Iconic British firm rewards employees equally after bumper year of sales and profits
Games Workshop, the maker of the globally popular Warhammer game series, is to hand out £20 million to staff after reporting another year of soaring profits and sales growth.
The Nottingham-based company announced the bonus payment in a trading update ahead of its full-year results, confirming that the money will be distributed “on an equal basis to each member of staff”. The gesture comes in recognition of employees’ contribution to the firm’s strong financial performance during the year ending 1 June.
This year’s payout is an increase on the £18 million awarded to employees in 2023, and significantly higher than the £11 million shared among staff in 2022. Games Workshop, which is known for its distinctive employee reward scheme, does not publicly disclose its total headcount, but is believed to employ around 1,500 people at its Nottingham headquarters, with many more staff located across its global operations.
The company, which was founded in 1975 by Ian Livingstone, Steve Jackson, and John Peake, has since grown into a major player in the entertainment industry, best known for its Warhammer franchise. It operates almost 550 branded stores worldwide, selling an array of products including miniature figures that fans collect, paint, and use in tabletop games.
In its update, Games Workshop said it expects revenues for the 2023–24 financial year to come in at a minimum of £560 million, a sharp increase from £495 million the year prior. Pre-tax profits are forecast to be at least £255 million, up from £203 million in 2023.
The business, which was promoted to the FTSE 100 index last year, continues to thrive nearly five decades after its inception. Its ascent into the UK’s premier league of listed companies marked a major milestone for a firm once considered a niche hobbyist venture.
The generous bonus scheme is part of Games Workshop’s long-standing approach to staff remuneration, with all eligible employees receiving equal shares of the company’s profit distribution, regardless of position or seniority. This has earned the company widespread praise for fostering a culture of inclusivity and appreciation.
In addition to its thriving miniatures and tabletop games business, Games Workshop has increasingly diversified its revenue streams through licensing agreements. In December, it signed a landmark deal with Amazon to develop film and television adaptations of the Warhammer universe — a move that could significantly expand its reach beyond the traditional tabletop gaming community.
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The deal is expected to bring Warhammer to a much wider audience, particularly as interest in fantasy and science fiction media continues to surge. Games Workshop has also seen success through partnerships with video game developers, who produce games based on the Warhammer fantasy and sci-fi lore.
A spokesperson for the company said: “Our people are central to everything we do. This profit share reflects the collective effort that’s driven yet another year of growth for Games Workshop. We remain committed to sharing success with the team that makes it possible.”
While the firm still awaits final figures ahead of its full-year report, the early indications are that 2024 will go down as another milestone year in its storied history. Investors and staff alike will be watching with interest as Games Workshop continues to build on its success — both on the battlefield of miniature wargames, and in the broader world of media and entertainment.
