ICv2 Launches Sixth Annual Miniatures Week With Market Reports, Previews, and AdeptiCon Coverage

ICv2 kicked off its sixth annual Miniatures Week on March 30 with a concentrated editorial package covering painting competition results, AdeptiCon reveals, and market analysis, with Atomic Mass Games returning as the week's sponsor.

The market data anchoring the event told a nuanced story. Games Workshop sales climbed roughly 18 percent in North America in 2025, driven primarily by independent retail channels rather than the company's own stores. BattleTech absorbed $240,000 in surprise tariffs on product already in transit when new import taxes hit last April, but recovered to finish the year strong. Steamforged Games' Warmachine, completing its first full year under new ownership, posted consistent sales growth and established itself as the flagship of the Steamforged lineup.

ICv2 CEO Milton Griepp set the tone for the week with a frank read on where the category has been and where it's headed. "Growth in the miniatures part of the hobby was middling last year, but there's a lot of excitement for 2026," he said. "With new games and line extensions based on major properties, and new editions of the top two games in the category, there are major sales drivers to bring in a new wave of fans this year."

AdeptiCon coverage ran through a substantial portion of the week's editorial. Atomic Mass Games announced The Mandalorian Army Box for Star Wars: Legion at the show, a starter army themed around the streaming series set to hit retail in June 2026. Iron Warriors will feature in Warhammer 40,000's next narrative expansion, a reveal that surfaced at AdeptiCon alongside new Conquest figure previews.

On the competitive painting side, Atomic Mass unveiled the Path of the Worthy results for Marvel: Crisis Protocol. The Worthy prize went to Kyle Dalton for a Spider-verse piece titled "Collapse," and David Diamondstone took Thor's Hammer with a single Gambit miniature. Two Chosen prizes recognized Kevin Witt's Hulk versus Thor dual piece and Chris Velez's Rhino. The Golden Demon Award winners were also unveiled during the week.

The week's feature, "Where Tiny Troops Meet the Silver Screen," made the case for why 2026 feels more loaded than 2025 for anyone tracking hobby demand cycles. Three miniatures lines appear positioned to ride major theatrical releases, including the Masters of the Universe film on June 5 starring Nicholas Galitzine and Jared Leto, and Spider-Man: Brand New Day. For commission painters and content creators, that kind of IP convergence compresses the planning window considerably: demand arrives fast and peaks hard.

Six years in, Miniatures Week has become something closer to a trade brief than a promotional calendar entry. The combination of manufacturer financials, retail interview data, painting competition results, and convention reveals in a single editorial block gives anyone managing paint schedules or pre-order queues a workable picture of where the hobby is heading before the summer release cycle hits full speed.