Abstract

Games Workshop (GW) is a top 100 British company known for their Warhammer brand. Almost no attention has been paid to GW business strategy, however, in academic or management practitioner literature. This study addresses the analytical gap by examining how GW monetizes serial paratext over time. It connects GW's 1994–2002 magazine, The Citadel Journal, to the company's Warhammer+ digital platform TV content (2021–present) and references White Dwarf magazine (1977–present). We use reflexive thematic analysis to demonstrate seven GW paratext themes across decades. While the overall themes remain consistent, we identify changes in emphasis. For example, GW experiments with more advertisements and staff-produced reporting about the company but restrains customer participation. Our analysis informs wider debates about how paratext can operate within game studies and suggests that more scholars could assess its commercial implications.

Comments

This is the author-accepted manuscript of Baker, N., & Mosier, D. T. (2026). Warhammer Serial Paratext: A Games Workshop Business Strategy. Games and Culture, 0(0). Copyright the authors, and the version of record is available at DOI: 10.1177/15554120261445941

Keywords

Warhammer, Games Workshop, paratext, serial format, business strategy

Date of this Version

2026

DOI

10.1177/15554120261445941

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