TL;DR
Games Workshop has announced a major summer 2026 update for its Warhammer 40,000: Orks faction, including a new Codex and redesigned miniatures for the Trukk, Mek, and Warboss. This marks the first comprehensive Ork refresh in over a decade, and it arrives at a critical moment as the company seeks to sustain its post-pandemic growth trajectory against rising competition from rivals like One Page Rules and Wargames Atlantic.
What Happened
On Sunday, June 28, 2026, Warhammer Community dropped a bombshell for Ork players: a full summer preview revealing that three iconic Ork units—the Trukk, the Mek, and the Warboss—are getting brand-new plastic miniatures alongside a new Codex: Orks. The announcement, which broke on the company's official news feed at 10:00 AM BST, sent shockwaves through the tabletop wargaming community, with pre-order pages crashing within minutes from the sheer volume of traffic.
Key Facts
- The Trukk, a staple Ork transport vehicle, will receive its first full plastic redesign since 2004, replacing a kit that had become notorious for mold-line issues and poor fit.
- The Mek character model, previously a finecast resin miniature released in 2011, is being retired in favor of a multi-part plastic kit with interchangeable weapon options.
- The Warboss gets a dramatic new sculpt, featuring a power klaw and kombi-weapon, with a dynamic pose showing the model mid-charge.
- The new Codex: Orks will be the faction's 10th Edition rulebook, following the pattern of Codex: Space Marines and Codex: Tyranids released earlier in 2026.
- Pre-orders for the new kits are scheduled to go live on July 12, 2026, with a full retail release on July 26, 2026.
- The announcement was made exclusively via Warhammer Community, the company's official blog, with no prior leaks from major hobby news sites like Spikey Bits or Belloflostsouls.
- The Ork range has not seen a significant plastic update since the 2014 release of the Stompa and Meganobz kits.
Breaking It Down
The Ork faction has long been a fan favorite, but it has also been one of the most neglected in Games Workshop's lineup. The last major Ork codex drop was in 2021 for 9th Edition, and even that release relied heavily on resin and finecast kits that were originally designed in the early 2000s. The new Trukk, Mek, and Warboss are not just cosmetic upgrades—they represent a fundamental shift in how Games Workshop is approaching its product lifecycle.
Over 22 years had passed since the Trukk's last plastic mold was cut, making it the oldest continuously produced vehicle kit in the entire Warhammer 40,000 range.
This is a staggering figure when you consider that the Aeldari Falcon and Space Marine Rhino have both seen multiple updates in that same period. The Trukk's age meant that many hobbyists were forced to buy third-party conversions or 3D-printed alternatives from creators like Mr. Modulork and GearGuts MekShop to get a decent model. Games Workshop's decision to finally update the kit signals that the company is listening to long-standing community complaints about range stagnation.
The Mek replacement is equally significant. Finecast, Games Workshop's failed resin experiment from the early 2010s, has been systematically phased out across all factions, but the Ork Mek was one of the last surviving finecast character models. By moving to a multi-part plastic kit with weapon options, Games Workshop is not only improving quality but also enabling hobbyists to customize their Mek for different battlefield roles—a key selling point for competitive players who want to optimize their lists for the new Codex.
The Warboss redesign is the most visually striking of the three. The new model stands on a 40mm base (up from the old 32mm), giving it a more imposing presence on the tabletop. The power klaw has been resculpted with visible hydraulic pistons and armor plates, and the kombi-weapon now includes a rokkit launcha and shoota barrel assembly. This level of detail suggests Games Workshop is positioning the Warboss as a centerpiece model for Ork armies, similar to how the 2019 Abaddon the Despoiler model became the centerpiece for Chaos Space Marines.
What Comes Next
The July 12 pre-order date is just the beginning. Here are five concrete developments to watch in the coming weeks:
- Full Codex Rules Reveal (July 1–5): Warhammer Community is expected to drop a series of articles detailing the new Ork datasheets, stratagems, and detachment abilities. Watch for confirmation of whether the Goffs, Bad Moons, and Deathskulls clan rules remain or get overhauled.
- Community Reaction & Meta Impact (July 12–19): Once pre-orders go live, expect a flood of unboxing videos and early reviews from channels like Tabletop Tactics and MiniWarGaming. Competitive players will immediately begin theory-crafting lists to see if the new Orks can challenge the dominant Aeldari and Space Marine meta.
- Secondary Market Price Surge (July 26–August 2): The old Trukk, Mek, and Warboss kits will likely spike in price on eBay and r/Miniswap as collectors seek out the now-discontinued finecast versions. Conversely, the new plastic kits may initially sell out within hours of release.
- Third-Party Alternatives Under Pressure (August 2026): Companies like Kromlech and Puppetswar that produce Ork conversion bits may see a dip in sales as hobbyists flock to the official Games Workshop plastic. However, they could also pivot to producing upgrade sprues for the new kits, as they did for the 2019 Space Marine Primaris refresh.
The Bigger Picture
This Ork refresh is part of two broader trends in the tabletop wargaming industry. First, Plastic Dominance: Games Workshop has aggressively moved away from resin and finecast across all its ranges, with the Cadian Shock Troops (2022) and Leagues of Votann (2023) being earlier examples. The Ork update confirms that no faction is too niche to get a plastic overhaul, which puts pressure on competitors like Wargames Atlantic and Warlord Games who still rely heavily on resin for character models.
Second, Faction Parity: Games Workshop is clearly trying to ensure that all major factions have competitive, modern rules and miniatures before the next edition cycle. With Orks, Space Marines, Tyranids, and Aeldari all receiving 10th Edition codexes in 2025–2026, the company is on track to have every faction updated by mid-2027. This is a deliberate strategy to prevent the kind of faction imbalance that plagued 9th Edition, where Drukhari and AdMech dominated for months while Orks and Imperial Guard languished.
Key Takeaways
- [Plastic Overhaul]: The Trukk, Mek, and Warboss are the first major Ork plastic updates in over a decade, replacing resin and finecast kits that were aging rapidly.
- [Pre-Order Date]: Pre-orders go live on July 12, 2026, with full release on July 26, 2026—mark your calendars if you want to secure a kit before they sell out.
- [Meta Shift]: The new Codex will likely shake up the competitive 40K meta, potentially elevating Orks from mid-tier to top-tier status if the rules are generous.
- [Industry Signal]: Games Workshop's commitment to plastic across all factions is forcing competitors to modernize their own production methods or risk losing market share.
