Armageddon Campaign. First worldwide tabletop play event online for Warhammer 40,000 by Games Workshop Ltd.

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Back to year 1999, Summer Tournaments in retail stores were a common tool to grow consumer’s engagement in Games Workshop local markets.
On the summer of year 2000, before concepts like transmedia and prosumerism were popular, at Games Workshop, we had the crazy idea to move the management of local Summer Tournaments online, and make it worldwide! a giant global play event online!

The Armageddon Campaign for Warhammer 40,000 was the first worldwide tabletop play event online, and open to all the consumers. On top of it, the company promised the outcome of the games played during the event will impact the lore of the game. For the first time in Warhammer 40,000 history, the community of players would have the chance to influence the canon of the Warhammer 40,000 IP

With the backdrop provided in the book Codex Armageddon, from June to September of year 2000 players were allowed to upload and share in the Campaign Hub database their games and see, live, the progression of the different factions fighting for the control of Planet Armageddon.

Summer 2000, it means it was no Social networks, no Facebook nor Twitter to support the campaign. We had to rely in traditional cross platform channels. The worldwide event was fueled by a dedicated website with weekly content updates and the data Campaign Hub, plus the different editions of the White Dwarf magazine in local markets, and a roadshow in all the countries with Games Workshop  Retail presence that would be hosting organized play and provide connectivity to players without internet access.

Player’s reaction was outstanding, with well over 33,000 games being played and more than 85,000,000 points of troops being used. Almost one million of visitors during the campaign was an incredible level of digital engagement at that time. Apart from online activity data, the GW Design Studio was literally flooded with content created by players during that summer: writing works, illustrations, new rules, armies, special characters, all type of artwork, etc. an amazing amount of creative material related to the Armageddon Battle and Warhammer 40,000

Over the past decades Games Workshop had other global campaigns but Armageddon is still appreciated as the pioneer and one of the most remembered by the level of engagement that it succeed to raise among the consumers.
The complete range of Armageddon products was quite broad since the event was embracing all the existing Warhammer 40,000 portfolio.
To specifically support the campaign was released:
– The Codex Armageddon book
– Five issues of White Dwarf Magazine in his UK, US, AU, FR, ES, DE editions
Plus the range of blisters and sets for four new armies released at the event:
-Ork Kult of Speed Freaks.
-Black Templars Space Marine Chapter.
-Salamanders Space marine Chapter.
-Armageddon Steel Legions Imperial Guard.

Company. Games Workshop Ltd
Product: Warhammer 40,000
Team: GW Design Studio
Role: Digital Concept Development