Latest news with #SpaceMarine2
Daily Mail
02-08-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Warhammer chief queries his own £2m bonus
The publicity-shy boss of the company behind Warhammer miniatures and many video games has cast doubt on a new bonus scheme that has nearly trebled his pay. Kevin Rountree, chief executive of Games Workshop, earned £4.4 million last year at the fantasy figurine maker, up from £1.5 million the previous year. The pay bump, one of the biggest for a FTSE 100 boss, came as the Nottingham-based business entered the blue-chip index. Its shares have continued their stellar rise and are up more than a fifth this year to value Games Workshop at £5.3 billion. Last week it posted a 30 per cent rise in full-year profits to £263 million and promised to open more stores around the world after cashing in on the launch of Space Marine 2, a video game that is based on its hugely successful Warhammer 40,000 franchise, set in the year 40,000AD. Games Workshop staff shared a £20 million cash bonus pot worth £6,000 each, but it was the media-shy Rountree, whose picture has never been published, who was the biggest winner. He landed a 'one-off' bonus worth £2.2 million as a reward for his ten years running the company. Crucially, the award is payable in shares in three years if Rountree is still in the job and hits certain targets. This type of share-based deal is common among other big companies, but it is the first time Games Workshop has made such a payment since it was set up in a London flat in 1975 – and Rountree seemed unconvinced. 'The new policy is a big change,' Rountree wrote in the company's annual report. 'Time will tell whether it improves Games Workshop's performance and whether it is the right change,' he added. Rountree said he would continue to focus on 'what is right for Games Workshop and our long-term success, not on short-term gains'. Kate Marsh, who chairs the company's pay committee, admitted that such one-off payments 'can attract shareholder scrutiny', but felt it was now 'appropriate' when compared to other firms of a similar size.
Yahoo
29-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
My favourite UK stock rose 5% today and topped the FTSE 100 index!
Of all the stocks in the FTSE 100 index, Games Workshop (LSE: GAW) is my favourite. This choice is made easier when the share price is up 107% in three years, and continues to make money in my portfolio. Games Workshop stock rose again today (29 July), up 5.7% to 16,140p. In 10 years, the Warhammer maker has returned around 2,700%, not including cash dividends (of which there have been plenty). Let's take a look at why this FTSE 100 outperformer is on the move right now. A cracking year Games Workshop has just published its full-year results, covering the 52 weeks to 1 June (FY25). The headline news was that pre-tax profit rose nearly 30% year on year to £262.8m. This comfortably matched prior guidance of 'not less than £255m.' That was on revenue of £617.5m, up 17.5%. Immediately, we can see with these figures why many investors love the miniature wargames maker. It's very, very profitable, with eye-catching margins. Licensing revenue jumped 69% to £52.5m, as video game Space Marine 2 performed well above expectations. This highlights how the firm is successfully monetising its treasure trove of intellectual property to bring in high-margin revenue. Management says it will look to release more Warhammer 40,000 games, as well hunt for partners to bring its Age of Sigmar setting and characters to console, PC and mobile. CEO Kevin Rountree commented: 'Games Workshop and the Warhammer hobby are in great shape. A cracking performance by the team delivering some cracking results: core business profit before tax of over £200m from sales of Warhammer products for the first time and the best financial results in Games Workshop's history, so far.' Licensing lumpiness Warhammer IP is rich, vast and endless…Our strategy is to exploit the value of our IP beyond our core tabletop business, in multiple categories and markets globally. Now, one thing worth mentioning is that the licensing revenue figure may be hard to top this year. This points to a bit of IP lumpiness, which might cause volatility in the share price. And while a deal with Amazon for the adaptation of Warhammer 40,000 universe into TV content is now signed, management cautions that 'these things take several years to bring to market'. Elsewhere, the company said it could take around a 2% hit on the gross margin this year due to tariffs. It's trying to make up the shortfall through efficiency savings, but it warns that 'this is not a simple task when we are already very efficient'. A slight disappointment for me was that its three stores in China are now under review. If Warhammer had taken off there, the growth opportunity could have been vast. However, you can't win them all, and most countries are still delivering strong growth, including Japan (where retail sales rose 25.9%). Games Workshop ended the period with 570 stores. This year, it aims to open another 35 or so in North America, Europe and Asia (including its first Warhammer store in South Korea). Foolish takeaway While the company continues to impress and could be worth considering, the stock isn't cheap, trading at nearly 30 times forward earnings. Investors researching Games Workshop should be mindful of the valuation. Personally though, I intend to keep holding my shares for many years to come. The post My favourite UK stock rose 5% today and topped the FTSE 100 index! appeared first on The Motley Fool UK. More reading 5 Stocks For Trying To Build Wealth After 50 One Top Growth Stock from the Motley Fool Ben McPoland has positions in Games Workshop Group Plc. The Motley Fool UK has recommended Amazon and Games Workshop Group Plc. Views expressed on the companies mentioned in this article are those of the writer and therefore may differ from the official recommendations we make in our subscription services such as Share Advisor, Hidden Winners and Pro. Here at The Motley Fool we believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. Motley Fool UK 2025
Daily Mail
29-07-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Games Workshop to open new stores in US, Europe and Asia this year after Space Marine 2 success
Games Workshop is plotting dozens of new store launches around the world after the Warhammer creator's profits were supercharged by the launch of 'Space Marine 2'. The group cheered a record 2025 on Tuesday with pre-tax profits soaring by nearly 30 per cent to £262.8million, beating guidance of £255million, as sales jumped 19.6 per cent on a constant currency basis to £628.7million. It came as licencing revenues jumped from £31million to £52.5million after Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2, a third-person shooter video game launched last year, performed 'well above' the group's expectations with seven million copies sold. Games Workshop is best known in the UK for its tabletop miniatures and high street stores across the country. But it has increasingly moved into video games and books, and a film and TV deal with Amazon that was finalised last December and is expected to be fronted by Superman actor Henry Cavill. Games Workshop cautioned that the next 12 months would suffer tough comparisons owing to the success of Space Marine 2, while the group thinks tariffs could impact profit before tax by around £12million. It said tariffs would be 'dealt with in our normal pragmatic way'. Nevertheless, Games Workshop outlined plans to boost manufacturing capacity and said it aims to open around 35 new stores globally over the next year. These are set to be focused on North American, continental Europe and Asia. The Nottingham-based firm's chief executive Kevin Rountree, CEO of Games Workshop said: 'After a record year, we remain focused on delivering our operational plans and working tirelessly to overcome any significant obstacles that get in the way. 'We will continue to give ourselves the freedom to make some mistakes, constantly working on improvements in product quality and manufacturing innovation. 'Despite our recent successes we will never take our hobbyists' support for granted.' Games Workshop declared and paid dividends worth 520p per share last year, up from 420p in the previous 12 months. Games Workshop shares were up 5.6 per cent to 16,110p approaching midday, having more than doubled over the last three years.
