YouTuber Valrak Delivers Sarcastic Apology to Games Workshop Over Horus Heresy 3.0 Backlash

Warhammer 40K YouTuber Valrak has delivered a tongue-in-cheek apology to Games Workshop following the company's damage control efforts around Horus Heresy 3.0, highlighting how the publisher created its own public relations disaster through poor communication and years of neglecting the game line.

In his latest video, Valrak opens with mock contrition: "I'm here to say sorry, to apologize not only to you, the viewer, the subscriber, the member, but to Games Workshop themselves. To James Workshop, I apologize. I am sorry." The sarcastic tone establishes his position on the controversy that has engulfed the Horus Heresy community.

The drama began when Horus Heresy 3.0 rules leaked online weeks before the official release, revealing that numerous popular units had been removed from the core rulebooks. Valrak explained the community reaction: "All the videos that Games Workshop were putting out trying to hype up Horus Heresy 3.0 were just literally bombarded with comments saying, 'How can I play the game? Well, you've invalidated my army. I can't play the game anymore. It's wasted. All this money is wasted. All this time has been wasted.'"

Games Workshop eventually responded with their "Legacies of the Age of Darkness" article, promising a free PDF containing rules for units not included in the new Library books. While Valrak acknowledges this as "the right direction," he criticizes the company's reactive approach: "This article should have come out weeks ago."

The YouTuber identifies a pattern of poor planning that has plagued Games Workshop for years: "Every single book that Games Workshop puts out has leaked earlier. I can't think of one book 40K, AOS, Bloodbowl, Necro, Horus Heresy, right, that has not leaked before the initial release date. So, I think they should have prepared themselves for this type of backlash."

Valrak's frustration reflects the gamer community’s sentiment about Games Workshop's treatment of Horus Heresy. The game has consistently received less support than Warhammer 40K, with longer gaps between releases, limited marketing, and communication failures that leave players uncertain about the game's future. This latest controversy exemplifies how the company's neglect creates unnecessary drama.

The mock apology format highlights the absurdity of blaming content creators for Games Workshop's self-inflicted wounds. "Over the past couple of days, my anger took me to places where I didn't see possible. And I blame you. I blame you for the downfall of Horus Heraser 3.0," he says, clearly placing responsibility where it belongs on the company's poor communication strategy.

Games Workshop's eventual response, while addressing most concerns, came only after widespread backlash forced their hand. The company could have avoided the entire controversy by proactively explaining its plans for legacy units instead of letting the community discover missing rules through leaks.

Valrak concludes his "apology" by noting: "It's all banter at the start, by the way. I'm not apologizing to Games Workshop. They don't deserve my apologies."

What do you think of Games Workshop's handling of the Horus Heresy 3.0 launch?

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