Two RTS Games Being Developed For The 'Warhammer 40,000' and 'Fantasy Battle' Franchises

Microsoft to Windows 8.1 — Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella gestured during his keynote address at the company's ''build'' conference in San Francisco, California April 2, 2014. REUTERS

Warhammer fans are in for a double whammy with the prospect of not one but two new real-time strategy games on the horizon. Those into tabletop miniature wargaming should be well versed with Games Workshop's Warhammer series, which is one of the oldest running franchises in the business.

Originally released in the '80s, "Warhammer Fantasy Battle" and its futuristic spinoff "Warhammer 40,000" have spawned a number of video games over the decades. The "Warhammer 40,000" universe will host a new RTS game dubbed "Battlefleet Gothic: Armada." "Total War: WARHAMMER" is an RTS representing the fantasy-themed "Warhammer Fantasy Battle" universe.

Created by Focus Home Interactive and Tindalos Interactive, "Battlefleet Gothic: Armada" will be a PC game featuring a heavy focus on space battles. The game will be built on the foundation of the Unreal Engine 4. According to Attack of the Fanboy, the space RTS will let players commandeer massive fleets from a choice of four factions, which includes Imperial, Chaos, Eldar and Orc forces.

As expected from an RTS title, expect loads of micromanagement. Players will be able to toy around with offence as well as defence capabilities and other subsystems of each ship for a more engaging strategic gameplay. The game will feature a levelling system tracking the experience of Admirals and crew. This will place add incentive on ensuring unit survival. An experienced team of a higher level will prove to be a boon in future engagements.

"Total War: WARHAMMER" will see a shift from space battles to those of a more medieval variety since it's based on the "Warhammer Fantasy Battle" universe. The RTS spinoff is being made by Sega and Creative Assembly. The former is known for developing the "Total War" RTS series, and more recently for the survival-horror game Alien: Isolation. As reported by Kotaku, the game was "accidentally" revealed through a text blurb by Creative Director Mike Simpson. The excerpt corroborated the existence of the game in a yet-unreleased Creative Assembly art book.

No further details are available on "Total War: WARHAMMER," which isn't a surprise since there has been no official confirmation on the development. Interestingly, the Warhammer 40,000 universe has had its fair share of games, but Fantasy Battle should be fine in the capable hands of Creative Assembly. The developer's experience with the "Total War" games makes it ideal for the swords and shields gameplay of the yet-unconfirmed "Total War: WARHAMMER." The officially announced "Battlefleet Gothic: Armada" has no release date either. However, but more information is expected to be forthcoming.