Warhammer co-creator Bryan Ansell dead at 68

There has been a lot of loss recently in the video games community, with that loss sadly set to continue after one of the Warhammer co-creators, Bryan Ansell, has died at the age of 68.

Ansell’s death was first announced on 30 December 2023 via the Instagram account @the_ansells_attic, with a simple but heartfelt message that reads “With great sadness, we announce that Bryan passed away peacefully at home this morning surrounded by his family, 30th December 2023.”

From there, many condolences followed, with both loved ones and those touched by Ansell’s creativity in the Warhammer franchise moved to mark his passing.

"Very sad news Bryan Ansell passed away,” posted Ian Livingstone, the co-founder of Games Workshop. “Bryan, Steve Jackson and I set up Citadel Miniatures in 1978 as part of Games Workshop. He was a craftsman and dynamic entrepreneur who drove the growth of GW to the next level. Without Bryan, Warhammer would not have launched."

Another Games Workshop alumni, Tuomas Pirinen, also joined Livingstone in reminiscing about the unforgettable impact Ansell had. “Bryan Ansell, the man behind the growth of Games Workshop and the patron of Warhammer and #40K as we know it today has died. Not many #Warhammer fans know it today, but without him, there would almost certainly be no Warhammer hobby at all today. Hard, man, but I'll drink to you."

Although it’s extremely sad to learn that one of the founders of such a vast franchise, still popular to this day, has died, the legacy which Ansell helped create is nothing short of remarkable.

Not only is the tabletop version of Warhammer still going strong, with more players discovering its uniquely tangible innovation, but there have been numerous video game adaptations too, helping to expand and cement Warhammer as one of the best fantasy games of our time.