Why do fans hate "The End Times"?

[Hooley]

Hi all,

I was first exposed to the Warhammer world when I started playing Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning at launch; but I really took the plunge in 2014 when I started playing the tabletop and reading the lore. I love it. In my opinion the Warhammer Fantasy lore is absolutely fantastic. The world/setting is so rich and intriguing, it's definitely one of my favorite IPs. I've just recently gotten into reading "The End Times" and I finished "Part III: Khaine" yesterday evening. I thought it was intense, well-written, and surprisingly believable; especially with the rekindling relationship between the different factions of elves. But I looked online and I see an overwhelmingly amount of negative sentiment to "The End Times" and none of these critics really elaborate on why they hate it. These fans just usually say "Games Workshop destroyed my childhood" and that's it.

So now that I presented that exposition, I'll ask my question. Why is there so much negative sentiment to this "End Times" series? I'm curious because I feel like I'm in the minority and maybe I'm missing something key. Are many people cynical to the "End Times" because its led to the unpopular "Age of Sigmar" era? Or do many people genuinely hate "End Times" lore period?

I would appreciate the insight from fellow fans.

Thanks all.

[Razid1987]

I don't know much about The End Times, since I don't play Warhammer fantasy anymore, but from what I've heard (From a friend), it basically destroyed the world of Warhammer, effectively pronouncing one/some faction(s) the winner(s). You can't do that in a game that's suppose to be an unending war. Also, didn't they kill off some factions as well? And important characters?

[Scrilian]

Idk, End Times Volumes and Novels are great.
Khaine in particular is superb just because it feels like a complete story if you read all three of 8ed Elf codexes and the Sundering series by Gav.
I'm finishing the Rise of the Horned Rat now and will continue with Thanquol Vol.4 next. Quite excited to read about the best grey-seer, esp. after the trilogy.
Some fool-meat already spoiled me the end of it, but still ET is a quality read.

[Vilhelmina]

Look at the beauty and depth of the Warhammer world in this game and the soon to be released Total War: Warhammer game.

And GW decided to destroy the entire world and certain races in order to protect their IP and try and improve profits by turning it from an in-depth, massed rank, wargame to a simple skirmish game.

AOS failed immensely, it's likely dragged GW's profits down. Even after they bet the farm on it.

I don't care, I bought the last rulebook and battle at skull pass boxset and I'm slowly building a Vampire Counts army. NOTHING from AoS range.

[Hooley]

I don't know much about The End Times, since I don't play Warhammer fantasy anymore, but from what I've heard (From a friend), it basically destroyed the world of Warhammer, effectively pronouncing one/some faction(s) the winner(s). You can't do that in a game that's suppose to be an unending war. Also, didn't they kill off some factions as well? And important characters?

Yes, there have definitely been a departure of faction(s)/character(s). But it's done pretty well, the characters go out like badasses and the closure for the departing factions seems thorough. Nonetheless, I thought the reason Games Workshop was motivated to do "The End Times" was because a lot of fans wanted to see the story progress, unlike Warhammer 40,000? Would you prefer they don't progress the story in these universes?

[Hooley]

Idk, End Times Volumes and Novels are great.
Khaine in particular is superb just because it feels like a complete story if you read all three of 8ed Elf codexes and the Sundering series by Gav.
I'm finishing the Rise of the Horned Rat now and will continue with Thanquol Vol.4 next. Quite excited to read about the best grey-seer, esp. after the trilogy.
Some fool-meat already spoiled me the end of it, but still ET is a quality read.

I'm relieved to here there's someone in my camp. The scale of this conflict feels Toklien. I thought Khaine was phenomenal, I couldn't put down the book. Alith Anar is like Batman, Malekith's redemption/fulfillment of destiny was awesome, the merging between the three factions was solid, all-in-all I thought it was great stuff.

Are you a long time fan of Warhammer Fantasy? I'm starting to think one of the reasons I have a positive perception of this lore is because I'm new to the hobby. Maybe my "newness" has made me less emotionally invested than long-time fans upset about their favorite heroes/heroines perishing...ultimately, making it more enjoyable for me and devastating for the veterans.

[Hooley]

Look at the beauty and depth of the Warhammer world in this game and the soon to be released Total War: Warhammer game.

And GW decided to destroy the entire world and certain races in order to protect their IP and try and improve profits by turning it from an in-depth, massed rank, wargame to a simple skirmish game.

AOS failed immensely, it's likely dragged GW's profits down. Even after they bet the farm on it.

I don't care, I bought the last rulebook and battle at skull pass boxset and I'm slowly building a Vampire Counts army. NOTHING from AoS range.

Interesting. Do you think Games Workshop will "reboot" Age of Sigmar if it continues to be unpopular? Also, do you think Total War: Warhammer may be Games Workshop's sneaky way of allowing fans to experience a different ending to "The End Times" in the Warhammer world? An ending where the world potentially isn't obliterated...

I think "The End Times" has been something Games Workshop has been planning for quite sometime, as 9th edition codexes (i.e. Wood Elves) reference "The End Times" bluntly. It would also seem weird that they would license Creative Assembly to make a game in the old world if they had no intentions of revisiting it and just focusing on the new "Age of Sigmar". Perhaps, the Warhammer World as we know it may still live on in some form currently ambiguous to us?

[TenTonHammer]

End times was awful how chaos just randomly showed up in middenhime was wierd

Go out like bad asses? closue?

Hell the **** NO! You read what they did to malus dark blade?

He was the best dam anti hero ever written and they killed him off to show how "bad ass" tyrion is AND AS A MOTHER **** PUPPET FOR MORANTHI

Malus darkblade is no ones god dam puppet

And you read how they killed off Malekith? After saving that ungrateful evererqueen as the world was literally collapsing his legs get crushed that ungrateful woman taunts him after he just saved her life.

Finally the truth revealed of the elves past?

Where it turned out that the elven gods are bigger pricks than eldrad? Wanting Malekith to get it on with his half sister and then the whole dam this was a test for him, also in curse of khaine which was i guees the first time ive ever read anything from the perspective of malekith was soo lame; you read of how malekith is cruel, calculating, manipulative the WFB arusabal vect yet i just got the vibe that he was was mopey, emo, whine-y

[Scrilian]

I'm relieved to here there's someone in my camp. The scale of this conflict feels Toklien. I thought Khaine was phenomenal, I couldn't put down the book. Alith Anar is like Batman, Malekith's redemption/fulfillment of destiny was awesome, the merging between the three factions was solid, all-in-all I thought it was great stuff.

Are you a long time fan of Warhammer Fantasy? I'm starting to think one of the reasons I have a positive perception of this lore is because I'm new to the hobby.

Not a long time fan, that's for sure. The first I've read was the Trollslayer back in 2007 so by the whole FB standards is rather late to the party. And from that day forward I embraced the WH FB 6-7th edition rulebooks. Although some of my old-timer friends disliked the ET quite a bit.
Have you read the Curse of Khaine novel yet? It accompanies the Khaine Vol.3 and provides a more personal look on the Malekith and his hatred driven saga, plus clarifies some grey spots from the actual ET Volume, like why did Imrik betrayed Ulthuan or how did Funibar die.

[Scrilian]

Malus darkblade is no ones god dam puppet

Tell it to the Tz'arkan

Spoiler:

easier on the spoilers there, mate, please