Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Business
Henry Saker-Clark

Games Workshop profits climb as Warhammer maker sees record sales

Games Workshop, the creator of the popular Warhammer franchise, is poised to announce record revenues and a significant increase in profits for the past financial year.

The London-listed firm, based in Nottingham, informed shareholders on Friday that it anticipates core revenue to reach at least £625 million for the year ending 31 May.

This marks a substantial rise from the £565 million reported in the previous year.

Despite this strong performance, the company noted a slowdown in licensing revenues, which are expected to be at least £30 million, down from £52.5 million in the prior year.

Nevertheless, pre-tax profits are projected to climb to at least £265 million, up from £262.8 million a year earlier. Following the announcement, shares in the company saw an uptick in early trading.

The profit increase comes despite the group facing higher tariff costs, forecasting that it would face around £12 million in costs from the import taxes this year, particularly in the US.

The company runs 575 stores globally, with North America its largest market with 202 stores and 134 shops in the UK.

Games Workshop said it will post higher profits this year (Owen Humphreys/PA)
Games Workshop said it will post higher profits this year (Owen Humphreys/PA)

Andrew Wade, equity analyst at Jefferies, said the fresh update pointed to “re-acceleration” in recent months after softer growth in December.

He added: “In all, a very solid trading performance – essentially as we had anticipated, and ahead of consensus expectations.”

Shares were 3 per cent higher on Friday morning.

Games Workshop previously revealed that it was taking a “cautious” approach to the use of AI and does “not allow AI-generated content or AI to be used in our design processes or its unauthorised use outside of Games Workshop including in any of our competitions”.

“We have also agreed we will be maintaining a strong commitment to protect our intellectual property and respect our human creators,” it added.

Meanwhile, it hailed the upcoming launch of a new Warhammer World in the US which is set to open in 2027, following in the footsteps of the Nottingham venue which features a gaming hall, exhibition centre, store and restaurant.

However, the company said it could not give a release date for an upcoming film adaptation, having granted Amazon exclusive TV and film rights to its hit franchise Warhammer 40,000.

Former Superman actor Henry Cavill first announced his involvement in the creation of a live action film more than three years ago.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.