GW Have Gone Insane

Overview

The video is a rant/reaction to a new (reportedly pointless) Games Workshop official YouTube animation that parodies Warhammer 40,000’s Space Marines. The narrator opens by calling it an “abomination” and speculating Games Workshop is trying to cash in on the success of Space King (and/or Flashgitz)—but failing because they don’t understand what makes 40K satire work.

Main “Plot” of the Video Being Reacted To

The underlying animation is framed like a high-drama war documentary:

• A narrator sets up the grim tone of the 41st millennium, with mankind fighting across worlds, centered on the Emperor and Space Marines.
• It shifts into an aggressively sincere voiceover praising Space Marines as superhuman soldiers (“no fear, no weakness,” etc.).
• Chaos and alien horrors are listed in dramatic, operatic fashion.
• The message culminates with dreadnoughts and “duty” continuing even in death—sold as heroic tragedy.

What Makes the Reaction Stand Out

Physical / design mockery

The narrator fixates on the Space Marine design, describing the character with traits like “tiny idiotic legs,” a “fat waist,” and a broader “Funko Pop / chibi” vibe that feels cheap and off-tone for 40K.

Repeated tonal failure

A major theme of the reaction is that Games Workshop’s attempt isn’t intelligent satire—it’s “dumb” where it should be deliberately mocking.

“Tactical rock” callback

The narrator argues that even though the “tactical rock” is obviously a joke/trope, it’s received differently when the official product does it rather than fans—i.e., satire can’t be forced by the people who are supposed to respect the source matter.

Hamburger interruption running joke

The narrator repeatedly asks how the animation “helps us sell hamburgers,” treating the whole thing as corporate/publicity fluff rather than real entertainment. This is used to highlight what they see as Games Workshop’s disconnect.

“Cuckolding” escalation (shock humor)

The reaction devolves into very explicit sexual metaphors—framing the Marines as being humiliated and stripped of their heroic meaning, “not the funny kind,” portrayed more like torture than comedy.

Account / comment-section suspicion

The narrator points to YouTube comments, claiming people who mention Space King supposedly don’t receive the usual Games Workshop “heart” replies. They interpret this as deliberate avoidance—suggesting Games Workshop is copying the style without acknowledging the original creators.

Call for collaboration

The narrator argues Games Workshop could have hired or commissioned the Space King creator(s), which would’ve generated massive views and goodwill. Instead, they claim GW is “avoiding” recognition and making an inferior knockoff.

Overall Takeaway

The reviewer’s thesis is that Games Workshop made grimdark IP satire with the wrong instincts: it’s too vanilla, too corporate, and too ignorant of what made Space King work. Rather than crafting a clever parody that understands 40K tropes, the narrator claims GW produced a sincere-looking, chibi-styled “abomination” that they find genuinely unfunny and insulting to the franchise’s identity.

Personalities Mentioned

• Ben Arch (the narrator/reviewer)
• Tom Mendelson (mentioned as having written/been involved, per the narrator’s speculation)
• Aaron Dembski-Bowden (mentioned as a comparison for writing style; the narrator implies authorship)
• Tom & Don (mentioned as possible creators Games Workshop could commission)
• Flashgitz / Space King creators (referenced as the satire benchmark)