Warhammer Advent Calendar — Is It Worth It?

Updated 31 October 2026. Short answer: as of today, Games Workshop has not announced a 2026 Warhammer advent calendar of any kind. No release date, no pre-order date, no price and no contents have been confirmed. What we do know is how the last few Decembers have gone, and that tells you a lot about what to expect. We’ll update this page as soon as anything official appears on Warhammer Community.

Is There a Warhammer Advent Calendar for 2026?

Not yet. Nothing has been announced on Warhammer Community or the Warhammer webstore for a 2026 advent calendar, physical or digital. The big Christmas news so far this year is the line-up of seven new Warhammer 40,000 Christmas Battleforce boxes, which Warhammer Community revealed on 19 October 2026. Games Workshop said those boxes will be “available for pre-order soon”, but hasn’t given a date or prices.

It helps to clear up one common mix-up first. When people search for “the Warhammer advent calendar”, they usually mean one of three quite different things:

• The free online calendar on Warhammer Community. Every December recently, Games Workshop has opened a virtual “door” a day with free rules, previews, painting guides or fiction. Since 2024 it has been branded the Grotmas Calendar, hosted by Da Red Gobbo.
• A physical calendar of little figures. Games Workshop has sold a licensed Space Marine advent calendar made with BANDAI, with 24 chibi-style Space Marines. It’s a collectible, not a box of gaming miniatures.
• The Black Library digital advent calendar. In past years Black Library released a short story or audio drama each day in the run-up to Christmas, which you could buy individually or as a bundle.

What there hasn’t been, as far as we can find, is an official Games Workshop calendar full of Citadel miniatures and paint pots behind 24 doors. If you see one advertised, read the small print carefully (more on that below).

What Happened in Previous Years

Here’s a quick look at recent Warhammer advent calendars, so you can see the pattern.

Sources: Warhammer Community, 2025 Grotmas Calendar; Warhammer Community, 2024 Grotmas Calendar; Wargamer on the BANDAI Space Marine calendar; Track of Words on the 2017 Black Library calendar.

What to Expect in 2026

This section is based on past patterns, not an announcement, so treat it as a best guess.

• A free online calendar is the most likely thing. Warhammer Community has run a daily December calendar for several years in a row. In 2025 the announcement landed on 25 November, about a week before the first door opened on 1 December. If 2026 follows suit, expect news in late November.
• The contents will probably be digital. The 2024 and 2025 calendars delivered rules, missions, painting guides and fiction, all free to read or download. In 2026, with Warhammer 40,000 11th Edition now out, new rules content for the new edition would fit the pattern, but nothing has been confirmed.
• A physical Games Workshop calendar is unlikely but not impossible. We haven’t seen any sign of one for 2026. If a licensed calendar does appear, it will most likely be sold through the Warhammer webstore and shown on Warhammer Community first.

So if you searched for the “Warhammer advent calendar 2026 release date”, the honest answer is: if it follows previous years, the free online calendar will start on 1 December, and the announcement will come shortly before.

Is the Warhammer Advent Calendar Worth It?

For the free Grotmas Calendar, yes, easily. It costs nothing, and the 2024 run in particular gave every Warhammer 40,000 player something genuinely useful: a new Detachment for their army. Even the 2025 calendar, which leaned more on lore and hobby content early on, still delivered new rules and missions later in the month. Bookmark Warhammer Community and check in each morning.

For a paid, physical calendar, it depends on what’s inside. The BANDAI Space Marine calendar was a fun collectible for fans and a nice desk or tree decoration, but the figures aren’t gaming miniatures. You can’t use them in your army, and they won’t help you paint your next squad. If the person you’re buying for wants to play or paint Warhammer, your money will usually go further on a starter box or paints (see the alternatives below).

Who Is It Best For?

Best For

Warhammer 40,000 players: The free online calendar has leaned heavily towards 40k rules in recent years. If you play, it’s worth checking daily, because new Detachments or missions could change how you build your list.

Painters and hobbyists: Painting guides have shown up behind the doors too. If you’re still learning, pair them with our beginner painting guide.

Lore fans: Recent calendars have included unreleased fiction, so it’s a free daily dose of the setting through December.

Collectors and gift-buyers: If a physical licensed calendar returns, it makes a light-hearted festive gift for a Space Marine fan who already has plenty of kits.

Not Ideal For

Anyone wanting usable miniatures: Neither the online calendar nor the BANDAI chibi calendar gives you models for your army.

Age of Sigmar-only players: Recent calendars have focused mostly on Warhammer 40,000, though the 2025 calendar did cover both settings.

Value-focused buyers: If you’re strictly optimising your hobby spend, a discounted starter set or a Battleforce will give you far more for your money than any novelty calendar.

