In the world of Games Workshop Warhammer 40K, the evil demonic hordes of Chaos face off against openly fascist legions of Space Marines who subdue the galaxy with violent imperialism. There are also alien hives with cockroach-like insects that want to infest the galaxy; pugnacious Ork tribes always looking for a fight; undead robots; some sadistic space pirates; fleets of ancient imperialist space elves who view humanity as insects deserving to die; etc.

In other words: no one in this fictional game world is really Well. Although apparently some players missed this point. Specifically – and perhaps unsurprisingly – some gamers are confusing their support for the Imperium of Man in a fictional space game with their love of real fascism and white supremacy. While this comparison may be appropriate, some people don’t necessarily see it as a bad thing. Not content with loosely appropriating Norse and Celtic iconography to serve as unwitting symbols of their hatred, these fanatical bastards apparently began to use Warhammer 40K symbolism for equally hateful ends.

Games Workshop therefore went to their community’s site to explain it clearly: every faction in this game is evil, just like white supremacy.

There are no goodies in the Warhammer 40,000 universe.

Nothing.

Especially not the Imperium of Man.

[…]

Warhammer 40,000 isn’t just bleak. It is the most sinister, the darkest.

The Imperium of Man comes across as an edifying tale of what could happen if the worst of humanity’s lust for power and extreme and unyielding xenophobia take hold. Like so many aspects of Warhammer 40,000, the Imperium of Man is satirical.

For clarity: satire is the use of humor, irony, Where exaggeration, display the vices of people or the faults of a system for contempt, derision and ridicule. The Imperium is not a state of aspiration, apart from the perspectives in the universe of those who are slaves to its systems. It is a monstrous civilization, and its monstrosity is evident to all.

The post ends with the company’s statement that hate symbols are not welcome in their stores and that anyone wearing something that supports a real-world hate group will not be allowed on company property. . “We won’t let you participate. We don’t want your money. We don’t want you in the Warhammer community.”

The Emperor of Mankind could not be reached for comment as he is a brain-dead fascist thousands of years old.

The Imperium is driven by hatred. Warhammer is not. [Games Workshop]

Image: Gage Skidmore / Flickr (CC-BY-SA 2.0)