Yahoo
29-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Games Workshop's annual profit soars on flagship Warhammer game sales
By Yamini Kalia (Reuters) -British miniature wargames maker Games Workshop on Tuesday posted a nearly 30% jump in annual pre-tax profit, thanks to robust sales of its flagship Warhammer 40,000 game. The company, known for its premium, in-house produced fantasy miniatures, has built a cult-like following for Warhammer, which has expanded into video games, books and a film and TV deal with Amazon that was finalised last December. The flagship science-fantasy universe will be brought to screens via a live-action series from Amazon Studios. Henry Cavill, the British actor who played Superman and is a fan of Warhammer, has said he will be involved in the project. Games Workshop's Space Marine 2 video game, released last September, has also been a commercial success with more than 7 million copies sold. Games Workshop reported pre-tax profit of 262.8 million pounds ($350.79 million) for the year ended June 1, up from 203 million pounds the year before. Shares of the company were up 4.1% at 15,880 pence by 0816 GMT. "We have been pretty solid during the year managing our cash costs and investments," the company said in a statement. "The exception was the news about tariffs and the cute looking pipistrelle bat that is delaying our work on our new temporary car park," it added. The Nottingham-based games designer forecast a tariff impact of about 12 million pounds on its pre-tax profit in the current fiscal year and a 2% impact on gross margin in the following year. However, Games Workshop said it was "business as usual" for the firm, which already has a U.S. corporate entity and is investing in its Memphis base. Peel Hunt analysts expect the company's strong performance to continue, despite its vulnerability to tariffs, a stronger pound and a tough comparative period due to the exceptional success of Space Marine 2 last year. ($1 = 0.7492 pounds) Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Engadget
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Engadget
Boltgun — Words of Vengeance is Warhammer's grimdark answer to Typing of the Dead
Games Workshop, maker of the popular Warhammer 40K tabletop game, held its annual Warhammer Skulls festival today, and announced a slew of new video games, remasters and DLC for its properties. I've collected some of the more exciting announcements below. First, let's start with Space Marine 2 . In March, Games Workshop announced a sequel was already in development. At the time, the company said the new game was "likely years away from release," but it also reiterated post-launch support for Space Marine 2 would continue. Today we got an update on Space Marine 2's long awaited horde mode, called here Siege Mode. It will arrive as part of a free update slated for release on June 26. To view this content, you'll need to update your privacy settings. Please click here and view the "Content and social-media partners" setting to do so. However, that's not all. On June 10th, GW will release Space Marine — Master Crafted Edition . It's a remaster of the 2011 original developed by Relic Entertainment. The new version features updated textures and character models, with support for 4K resolutions, modernized controls and a refreshed user interface. If you've not played Space Marine , it's worth revisiting if only to hear Mark Strong voice protagonist Captain Titus. Master Crafted Edition arrives on June 10 on Xbox Series X/S and PC through Steam and GOG. Speaking of Relic, a remaster of the studio's excellent Dawn of War is also on the way. No word on an exact release date yet, but GW says Dawn of War – Definitive Edition will feature updated visuals, camera controls and a new HUD . The re-release will be compatible with mods for the existing game, and has a 64-bit code base to ensure it's playable on modern systems for years to come. To view this content, you'll need to update your privacy settings. Please click here and view the "Content and social-media partners" setting to do so. For fans of boomer shooters, there's Boltgun game on the way. It will arrive in 2026, and it's coming to Steam, Xbox Series X/S and PS5. The new game will pick up right where the first game ended, with a new non-linear single player campaign that has new enemies for players to overcome. Of course, you'll also have access to new weapons with which to vanquish the Emperor's enemies in the most cartoonishly violent way possible. In the meantime, today you can download Boltgun — Words of Vengeance , a free typing action game that will have you spelling words and phrases from Warhammer lore like "thin your paints" and "Ghazghkull." You bet I'm downloading it right now. To view this content, you'll need to update your privacy settings. Please click here and view the "Content and social-media partners" setting to do so. Last but not least, Owlcat, creator of the CRPG Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous , is working on a sequel to the criminally underrated Rogue Trader . The new game is adaptation of GW's Dark Heresy RPG and casts the player as the leader of an Inquisition party. It looks like Owlcat has a bigger budget this time around, which is a great sign for the project. Rogue Trader had moments where it felt like if Owlcat had the time and resources that Larian did to work on Baldur's Gate 3, it would have been every bit as popular . Again, those are just some of the announcements Games Workshop made today, so be sure to check out the Warhammer Community website to get the full story.