Alternatives to the Warhammer Advent Calendar

If you want a physical Warhammer gift for December, these are better buys for most people:

Christmas Battleforce boxes: Seven new Warhammer 40,000 Battleforces have been revealed for Christmas 2026: Space Marines Indomitus Task Force, Chaos Knights Helhunt Lance, Orks Armoured Blitzmob, Space Wolves Champions of Fenris, Blood Angels Angelus Assault Force, Chaos Space Marines Cult of Destruction and Necrons Disciples of the Nekrosor. Prices and pre-order dates haven’t been announced yet. Wargamer notes that last year’s Battleforces sold for $265 / £165, and that the contents of each 2026 box add up to between £208.50 and £257.50 at normal prices. That’s a useful guide, but wait for the official price before you budget. For a focused hobbyist, a Battleforce gives you far more usable miniatures than any calendar.

A starter set: For a newcomer, a starter set is the best-value way in. It gives you two forces and the rules in one box. See our best Warhammer 40k starter sets, the Armageddon launch box review, or the best Age of Sigmar starter sets.

DIY Advent Calendar: Buy 24 small hobby items, such as individual paint pots, basing materials, a brush, dice and a small character kit, and wrap them in numbered bags. You can tailor every item to the recipient’s army, so nothing goes to waste. Our budget paint set guide and best hobby tools list are good shopping lists.

Gift voucher + daily reveal: Buy a Games Workshop gift voucher and let the recipient choose their own kit. To keep the daily-opening fun, write 24 hobby prompts, painting challenges or lore trivia cards to go with it, and open a Grotmas Calendar door each morning together.

Black Library fiction: For lore fans, a novel or audiobook makes a good stocking filler. Black Library hasn’t announced a 2026 advent calendar, but it’s worth checking its site in late November in case one returns.

For more ideas, see our Warhammer Christmas gift guide and best gifts for Warhammer fans. If you’re shopping on a budget, check where to buy Warhammer cheap before you pay full price.

Beware of Unofficial “Warhammer Advent Calendars”

Every year, listings appear on marketplaces and social media for “Warhammer 40k advent calendars” full of figures. Some are unofficial or outright scams. Spikey Bits warned about one such advent calendar that claimed to contain 6-inch JOYTOY figures. Those figures weren’t even released yet, and a box big enough to hold them would have been over three feet tall. A few simple checks:

• If it isn’t on the Warhammer webstore, Warhammer Community or a well-known retailer, be suspicious.
• Look for proper Games Workshop or licensing partner branding, and be wary of stock photos lifted from other products.
• A price that looks too good to be true usually is.

Tips for Getting the Most Out of the Calendar

Check in daily: Online calendar doors appear on Warhammer Community each day. Rules downloads from past calendars have stayed available afterwards, but it’s easier to keep up as they land.

Download the rules: If a door contains a Detachment or mission, save the PDF and try it in your next game. Our Combat Patrol rules guide is a good place to start if you’re new to playing.

Paint along: If there’s a painting guide, have a go on a spare model. Treat it as a one-off project to build your skills.

Share it: Talk about each day’s reveal with your gaming group or online. The community chat around the daily doors is half the fun.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is the Warhammer advent calendar 2026 release date?

Games Workshop hasn’t announced one yet (as of 31 October 2026). In 2024 and 2025, the free Grotmas Calendar opened its first door on 1 December, and the 2025 calendar was announced on 25 November. If 2026 follows that pattern, look out for an announcement in late November.

How much does the Warhammer advent calendar cost?

The online Grotmas Calendar on Warhammer Community has been free. Paid calendars, like the BANDAI Space Marine calendar of 2021 and 2022 or the old Black Library story calendars, were priced differently in each region. No paid 2026 calendar has been announced, so there’s no 2026 price.

Is the Warhammer advent calendar the same every year?

No. The format changes from year to year. 2024 was all about daily 40k Detachments, while 2025 mixed rules, painting guides and fiction. Check Warhammer Community in December to see what this year’s version holds.

Does Games Workshop sell an advent calendar with miniatures and paints?

Not in recent years, as far as we can find. The closest was the licensed BANDAI calendar of chibi Space Marine figures, which are collectibles rather than gaming miniatures. If you want miniatures and paints, a starter set or a paint set is a better buy.

Are the free calendar rules legal in games?

The 2024 Grotmas Detachments were Matched Play-legal when released, according to Warhammer Community. Rules can change with later updates and new editions, so check the latest official documents before a tournament.

How does it compare to other advent calendars?

The Grotmas Calendar is free and digital, so it isn’t really competing with toy calendars. If you want a physical calendar for a Warhammer fan, a DIY calendar of paints and small kits will be far more useful to them than a generic toy calendar.

Who is Da Red Gobbo?

Da Red Gobbo is Games Workshop’s festive mascot, a grot dressed in a red, Father Christmas-style outfit who turns up every December. He hosts the Grotmas Calendar on Warhammer Community, and Games Workshop has also released him as a limited-edition miniature. Grotmas is his goblin-flavoured take on Christmas.

Is there an Age of Sigmar advent calendar?

There is no separate Age of Sigmar advent calendar. Recent Grotmas Calendars on Warhammer Community have focused mostly on Warhammer 40,000, though the 2025 calendar did include content for both settings. If anything Age of Sigmar-specific is announced for 2026, it will appear on Warhammer Community first.