BSData, the community data project behind most third-party Warhammer list builders, has been deleted from GitHub after a DMCA request from Games Workshop. A member of the BSData team announced it on the project's Discord late on November 12, 2026. If you build your armies in a free app or play on Tabletop Simulator, this one affects you.
Published November 13, 2026. Based on the BSData team's own announcement and the discussion on r/WarhammerCompetitive. We'll update this page if Games Workshop or the app makers say more.
This is the next step after what we covered on November 4, when New Recruit removed the official Warhammer 40,000 rules text from its app "due to legal reasons". That time the apps kept working with their own wording. This time the data itself is gone.
What happened
On the evening of November 12, Jon K, known as "Alphalas", posted to everyone on the BSData Discord. The BSData team says it has voluntarily and fully deleted the entire BSData repository and organization from GitHub to comply with a DMCA request issued by Games Workshop Limited PLC. The message ended with "So long and thanks for all the fish!"
The news spread fast. By the morning of November 13, a post on r/WarhammerCompetitive by u/RyanGUK titled "BSData shut down by GW DMCA" had around 275 upvotes and over 320 comments. That post describes BSData as the data source used by the list-building apps, and by extension Tabletop Simulator, and says it has been wiped because of the DMCA.
| What | The BSData repository and organization on GitHub |
| Status | Fully deleted by the BSData team |
| When | Announced late on November 12, 2026 |
| Why, according to the team | To comply with a DMCA request from Games Workshop Limited PLC |
| Who it affects | Players using third-party list builders and Tabletop Simulator |
What BSData was
If you've never heard the name, you've probably still used it. BSData was a community project on GitHub where volunteers kept the data files for Warhammer games up to date: units, wargear, points and options. Those files sat behind BattleScribe, New Recruit and other list builders, and they also fed many Tabletop Simulator mods that let people play online.
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In practice, it meant that when a new codex or a balance update came out, the free apps could be updated quickly because the community had already typed everything in. For a lot of players, that's how they built every list.
What players lose
With the repository deleted, the shared, community-maintained source of that data is gone. What each app does next is up to the people who make it, and we don't want to guess. Some apps may have their own copies of the data, and some may not. The safest thing you can do right now is simple:
- Export or write down your saved lists from any third-party builder, so you don't lose your army if the app stops updating.
- Watch your app's own announcements before your next game or event.
- Tabletop Simulator players: check with your mod makers or your league organisers before you rely on a mod that used BSData.
What's left: the official app
The official Warhammer 40,000 app from Games Workshop is still there. Its Battle Forge section is a full army builder with points and enhancements, and the Reference section has datasheets and stratagems. It's what I use for my Ultramarines, and it's what we check our tactics articles against, because the app is the official source and it's kept up to date with balance changes.
The app doesn't replace everything the community tools did, especially for online play. But for building a legal list for your local store or a tournament, it does the job. You'll still want the books for your army: the Warhammer 40,000 Core Book for the core rules, and your faction's codex.
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Why this is happening
We don't know Games Workshop's reasons, and GW hasn't said anything publicly that we've seen. What we do know is what the BSData team said: they deleted everything to comply with a DMCA request from Games Workshop. Together with New Recruit dropping the official rules text earlier this month, it's clear that the free tools many players rely on are changing fast.
It's worth remembering that the rules and the data belong to Games Workshop, and they're within their rights to protect them. It's also worth remembering how much work the BSData volunteers put in over the years for free, and how many players got into the hobby through those free tools.
New to 40K? Start here
If all of this makes building a list feel harder, the easiest way in is still a Combat Patrol box: one army, ready to play, with the rules you need for it. Then use the official app for points as you grow your army.
Did you rely on BSData, and what are you switching to? Tell us on r/HolyWizy.
WIZY Blog is independent and not affiliated with or endorsed by Games Workshop.
Sources
- BSData Discord announcement by Jon K "Alphalas" (Nov 12, 2026), via r/WarhammerCompetitive reddit.com
- r/WarhammerCompetitive: "BSData shut down by GW DMCA" by u/RyanGUK reddit.com
Written by the WIZY creator
A lifelong gamer and Warhammer painter, and the maker of the WIZY RPG game. I write about games, hardware, Warhammer and crypto in plain English, and I check every fact against its source.
