I, like many others, have been eagerly waiting to join the world of Age of Sigmar (AoS). My anticipation was centered around the Beasts of Chaos faction. However, recent news about its cancellation has left me and many other potential players disappointed. The Beasts of Chaos hold a unique place in AoS with their rich lore and distinctive miniatures. A range refresh for these old miniatures would not only retain existing fans but also attract new ones like myself.

The cancellation decision is not just about removing a faction; it's about erasing a part of AoS that many players are deeply connected with. According to Games Workshop's annual report in 2020, Age Of Sigmar saw an increase in sales by 5% compared to the previous year (Games Workshop Annual Report, 2020). This shows that there is still significant interest and growth potential for AoS. Furthermore, while their model range is old, Beasts were a fairly popular faction, and - not even a year ago - were doing fairly well in the AoS tournament meta. 

While I and many others understand that aging, 10+ year old models aren’t a great look per se, I think it’s a big mistake to cancel the faction entirely. Thousands of people on Reddit alone had been working on their well-painted armies for many years, only to have them rendered (largely) unusable. While it’s true that they will be returning to the new Old World game system, OW is nowhere near as popular - in my state alone, I can only find one person who regularly plays it. Age of Sigmar, in comparison, is exceedingly popular, as mentioned before - all of my friends are thinking of playing it, if they haven’t already taken the dive. And I was about to, yet here we are. 

I also would argue that cancelling the faction and moving it to OW puts a bad taste in people’s mouth. The reception I saw on this news was overwhelmingly negative. Especially with the removal of relatively-new Stormcast Eternals and Slaves to Darkness models, many players are feeling uncertain and even turned off from AoS now. How long before their entire model range is on the chopping block?

We urge Games Workshop to reconsider this decision and keep the Beasts Of Chaos faction alive in Age Of Sigmar 4E, with a full battletome and tournament support. We believe this will contribute positively towards maintaining diversity within the game and enhancing player experience, and restore consumer faith in a brand they legitimately love.