War Games

As a kid, Jonathan Ore was a Warhammer 40k fanatic. He spent hours painting the thumb-sized miniatures used in the tabletop game, and met up with his friends to play in his uncle's comic book shop. As an adult, Jonathan abandoned the hobby. But when the pandemic hit, he started painting again, and re-engaging with the Warhammer community, this time online… only to discover that divisive debates had found their way to the fandom. Suddenly, Jonathan was faced with questions: How did this happen, and did he really want back in after all? Jonathan unpacks the surprising history of this incredibly popular but underreported game, and speaks to people about engaging in a fandom that’s increasingly torn apart, all while trying to find his own place within it.