Orks lead Warhammer 40,000 11th edition with first codex reveal

Games Workshop put Orks at the front of Warhammer 40,000’s next era at the Big Summer Preview on 26 June 2026, naming Codex: Orks the first codex of the new edition. That is the kind of placement that tells you where the company wants the spotlight to land first: on a faction that can carry a hard reset for list-building, modeling and the feel of the edition, not just another wave of points changes.

The headline kit was a new Trukk built for kitbash energy, with a grabbin’ klaw or buzzsaw, weapon swaps, ram options and adjustable front axles so it can be posed skidding, turning hard or charging straight in. The new Mek followed the same logic on the tabletop, with a crane arm and a support rule that helps nearby vehicles by giving them +1 to hit rolls. The Warboss went even further on build variety, with four upper head parts and four jaws for 16 head combinations, plus alternate cosmetic pieces including a bionic eye, horned helmet, an Abaddon-style hair-squig topknot, an Orkified Commissar’s cap, an Attack Squig on a chain, an Ammo Grot and a pile of extra gubbinz.

The rules reveal makes it clear that Orks are not just getting fresh plastic. The codex will bring a reworked Waaagh! army rule that rewards Orks for getting riled up, along with 15 detachments. Warhammer Community also said the new edition will launch with more than 70 new and updated detachments overall, and the Ork faction focus showed three starter builds, including updated versions of Taktikal Brigade and DAKKA! DAKKA! DAKKA!, plus a new Rollin’ Deff detachment that buffs Battlewagons. That is a strong signal that 11th edition is being built around faction identity and army-shaping choices right out of the gate.

The codex itself looks broader than a plain rules book. Games Workshop said it will include more lore and gaming content than ever, with painting tips, art, faction lore, battleground coverage and a collecting section that splits Ork armies into four archetypes. That matters because it gives veteran Warbosses something to chew on while also making the book useful for anyone deciding how to start or expand an Ork force for Armageddon-era 40k. The Armageddon release material says the horde has swollen after Ghazghkull Thraka’s return, and the Space Marines have answered with Operation Imperator.

Warhammer Community’s downloads page had already listed the Orks faction pack as last updated on 9 June 2026, so the faction was already getting new-edition support before the codex announcement landed. With Orks now opening the 11th-edition run, the message is blunt: replace your index-era assumptions early, because GW is using the green tide to set the tone for everything that follows.