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The Squats were a race of space dwarves in early editions of Warhammer 40,000 who were removed from the setting in the late 1990s, becoming one of the most infamous retcons in tabletop gaming history. They returned in 2022 as the Leagues of Votann, completely reimagined as clone-kin civilisations guided by ancient AI constructs called Ancestor Cores. The journey from Squats to Leagues of Votann is one of the most fascinating stories in Warhammer’s development — a tale of creative evolution, community demand, and Games Workshop’s willingness to revisit past decisions.
Understanding the Squats’ history illuminates how Warhammer 40,000 has changed as a setting over its nearly four decades of existence. The original Squats reflected the game’s early, more comedic tone. Their removal reflected GW’s push toward a darker, more serious setting. Their return as the Leagues of Votann reflected the modern era’s willingness to expand the setting in new directions while honouring its past. The Squat story is, in miniature, the story of Warhammer 40,000 itself.
Who Were the Original Squats?
The Squats first appeared in the Rogue Trader era of Warhammer 40,000 (1987 onwards), when the game was much more of a freeform science-fantasy sandbox than the structured grimdark setting it would become. In those early days, 40k drew heavily from classic science fiction and fantasy tropes, and the Squats were essentially dwarves in space — short, stocky, tough, bearded miners and engineers who lived on high-gravity worlds near the galactic core.
The original Squat lore described them as an abhuman sub-species of humanity, adapted over millennia to the high-gravity conditions of their homeworlds. Like traditional fantasy dwarves, they were skilled craftsmen, stubborn warriors, and prodigious miners. They had a fondness for technology, maintained close ties with the Adeptus Mechanicus, and fielded armies that combined infantry, bikers, and heavy vehicles — including the famous Land Train, a massive tracked war machine that became iconic of the Squat aesthetic.
On the tabletop, the Squats had their own range of miniatures and army list. They appeared in the original Rogue Trader rulebook, received expanded rules in supplements, and had a small but dedicated following among players. Their models reflected the era’s style — characterful but somewhat crude by modern standards, with exaggerated features and a slightly comedic appearance that was typical of late-1980s Citadel miniatures.
The Squats also appeared in other Games Workshop games, including Epic (where they had a full army list with titans and super-heavy vehicles), Blood Bowl (as a playable team), and various role-playing game supplements. For a few years in the late 1980s and early 1990s, they were a fully integrated part of the Warhammer 40,000 universe.
Why Were the Squats Removed?
Games Workshop began phasing out the Squats in the mid-1990s, and by the release of 3rd Edition Warhammer 40,000 in 1998, they had been effectively removed from the setting. The reasons for this removal were never formally stated in a single official announcement, but GW staff have discussed the decision in various interviews and forum posts over the years.
The primary reason appears to have been creative dissatisfaction. As Warhammer 40,000 evolved from the anarchic creativity of the Rogue Trader era into the more structured, grimdark setting of 2nd and 3rd editions, the Squats increasingly felt out of place. Their concept — essentially “dwarves, but in space” — was seen as too derivative of fantasy tropes and too comedic for the darker direction the game was taking. The design team struggled to find a unique identity for the Squats that would distinguish them from their fantasy counterparts and justify their place in the increasingly serious 40k setting.
Jervis Johnson, one of GW’s most prominent game designers, has been quoted as saying that the Squats were removed because the design team could never figure out how to make them “cool” — how to give them an identity that was distinctly 40k rather than simply “fantasy dwarves with guns.” Every attempt to redesign them ended up either too similar to existing factions (particularly the Adeptus Mechanicus for their technology focus) or too similar to their fantasy counterparts.
Commercial considerations also played a role. The Squat model range was small, and their sales were modest compared to Space Marines, Orks, and other major factions. Investing in a full redesign and new model range for a faction that the design team was creatively dissatisfied with was a hard sell when those resources could be directed toward factions with clearer identities and stronger sales potential.
The official in-universe explanation for the Squats’ disappearance evolved over time. Initially, GW simply stopped mentioning them. Later, it was stated that the Squat homeworlds had been consumed by Tyranid Hive Fleet Behemoth, effectively wiping them out as a civilisation. This explanation was widely seen as unsatisfying — a convenient narrative excuse for a decision that was really about game design and brand management.
