Total War: Warhammer 40,000 Factions: Which Armies Are Playable?

Total War: Warhammer 40,000 will launch with four playable factions, and Creative Assembly has designed them to offer different and distinct approaches to both the galactic campaign and real time battles. More factions are expected to be added after launch as the game expands.

What Factions Are in Total War: Warhammer 40,000?

The four factions available at launch are: Space Marines, Astra Militarum, Orks and Aeldari. This has been confirmed by Creative Assembly, Games Workshop and Sega, with the official announcement describing the four armies as offering radically different playstyles.

Space Marines represent the elite side of the Imperium. Rather than relying on huge armies, Space Marine forces are built around comparatively small numbers of heavily-equipped warriors. Creative Assembly has shown units including Space Marines in power armor, Dreadnoughts and Terminators, while their campaign gameplay includes fleet management and deploying forces onto planets. You can see what we thought about this faction in our Gamescom 2026 preview.

The Astra Militarum provides a major contrast. Also known as the Imperial Guard, it relies on massed infantry, heavy armor and conventional military firepower. The faction includes units such as Cadian Shock Troops, Kasrkin, Ogryns, Sentinels and Leman Russ tanks, with the Baneblade also shown.

The Orks are the game’s other major horde faction. Their armies can field large numbers of units alongside heavily-armed vehicles and enormous war machines. The official announcement specifically highlighted the Stompa, while gameplay demonstrations have shown the Orks relying on their numbers and aggressive approach to overwhelm opponents.

The Aeldari round out the initial roster. Creative Assembly has described them as a highly mobile faction that relies on speed, precision and advanced technology. Their inclusion also gives the launch roster a very different playstyle from the chunky Space Marines, militarised Astra Militarum and horde-like Orks.

Will More Total War: Warhammer 40,000 Factions Be Added?

Yes. However, unlike previous Total War: Warhammer games that received separate sequels, Total War: Warhammer 40,000 is being designed as a continuously expanding sandbox, as befitting a strategy game based on unending galactic war. As such, Creative Assembly intends to add new content and factions over time, although how it intends to do this hasn’t yet been confirmed.

Players will also be able to customize their forces. The official announcement says players can customize elements including their army’s name, color scheme, heraldry, traits and tactics. This means the four core factions provide the foundation, while players have additional tools to create forces with their own identity.

Players can fight for the Emperor (or against the ‘oomans) when Total War: Warhammer 40,000 launches in 2027 on PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S.