a showcase with something for almost every branch of the Warhammer hobby: elite Imperials, clandestine Chaos forces, undead kings, underhive butchers, ghostly Space Marines, and a new age of duardin craftsmanship.
The Legion of the Damned remains the most tantalizing unconfirmed prospect, but the confirmed Khazalites Holds announcement alone ensures that the event will have lasting implications for Age of Sigmar. Whether the other icons represent full releases, smaller supplements, or deliberate misdirection, the preview is shaping up as a major checkpoint for Warhammer's tabletop ranges heading into autumn.
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