What Was the Community Reaction?
The removal of the Squats became one of the most enduring controversies in tabletop gaming. While the Squat player base was relatively small, the manner of their removal — gradual, unexplained, and eventually handwaved with a Tyranid-ate-them explanation — generated significant backlash that lasted for over two decades.
“Squats” became a meme within the Warhammer community, shorthand for any beloved but discontinued element of the game. Whenever fans discussed factions that GW had neglected or removed, the Squats were the first example cited. “Bring back the Squats” became a perennial request at GW events, on forums, and on social media, to the point where GW staff reportedly grew tired of the question.
The community’s attachment to the Squats outlasted the faction itself by decades. Fan-made rules, conversion guides, and even entire ranges of third-party miniatures kept the Squat aesthetic alive throughout the 2000s and 2010s. Some players maintained Squat armies using converted models and homebrew rules, refusing to let the faction die regardless of GW’s official position.
The strength of this community attachment may have been one of the factors that eventually led to the Squats’ return. By the 2020s, Games Workshop had evolved significantly as a company — more receptive to community feedback, more willing to experiment with new factions, and more confident in their ability to reimagine old concepts for a modern audience.
How Did the Leagues of Votann Come About?
The Leagues of Votann were announced in April 2022, initially through a teaser that simply showed the word “Votann” — a clear reference to Norse mythology’s Odin (Wotan/Votann) and, by extension, to dwarf mythology. The community immediately recognised the implication: the Squats were coming back.
The full reveal showed that the Leagues of Votann were not a simple resurrection of the old Squats. Instead, GW had completely reimagined the concept, keeping the core elements (short, tough, technologically advanced, mining-focused) while building an entirely new identity that addressed the creative problems that had led to the original Squats’ removal.
The key innovation was the Ancestor Cores — ancient AI constructs that serve as the spiritual and practical heart of each League. The Ancestor Cores are vast databases of knowledge accumulated over millennia, and the Kin (as the Leagues call themselves) revere them as quasi-religious figures. This concept solved several problems simultaneously: it gave the Leagues a unique cultural identity (AI-worshipping clone-kin), distinguished them from the Adeptus Mechanicus (who worship technology but distrust AI), and provided a narrative hook that was distinctly 40k rather than generic fantasy.
The Kin themselves were redesigned as clone-kin — beings produced by advanced cloning technology guided by the Ancestor Cores. This moved them away from the “space dwarf” concept (they’re not a naturally evolved abhuman sub-species) and toward something more original (a manufactured civilisation optimised for survival in the galactic core). Their short, stocky build was explained as an engineering choice — bodies designed for high-gravity mining environments — rather than simply a fantasy dwarf trope transplanted into space.
What Are the Leagues of Votann Like?
The Leagues of Votann are a confederation of independent Kindreds (clans) united by shared culture, technology, and reverence for the Ancestor Cores. They inhabit the galactic core — a region of dense star systems, rich mineral resources, and extreme gravitational forces that most other factions find too hostile to colonise. This isolation has allowed them to develop independently for millennia, creating a civilisation that is technologically advanced, culturally distinct, and militarily formidable.
Their technology is notably superior to the Imperium’s in many areas. The Kin possess working AI (an abomination by Imperial standards), advanced cloning technology, sophisticated energy weapons, and automated manufacturing systems that would make an Adeptus Mechanicus Tech-Priest weep with envy. However, much of this technology is inherited from the Ancestor Cores rather than independently developed — the Kin are custodians of ancient knowledge rather than active innovators, and their Ancestor Cores are slowly degrading with age.
Culturally, the Kin are pragmatic, clannish, and transactional. They have little patience for the Imperium’s religious fanaticism, the Orks’ mindless violence, or the Aeldari’s arrogance. They trade with those who have something to offer, fight those who threaten their interests, and ignore everyone else. Their society is meritocratic within each Kindred, with roles assigned based on the Ancestor Core’s assessment of each clone-kin’s abilities and aptitudes.
The Leagues do not worship the Emperor, do not follow the Imperial Creed, and do not acknowledge the Imperium’s authority over them. This puts them in a grey area — technically heretics and possibly xenos sympathisers by Imperial standards, but too useful as trading partners and too dangerous as enemies for the Imperium to formally condemn them. The relationship between the Leagues and the Imperium is one of mutual wariness — both sides benefit from cooperation but neither fully trusts the other.
