Turn-Based Strategy Game Warhammer 40,000: Tacticus Dev Responds To Gamer Outcry About Including Female Adeptus Custode
It seems the push of female adeptus custodes is going on across media, as with the Black Library official canon novel introducing a female custodes into the lore, the avalanche has begun. Gamers found out that Warhammer 40,000: Tacticus, a turn-based strategy video game, included a female custode, and the developer has now replied explaining his decision.
Warhammer 40,000 came to national attention in April 2024 when Games Workshop introduced female Adeptus Custodes to the property in the most recent Codex: Adeptus Custodes with an excerpt stating, ““Custodian Calladayce Taorvalia Kesh stood upon the bridge of a Cobra-class destroyer. Named Vigilant Flame, the warship belonged to the mighty Battlefleet Solar. She lingered in the shadows at the back of the bridge, positioned at a spot where she could observe the actions of every crew member be they in the instrumentation pits, at the armament shrines or — in the case of Shipmaster Lethwyck — stood ramrod straight before his command throne.”
The official Warhammer account on X confirmed the authenticity of the excerpt and declared that female Custodes always existed. The account wrote, “Since the first of the Ten Thousand were created, there have always been female Custodians.”
This is patently untrue. Former World of Warcraft Team Lead Mark Kern aka Grummz shared an excerpt from the Rogue Trader rules in 1987.
It states, “The Adeptus Custodes is the Emperor’s inner guard, the members of which are privileged in being permitted to serve upon the Emperor, attending to his needs, receiving and recording his directions. These men never leave Earth and only rarely leave the Imperial Palace – an endless, black hive of forbidden technology and subterranean passages delving deep within the bowels of the planet.”
Later in the year, Games Workshop came out with a short animated film called “The Tithes” which appeared to have a female adeptus custodes as a star. The character’s name is Tyrith.
A Warhammer Community post advertising the new episode acknowledges the controversy around the news that “Custodians can be any gender”, stating mildly that “this fact came as a real surprise to many, since it wasn’t something previously explored”, adding “there are simply loads of things the Warhammer Studios have never expressly stated, whether that’s ruling them in or out”.
Earlier this week, it came out that the new Black Library novel set in the Horus Heresy era is also going to have a female adeptus custode.
Despite the novel not coming out until December, one Redditor alleged he got an advance copy of the book, a standard practice to give out review copies early for publishers, and posted about the change in the lore.
It confirms that there’s a Custodes who’s a “her” and is spoken to in the book, marking the first time the change in the feminization of the Custodes appears in a black library novel.
Now, the female custodes are invading the video game territory. Warhammer 40,000: Tacticus is a turn-based strategy mobile game set in the Warhammer 40K universe, and they apparently took inspiration from The Tithe short film, including the female custodes Tyrith in their game.
This sparked controversy among gamers who don’t want to see this perpetuated in the Warhammer 40,000 universe, and now the developer has responded with his reasoning.
It started with an FAQ where they danced around the lore issue and gamer outrage, saying “I have a question about Tyrith.”
Their response is that it’s “what the game needs,” completely ignoring the controversy and troubles with putting in female adeptus custodes to begin with. It seems corporate has sent the message down that the feminization of Warhammer 40,000 will be continuing full speed ahead.
The question gamers have now is, how long will it take until the female Adeptus Custodes models start to infiltrate the miniatures game?
I’m putting out a trilogy of some of the best science fiction in years, bringing back the sense of wonder and exploration to the genre. The crowdfund is open now, and if you miss what sci-fi used to be, this is the series for you. Back it today.
Translation: "The contract required that we include this nonsense, and I don't really like it either, but the damage was done by another piece of media. Also I do like money, and it wasn't such a huge change to make me not like money."
No *we* see *you*. But I won't be seeing your game.
The gaslighting really takes the cake here:
“What’s the big deal? Who cares if it’s a woman?!”
Then why change it?