Games Workshop Makes Brilliant Move Hiring Military Sci-Fi Star Richard Fox For Warhammer 40K Short Story "We Were Brothers"

Games Workshop has made a potentially game-changing decision by bringing acclaimed military science fiction author Richard Fox into the Warhammer 40,000 universe with his new short story "We Were Brothers." If they continue with work by Fox, this could signal a return to form for the Black Library imprint after a year of controversial decisions that left many longtime fans questioning the direction of the franchise.

Fox, best known for winning the 2017 Dragon Award for Best Military Science Fiction with Iron Dragoons in the Terran Armor Corps series, brings legitimate military science fiction credentials to the grimdark universe. His background as a U.S. Army veteran who served two combat tours in Iraq and received the Bronze Star gives him a perspective on warfare that few Black Library authors can match.

The short story focuses on the Red Corsairs, the notorious renegade Space Marines who turned traitor during the Badab War. Led by the piratical warlord Huron Blackheart, these former Astral Claws have received surprisingly little attention in Black Library fiction despite being one of the most significant post-Heresy traitor forces in the setting.

"We Were Brothers" centers on Lord Straxis of the Red Corsairs who boards a strike cruiser of the hated Executioners Space Marines in an attempt to settle a century-long score. The Chaplain Thulsa Cane betrayed the Astral Claws during the Badab War, and Straxis wants his head.

A detailed Reddit review reveals the story delivers exactly what Warhammer 40K fans have been craving – brutal, character-driven combat with meaningful ties to established lore. The story explores the twisted sense of brotherhood and betrayal that motivates the Red Corsairs, particularly their hatred for the Executioners Chapter who initially fought alongside them in the Badab War before switching sides.

The Reddit reviewer notes that Fox "not only manages to tie it nicely into existing Red Corsair/Badab lore from the Imperial Armour books, but uses it to create an engaging story." The post highlights how Fox creates a compelling protagonist in Terminator Lord Straxis, whose "twisted sense of honour and brotherhood" makes him "broken in the ways that I feel make for a good chaos space marine character."

This focus on character-driven storytelling grounded in established lore represents exactly what many fans felt has been missing from recent Warhammer 40K fiction. Over the past year, Games Workshop has faced significant backlash for decisions perceived as woke by longtime fans, including controversial changes to the lore surrounding the all-male Space Marines and the Emperor's Custodes.

Fox's story also introduces interesting details about the Red Corsairs' operations, including specialized cultist troops surgically grafted to their void suits and pumped full of combat stims to create effective boarding parties – the kind of grimdark detail that has made the setting so beloved.

The story ends with a setup for potential future tales, as Straxis vows to hunt down the Executioners' Chaplain Thulsa Cane, even if it means wiping out the entire chapter.

If this short story represents Games Workshop's new direction for Black Library fiction, it could mark a significant return to form for the brand. By bringing in established military science fiction authors with proven track records rather than writers more focused on identity politics, Games Workshop may be signaling a new renaissance in the core themes and storytelling that made Warhammer 40,000 one of the most compelling science fiction settings ever created.

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