How Were the Leagues of Votann Received?
The announcement of the Leagues of Votann generated enormous excitement in the Warhammer community. After more than two decades of jokes, memes, and “bring back the Squats” campaigns, the return of space dwarves (however reimagined) was seen as a landmark moment. The initial reveal trailer was one of the most-viewed Warhammer videos ever, and community discussion was overwhelmingly positive.
The model range was generally well-received. The Leagues’ aesthetic — chunky power armour, rugged vehicles, industrial detailing — was praised as distinctive and well-executed. Key units like the Hearthkyn Warriors (basic infantry), the Einhyr Hearthguard (elite terminators), and the Hekaton Land Fortress (a massive troop transport) were popular with both painters and players.
However, the initial tabletop rules generated controversy. The Leagues were released with rules that many players considered overpowered, particularly their Judgement Token mechanic (which made them increasingly lethal against enemies they had already damaged). The resulting competitive dominance led to rapid nerfs and errata, which some players felt overcorrected the problem. The balance issues were eventually resolved through subsequent updates, but the rocky rules launch took some shine off the model release.
Lorewise, the Leagues have been gradually integrated into the broader 40k narrative. They are not (yet) as deeply embedded in the setting as factions like the Aeldari or Orks, but GW has been steadily building out their lore through codex entries, short stories, and campaign supplements. The Ancestor Cores, in particular, have generated interesting narrative possibilities — ancient AIs whose memories are slowly corrupting raise questions about the Kin’s future that mirror the Imperium’s dependence on the failing Golden Throne.
What Happened to the Old Squat Lore?
The original Squat lore has not been officially revived. The Leagues of Votann are presented as a new faction with their own backstory, not as a continuation of the old Squat narrative. However, GW has included subtle nods to the original Squats within the Leagues’ lore — references to “lost Kindreds” consumed by the Tyranids (acknowledging the old retcon explanation), and aesthetic elements that echo classic Squat designs.
In practical terms, the old Squat lore is treated as ancient history within the setting. The Squats of Rogue Trader-era 40k may have existed as an earlier phase of what eventually became the Leagues of Votann, or they may have been a separate group of the same species that was indeed wiped out by the Tyranids. GW has been deliberately vague on this point, allowing players to reconcile the old and new lore however they prefer.
For collectors, original Squat miniatures have become highly sought-after collectibles. The old models — long out of production and relatively rare — command significant prices on the secondary market, both as nostalgia pieces and as conversion material for Leagues of Votann armies. Some players use original Squat models alongside modern Leagues miniatures, bridging the visual gap between old and new.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are the Leagues of Votann the same as the Squats?
They are a reimagining of the same basic concept (short, tough, technologically advanced humans from the galactic core) but with a completely different identity, culture, and backstory. GW has occasionally used “Squats” as an informal term for the Leagues, acknowledging the connection while emphasising that the Leagues are a new creation rather than a simple resurrection.
Can you still use old Squat models?
In casual and narrative play, absolutely — many players enjoy using classic Squat models alongside or instead of modern Leagues of Votann miniatures. In competitive tournament play, it depends on the event’s rules regarding proxies and non-standard models. GW does not currently produce the old Squat miniatures.
Why are the Leagues called “Leagues of Votann”?
“Votann” refers to the Ancestor Cores — the ancient AI constructs that guide Kin civilisation. The name echoes Wotan/Odin from Norse mythology, fitting the dwarf-adjacent cultural references. “Leagues” refers to the political structure — a confederation of independent Kindreds rather than a single unified nation.
Are the Leagues of Votann competitive on the tabletop?
After initial balance issues at launch, the Leagues have been adjusted to sit within the normal competitive range. They offer a distinctive playstyle focused on durability, ranged firepower, and synergy between units. They are neither the strongest nor the weakest faction in the current meta, occupying a healthy middle ground.
Will the Leagues of Votann get more models?
GW has continued to expand the Leagues’ model range since their initial release, adding new units, characters, and vehicles. The pace of expansion is consistent with how GW treats other established factions, suggesting that the Leagues are considered a permanent part of the 40k range rather than a one-off novelty release.
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