No, this isn't a hoax. After decades of the return of the Squats being a major joke, after countless deletions of comments, joke petitions and claims that Creed was holding the entire race in reserve for a major battle, the Squats have returned. Unveiled as a mercenary in Necromunda, the company has planned the release of single miniatures for the army to bolster the existing gangs and add a bit more flavour to the game.
This might at first seem like a minor cop-out of sorts, until you take a few things into consideration. Necromunda itself is a game the company seems determined to support long-term, and while Blood Bowl has benefitted from a few additional releases, hype for it died down after the initial splash. By adding in a single unit here, they draw far more attention to the specialist game, and incentive for players to buy up models even if they do not plan upon becoming a dedicated player.
There is also far less risk in releasing a single model than a whole army. You have to remember, the Squats were initially removed due to low sales, a dislike for the aesthetic, and an effort to break from the Fantasy in Space aesthetic which had dominated the game. Their popularity has stemmed largely from how they once played such an important role, only to be abruptly erased in future Editions of the game. This means it can ride the wave of hype, but the company doesn't risk losing money over this venture, in the long run, should that interest prove to be little more than a fad upon their release.
Finally, and perhaps most prominently, this is only a teaser trailer but it benefits from far more of a community awareness than many previous promotional efforts. The difference between this promo effort and those from five or six years ago is night and day. There's more personality to it, more willingness to acknowledge ongoing community jokes and surprisingly less of a barrier between the staff and the general players. By showing the faces of the people behind the scenes, by offering these jokes and more casual moments akin to what the hobby often utilised during the Second through to Forth edition, it feels as if those behind the scenes are more openly invested in the hobby.
Plus, it has to be said, the addition of a Bounty Hunter character to Necromunda is a one-two punch in terms of revitalising old ideas. If we are lucky, perhaps a few of the old monetary rules might accompany it.
The trailer itself can be viewed below, but for the moment just enjoy the fact that the space stunties are back in business.
I do enjoy these videos a lot, though my favourite was them testing out the new deepstrike rules with the drop pods, which is you hold them one meter above the table, and then throw them down as hard as you can.
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