It is one of the nice unsolved mysteries of the Warhammer 40,000 universe — at the least, it was. Via a new codex, Video games Workshop has lastly revealed the true nature of the much-debated Terminus Decree — and some Warhammer 40,000 lore followers actually want it hadn’t.
The Terminus Decree, for the uninitiated, is the closing order issued to the Gray Knights, maybe the most mysterious chapter of House Marines in the setting, earlier than the Emperor was positioned inside the Golden Throne following his mortal wounding by the Warmaster Horus at the finish of the Horus Heresy.
(For extra on the Emperor’s present… state of affairs, take a look at this text right here.)
The thought is that solely the Supreme Grand Grasp of the Gray Knights can open The Terminus Decree and uncover what, precisely, this closing order entails. Basically, it’s a ‘break glass in case of emergency’ Pandora’s field — and Warhammer 40,000 followers have questioned what was inside for years.
Now, with the launch of the new Gray Knights codex (a e-book full of background lore, photos of miniatures to be used on the tabletop sport, and recent guidelines to mess around with), Video games Workshop has for the first time revealed what The Terminus Decree truly entails.
Warning! Spoilers for Warhammer 40,000 lore observe:
A single passage in the new Gray Knights codex has lit up Warhammer 40,000 lore followers, because it reveals the final obligation of the Gray Knights is to both kill or re-entomb the Emperor inside the Golden Throne, ought to he ever try to depart, be reborn, or ascend to godhood. That is The Terminus Decree: an ultra-secret doomsday system, a contingency field left by the Emperor himself that might have the Gray Knights power him again onto the Golden throne, ought to he ever get better and dare to depart it.
New Gray Knights Codex “explains” The Terminus Decree
…what?
WHAT!?
HOW!
WHEN!?
H O W!? pic.twitter.com/87h9wjeQPB— Tôryk BirdThrowa (@Torykbirdthrowa) July 29, 2025
Curiously, the passage reveals The Terminus Decree affords no steerage for the way the Gray Knights ought to do that, in the event that they ever have to, and that they may have to minimize by the Adeptus Custodes to do it. The Custodes are the Emperor’s tremendous highly effective bodyguard — much more highly effective than the House Marines — so good luck with that!
That is a large quantity for any Warhammer 40,000 lore fan to take in. It is a main revelation, one which places an finish to years of debate at this level. Whether or not you’re taking it as the Emperor being sensible as a result of he knew that if he have been ever to return it merely wouldn’t be him however one thing else totally (this growth would doubtlessly faucet into ongoing The Darkish King plotline), or Video games Workshop planting seeds for one thing huge they’re constructing in direction of (Chief Custodian Constantin Valdor looms massive over the setting, and it does appear to be the Emperor is… stirring), the inescapable reality is now we all know, whether or not we prefer it or not.
And that’s a huge concern for some Warhammer 40,000 lore followers, who’ve since expressed their frustration that Video games Workshop has defined this thriller in any respect. Warhammer 40,000 is packed full of unexplained mysteries, hanging plot threads, and tantalizing puzzles that it might by no means get round to explaining. Take, for instance, the thriller of the II and XI, the Forgotten and the Purged, the two misplaced primarchs and their two misplaced legions. Video games Workshop has danced round revealing this half of Warhammer 40,000 lore for years, and many hope the reality isn’t revealed. Hypothesis is, in spite of everything, half of the enjoyable. There’s a lot to be mentioned for leaving issues to the creativeness.
And that was the case with The Terminus Decree, till now. So what offers? Why reveal it now? Why take the hypothesis and creativeness away from followers on this lore level in specific? There’s a lot vehement response from the neighborhood. Right here’s a snippet:
“I do not actually like this,” redditor aposi said. “It each spoils the thriller and modifications the idea from a weapon of final resort in a doomsday situation (which is cool to speculate about) to simply attempting to restore the establishment in the occasion one of these cool speculative issues occurs.”
There has by no means been a case the place GW stuffed in lore that was higher than simply leaving it up the the gamers creativeness.
However that is by far the most atrocious instance. Not even shut.
— Shadow of a Doubt (@Shadow_ofaDoubt) July 30, 2025
“Dislike… outright aggravated by it,” added Drxero1xero. “Big thriller, depart it unknown or make a novel or three out of it… Nope throw it away in textual content field in a codex.
“GW are little by little sucking the enjoyable out of warhammer’s settings, flat and colorless… no thriller, all little bites of lore…”
GW is misplaced, they’re simply going to clarify every thing and take the thriller out of issues aren’t they?
— Gage Davidson (@GageDavidson608) July 30, 2025
“I really feel like this not solely fully undermines the entire thriller, nevertheless it would not even work. In any respect,” mentioned TheVoidDragon.
“The cool factor about the lore was not fairly understanding what it was, what it might do, or what it was even about. The thriller and hypothesis on what it might be was what made it intriguing for thus a few years. To now simply outright outline it takes all that manner fully, it is simply plainly acknowledged precisely what it’s as if it would not matter.”
Leaving mysteries is crucial to the mystique of 40k. If a thriller have to be revealed, it have to be a magnificent piece of writing. On this case, they marble brained one of the most foreboding and cool issues the gray knights had. FFS GW
— LazySternguard (@LazySternguard) July 30, 2025
The subsequent apparent query is, will The Terminus Decree come into impact any time quickly? Will we see, maybe in a novel, one other codex, or a weblog put up, the Gray Knights truly struggle the Custodes as a result of the Emperor has in some way revived himself? Or is that this simply an odd spike of exercise in Warhammer 40,000 lore that causes a kerfuffle now, however gained’t lead to something for years to come?
Like the Warp itself, Video games Workshop generally feels unknowable.
The God-Emperor, by John Blanche. Picture credit score: Video games Workshop.
Wesley is Director, Information at IGN. Discover him on Twitter at @wyp100. You possibly can attain Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.