'Warhammer 40,000' Maker Games Workshop Rules Out Generative AI

In brief

• Games Workshop said it will not use generative AI in the design or creation of Warhammer 40,000 content.
• CEO Kevin Rountree outlined a cautious internal policy in the company’s half-yearly report.
• The company said it continues to invest in human creators across art, writing, and sculpting roles.

Games Workshop, the U.K.-based gaming company behind Warhammer 40,000, said it will not use generative AI in its design or creative processes, outlining an internal policy focused on intellectual property protection and human creators over automation. Founded in 1975, Games Workshop is best known for Warhammer 40,000, a long-running tabletop miniature wargame based in a grimdark far future. The Warhammer universe has expanded into novels, video games, and screen adaptations. One of the largest and commercially successful game developers in the world, Games Workshop went public on the London Stock Exchange in 1994. The company’s position was disclosed during its half-yearly report on Tuesday, where CEO Kevin Rountree addressed artificial intelligence, saying the company has adopted a formal policy that bars the use of generative AI. 

“We have agreed an internal policy to guide us all, which is currently very cautious, e.g., we do not allow AI-generated content or AI to be used in our design processes or its unauthorized use outside of GW, including in any of our competitions,” Rountree said. During the investor call highlighting the report, Games Workshop reported £332.1 million (around $420 million) in revenue and operating profit of £140.4 million (around $177 million) for the 26-week period ending Nov. 30, 2025. Games Workshop’s stance on generative AI comes as similar positions are being taken by other major game studios. Larian Studios, the developer behind Baldur’s Gate 3, recently said that its upcoming Divinity game will not include AI-generated art, citing concerns around authorship and training data. Blizzard Entertainment has also said it is not using generative AI in World of Warcraft, even as it deploys machine-learning tools elsewhere for non-creative tasks, citing artist consent and intellectual property protections.

Rountree also cited operational concerns tied to AI systems that are increasingly embedded by default in consumer hardware and software. “We also have to monitor and protect ourselves from a data compliance, security, and governance perspective," he said. “The AI or machine learning engines seem to be automatically included on our phones or laptops, whether we like it or not.” Despite these trepidations, Roundtree said the company is allowing limited internal exploration of the technology, but said that it does not extend to production use. The policy, he added, reflects the company’s broader approach to creators and ownership. “We have also agreed we will be maintaining a strong commitment to protect our intellectual property and respect our human creators,” he said. Rather than automating creative work, the company said it is expanding its in-house teams. “We continued to invest in our Warhammer Studio—hiring more creatives in multiple disciplines from concepting and art to writing and sculpting,” Rountree said. “Talented and passionate individuals that make Warhammer the rich, evocative IP that our hobbyists and we all love.” Games Workshop did not immediately respond to a request for comment by Decrypt.