Games Workshop has announced plans for a new edition of Warhammer 40,000 due sometime this year. With just 3 years since the last revision, GW promises that every figure and all current armies will be supported in the new edition. The setting will remain the same, though some advance in the story line is expected. And a version of the core rulebook will be free.

The company’s main goal for a new Warhammer 40,000 appears to be to streamline game-play significantly, bringing a typical game down to 1½-2 hours and much easier for new players to learn. At the same time, veterans will have options for adding depth and complexity. Among the new elements being added to the game are command points rewarding players with special abilities for thematically-built armies.