- See Warhammer (disambiguation) for other uses.
Warhammer 40,000, also known as 40k, is the name of a science fiction/science fantasy setting and a tabletop wargame based in it. Both are produced by Games Workshop.
Warhammer 40k is set 38,000 years in the future - it is a dark time of endless war across the galaxy. In the setting, the dominant power is the human Imperium of Man. This totalitarian, militaristic empire is beset on all sides by various alien species which range from aggressive to outright genocidal against humans. Simultaneously, the Imperium is under attack from within by daemonic Chaos cults.
The tabletop game involves using complex rules and to fight mock battles on a tabletop, with small painted plastic miniatures that represent futuristic troops/vehicles/alien monsters/demons etc. The tagline of the game and setting is "In the grim darkness of the far future, there is only war".
Despite some similarities, it should not be confused with Warhammer Fantasy, which is the setting of Total War: Warhammer and its sequels.