It's Wokehammer! Games Workshop engulfed in gender row with fans after it said Warhammer squadron that was previously thought of as men-only has 'always had females'

A 'woke' gender row has broken out among Games Workshop fantasy fans after women were added to an army squadron for the first time.

Bosses behind the Warhammer game have introduced a female character to one of its most popular table-top battalions whose devotees include film star Henry Cavill.

But some men are furious at the move, insisting that the 'Adeptus Custodes' brigade has always been all-male and any changes should have been done differently.

The company was directly questioned on X, formerly Twitter, by a follower asking: 'Why did you make female custodes?'

The official Warhammer account responded by posting: 'Since the first of the Ten Thousand were created, there have always been female Custodians.'

A new edition of Warhammer 40,000 fantasy fiction introduces a character named 'Custodian Calladyce Taurovalia Kesh' - and using female pronouns for her.

Long-time fans say it is the first time a woman has been part of the gold-clad Adeptus Custodes squad - with an online backlash breaking out in response.

Fan site Wargamer discussed the controversy in a post which described how there had been 'nearly three decades of Warhammer 40k books and short stories only featuring male-presenting Custodian Guards'.

It went on to say: 'The introduction of a canonically female member of the Custodes is being seen by fans as a conscious narrative shift on GW’s part.'

Another Twitter user asked Games Workshop whether more female members would be added, to be told: 'We'll just have to wait and see.'

There was a backlash online from some fans unhappy with the development.

Video game executive and former World Of Warcraft developer Mark Kern accused Games Workshop of 'gender flipping' characters for 'woke points'.

He said: 'The issue with Warhammer and Custodes is the lie. They could have changed it all they wanted.

'But they decided to lie and pretend it was that way all along. That lie is part of an insidious malignant ideology that throws away all reason and fact. That is the part that is dangerous.'

Another enthusiast posted: 'That's all it is. Many don't care about female Custodes - they are upset with lack of respect, upset with the disregard being shown.

'And it feels like it's going beyond that, it's starting to feel like outright contempt for the fans.'

It was also suggested: 'The decision was clearly made to intentionally cause friction and nothing else.

'As multiple people point out: The Sisters of Battle and Sisters of Silence already exist as powerfully portrayed female factions. They are under-represented and nobody would actually mind if anyone wanted to improve them.'

Critics were also condemned in response, however, with remarks such as 'The issue seems more like you're afraid of women' and 'Getting this worked up about a retcon is intensely pathetic behaviour'.

It was revealed in August 2022 that British actor Cavill would star in and executive produce a new series for Amazon based on Warhammer 40,000.

The game is set 40,000 years in the future where human civilization has stopped evolving in the midst of a never-ending war with an alien species and demons.

Militaristic humans involved in it are known as the Imperium of Man, while other species include skeletal androids dubbed Necron, elves known as Aeldari, aliens called Tyranids and blue-skinned aliens named T'au.

The game's inception dates back to 1982, when Rick Priestley joined Citadel Miniatures - a subsidiary of Games Workshop - and came up with Warhammer Fantasy Battle which was released the following year.

Cavill has spoken about being a big fan and painting his own miniature figures. 

Meanwhile, Warhammer owner Games Workshop came under fire earlier this year after teaming up with a video game company with ties to Russia.

The company stopped selling its fantasy figurines in Russia soon after Vladimir Putin launched his invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

But it emerged that Games Workshop was licensing its intellectual property to Cyprus-based studio Owlcat Games, which has Russian investors.

Owlcat released a game called Rogue Trader last December on platforms including Sony's PlayStation and Microsoft's Xbox.

The game's branding features the Warhammer logo prominently and is designated as an 'official licensed product', indicating Games Workshop's stamp of approval.

A statement from the Moral Rating Agency, an organisation that collects data on companies doing business in Russia, said: 'People who play Warhammer or other Owlcat games are indirectly supporting Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

'Games Workshop could have chosen to license to a partner without Russian links.'

And a spokesman for B4Ukraine, a group aiming to stop global firms dealing with Russia, said: 'This is shameful corporate behaviour.'

Games Workshop did not respond to requests for comment at the time. MailOnline has also contacted the firm today over the Adeptus Custodes update.