Games Workshop Clarifies Female Custodes Lore

Games Workshop has officially addressed the introduction of female Custodes into the Warhammer 40,000 miniature range following a major reveal during a preview livestream. The British tabletop wargaming giant published a detailed lore explanation to clarify the existence of these new models.

The announcement has sparked significant discussion within the community, with the company moving quickly to explain the narrative reasoning behind the inclusion of female warriors in the Adeptus Custodes faction. This clarification comes directly after the debut of new eye-catching models for the Emperor's elite bodyguards.

During a preview livestream, Games Workshop unveiled a new range of miniatures for the Adeptus Custodes. These models represent the genetically-engineered, functionally immortal transhumans who serve as the Emperor's personal bodyguards on Terra. The new range featured both male and female types, marking the first time female Custodes have been available as physical miniatures.

While female Custodes had been previously mentioned in Warhammer 40,000 lore materials and even appeared in an official animation, their debut in miniature form generated immediate online complaints. Some accused the company of retconning established lore, insisting the faction should remain male-only based on their interpretation of previous material. Others echoed 'anti-woke' rhetoric, suggesting the move was pandering to a modern audience.

The Custodes are not Space Marines. Indeed, they are bigger, faster, and more powerful than the average Space Marine.

Games Workshop's lore article directly addressed the core of the controversy by emphasizing the fundamental differences between Custodes and Space Marines. The company explained that while both are towering, gene-enhanced warriors, their similarities largely end there. This distinction is crucial to understanding why the lore allows for female Custodes while Space Marines remain exclusively male.

The creation process for each faction is entirely different. Space Marines are made from human males—willing aspirants or unwilling conscripts—who are subjected to horrific trials to become living weapons. Their humanity is stripped away in service to the Emperor's armies. In contrast, Custodes are taken as infants and recrafted by ancient science. The process is described as arcane and bespoke to each individual, with the Emperor himself originally overseeing it.

• Space Marines: Created from adolescent males through standardized trials
• Custodes: Taken as infants and individually recrafted through arcane science
• Space Marines: Function as standardized living weapons
• Custodes: Represent the pinnacle of personalized genetic engineering

The company also addressed the belief that all Custodes are made exclusively from the sons of Terran noble houses, a concept established in the 8th Edition Custodes codex. Games Workshop clarified that while some Custodes are recruited this way, it represents only one possible method. The recruitment process has always been shrouded in secrecy, with the company noting that 'other methods might have been equally overt, others far more secretive.'

The lore article suggested that noble daughters could have been taken, and that as the Imperium expanded, recruitment sources naturally diversified. The company pointed to existing lore that emphasizes the mysterious nature of Custodes creation. According to the 8th Edition codex, even the most knowledgeable Imperial scholars cannot definitively say when the Emperor first fashioned the Custodians, with the truth hidden in fragments of the past and sealed tomes.

The method by which such remarkable individuals are created has always been known only to those of the Imperial household, and is carried out by the most accomplished chirurgeons and bio-alchemists of Terra within gilded laboratories locked away from the sight of Humanity's masses.

Games Workshop's explanation emphasized that there is no retcon involved in the introduction of female Custodes. The company noted that female Custodes had already been mentioned in previous Warhammer 40,000 material, including the latest Custodes codex released in April 2024, which featured a character named Calladayce Kesh. This groundwork was laid long before the miniature announcement.

The article concluded by stating that all Custodes, regardless of gender, embody the pinnacle of genetic and cellular engineering employed by the Emperor. They are described as flawless creations pushed beyond the limit of human potential, with no difference in combat efficacy between male and female Custodians. This reinforces the faction's status as elite, personalized creations rather than mass-produced warriors.

• Female Custodes were mentioned in official material prior to the miniature reveal
• The recruitment process has always been described as secretive and mysterious
• All Custodes represent the absolute pinnacle of genetic engineering
• No combat difference exists between male and female Custodians

The weekend following the reveal saw extensive community discourse across YouTube comments, social media platforms, and subreddits. Many comments expressed complaints about the female Custodes models, with some threatening to leave the hobby entirely over the change. This reaction highlights the passionate investment many fans have in Warhammer's established lore.

However, there is also significant pushback from many Warhammer 40,000 fans who have no problem with female Custodes and dismiss concerns about retconning. These supporters point to the inherently unreliable nature of Warhammer lore, which is built upon the idea that all knowledge comes from a specific point of view within a fascist regime that twists facts through 10,000 years of propaganda. The universe's lore has always been fluid, with factions like the Necrons evolving from mindless automatons to complex characters with individual personalities.

Not even the most knowledgeable of the Imperium's scholars can say when the Emperor fashioned the Custodians. The truth is hidden in fragments of the past, accounts of figures appearing in crude hieroglyphs and cave etchings, stasis-locked scads of parchment and gene-sealed tomes that no man now can open.

The introduction of female Custodes miniatures represents a significant moment for Warhammer 40,000, demonstrating Games Workshop's commitment to expanding representation while maintaining narrative consistency. The company's proactive lore explanation shows an awareness of community concerns and a willingness to engage directly with fan questions.

As the new miniature range becomes available, the faction will likely see increased diversity on tabletops worldwide. The controversy itself highlights the evolving nature of tabletop gaming communities and the importance of clear communication between creators and fans. For Games Workshop, this episode reinforces the value of having detailed lore explanations ready to support major product announcements.

Ultimately, the Custodes remain what they have always been: the Emperor's elite bodyguards, representing the absolute pinnacle of genetic engineering, now with a more complete picture of their diverse origins within the Imperium's secretive creation processes.