Warhammer Blood Bowl delayed to early 2027

Warhammer Blood Bowl is delayed to early 2027 as Slitherine wants more polish. Blood Bowl 3 owners still get a free upgrade, and Arena mode is live.

FireGhost

November 9, 2026, 04:10 PM4 min read

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Warhammer Blood Bowl has been delayed to 2027. Slitherine confirmed that its fantasy football game set in the Warhammer world will not launch in 2026. PC Gamer reports a new target of early 2027, while Wargamer says spring 2027.

The news was announced on stage at a Slitherine showcase in Berlin. The game is already in an open playtest. The publisher says feedback from that test showed the game needs more polish before launch.

Why was Warhammer Blood Bowl delayed?

Slitherine's statement, quoted by PC Gamer, says the game's history and feedback from the latest playtest reinforced the team's belief that it must be as polished as possible, 'as disappointing the fans is not an option'.

According to Wargamer, programmer Mathieu Valero also mentioned 'a bit of an issue on Xbox'. The team wants to release on all platforms at the same time. Carrying over Blood Bowl 3 teams and cosmetics must also work on every platform, which Valero called 'not a trivial job'.

Warhammer Blood Bowl pitch view before kick-off — Setting up on the pitch in Warhammer Blood Bowl (Source: Slitherine / Cyanide - Steam)

This is the second delay

Wargamer notes the game has slipped before. Cyanide Studio first hoped to launch in spring 2026. Nacon then sold Cyanide to Slitherine in July, and the release moved to 'Q4 2026', which the Steam page still shows. The delay also pushes back the Blood Bowl World Cup to an unannounced date after launch.

What has been added to the playtest?

The playtest continues. A November 6 Steam post added Arena mode. An Arena run lasts up to 10 matches and ends at your first defeat or third draw. You draft a team from 24 factions using the updated rules, or pick a premade team.

Arena uses a resurrection format. There are no after-match consequences, so injuries and player progress do not carry over. Wargamer says the playtest will stay up until a couple of weeks before the full launch.

New target: early 2027 (Wargamer: spring 2027)
Previous target: Q4 2026
Developer: Cyanide Studio; publisher: Slitherine
New teams: Tomb Kings and Bretonnians (free)
Blood Bowl 3 owners: free upgrade
In the playtest: Arena mode and 7-a-side Rumble mode

Warhammer Blood Bowl players colliding on the pitch — A big hit in Warhammer Blood Bowl (Source: Slitherine / Cyanide - Steam)

What changes for Blood Bowl 3 owners?

The Steam page says Warhammer Blood Bowl is built on Blood Bowl 3 and updated for the latest edition of the tabletop rules. Blood Bowl 3 owners will get the new game for free and keep the teams and cosmetics they already paid for.

Tomb Kings and Bretonnians join the base game for free. A Steam post says neither team is in the playtest build yet. Wargamer adds that they may appear in the test later, along with star players such as Deeproot Strongarm, Wilhelm Chaney and Akhorne the Squirrel.

In short, the launch is later, but you can still play the test now by joining via the playtest section on the Steam page. Warhammer fans may also like our Game Pass anniversary week story, which includes Warhammer Survivors. For another big delay, see our God of War Laufey delay report.