Warhammer Survivors Campaigns: 40K vs Age of Sigmar Compared

Quick answer: you pick a universe before every run, and nothing you earn crosses over. Characters, upgrades, and unlocks are locked to the universe you earned them in, with only a few passive abilities appearing in both. PC Gamer, after 10 hours with the demo, summed it up as two spin-offs collected inside a single game. So treat the 40K and Age of Sigmar campaigns as two separate grinds that happen to share a launcher, and pick your first universe by setting taste, not by chasing a power advantage that does not exist.

• Two campaigns ship at launch on November 10: Warhammer 40,000 and Warhammer Age of Sigmar.
• Progress is independent per universe: roster, upgrades, unlocks, and achievements stay where you earned them.
• Only some passive abilities are shared between the two sides.
• New players should start with whichever setting they like more; the demo gives each universe at least one full stage to try.

How the Universe Select Works

Every run starts one step earlier than in Vampire Survivors: you choose a universe first, then a character inside it. That choice gates everything that follows. The roster screen, the upgrade pool on level-up, the stages on offer, and the unlock track all belong to the universe you picked. IGN's hands-on preview describes the two sides as having their own stages and achievements, calling them effectively two separate games under one roof.

As of the demo (October 2026), each universe offers at least one playable stage: a Tyranid-consumed battlefield on the 40K side and the plains of Aqshy on the Age of Sigmar side, plus a Hobby Table stage themed around a real tabletop desk with paint pots and measuring tape. The officially announced full game is bigger, with 40-plus characters, 75-plus weapons, and more than 15 stages cited as official figures, but the exact per-universe split at launch on November 10 is unconfirmed.

Official source: Warhammer Survivors on Steam

What Is Separate and What Carries Over

This is the question every new player asks, so here is the complete answer in one table, assembled from PC Gamer's demo testing and IGN's hands-on preview.

Unlocks do not. If you want the full roster of both settings, expect to grind both campaigns from zero.

For the systems around that grind, read the meta progression guide on gold and relics, and the achievements overview for how the two separate achievement tracks work.

The 40K Campaign at a Glance

The 40K side is the grimdark future: boltguns, chainswords, and battlefields being digested by the Tyranid Hive Mind. Your demo entry point is Malum Caedo, the Boltgun protagonist, who opens with a Chainsword. Rescuing Trooper Bartosz Kozlowski from a map event adds a Lasgun ally to your squad, which is the fastest way to feel the ally system click. Our Malum Caedo guide walks through that opening in full.

Confirmed faces on the 40K roster so far:

Enemies here hit a specific flavor. Tyranid Warriors project a synapse aura that enrages lesser Tyranids around them, so sniping the big brains first is the correct priority. Orks can trigger a WAAAGH, spawning in greater numbers while getting faster and stronger. Expect ranged gunlines backed by expendable Guardsmen allies to feel natural here; upgrading Kozlowski's Lasgun eventually lets him fight alongside fellow Astra Militarum troopers, per PC Gamer's demo testing.

Official source: Warhammer Survivors launches November 10, new characters revealed

The Age of Sigmar Campaign at a Glance

The Age of Sigmar side trades gothic battlefields for the Mortal Realms: warpstone glow, shrieking Skaven packs, and heroes who fight like fantasy legends. Your demo entry point is Neave Blacktalon, whose Tempest Axes pair with the Sabaton movement passive to evolve into the lightning-wreathed Whirlwind Axes. Our Neave Blacktalon guide covers that recipe step by step.

Confirmed faces on the Age of Sigmar roster so far:

The signature enemy here is the Skaven rat-pack: dense, fast, and glowing with warpstone green. Lyssa's Rope and Grapnel drags enemies together, which pairs naturally with area damage, and her evolved banshee mist (granted through her mentor Rhea) detonates the clumps you build. Our enemy factions guide compares all three confirmed factions side by side.

Which Universe Should You Play First

There is no confirmed power gap between the two campaigns, so neither side is the correct competitive pick. Pick by taste, then commit long enough to unlock that side's core tools.

Two warnings from demo testing apply whichever side you choose. First, PC Gamer found the early game tougher than Vampire Survivors, with fights escalating faster and healing feeling scarcer. Second, IGN noted that evolution combinations are hard to look up in-game, so keep our weapon evolution guide open while you play. If you are still deciding whether to install the demo, the demo download guide has the Steam and Xbox links, and the beginner guide covers surviving your first five minutes.

What We Still Do Not Know

Pre-launch honesty matters more than confident guesses, so here is the boundary of confirmed knowledge as of the demo (October 2026). Whether gold, relics, and other meta-progression unlocks are shared across universes has not been stated anywhere: not in the demo, not on the Steam page, and not in any preview. The full achievements list is unannounced beyond the confirmed fact that the tracks are separate. The exact stage count per universe is unannounced beyond the official more-than-15 figure for the whole game. And anything resembling a roadmap, DLC plan, or multiplayer mode is entirely unconfirmed; the Steam page classifies the game as single-player.

For the full confirmed roster across both sides, see the characters roster. For launch timing and pricing, the release date and price guide has the November 10 details.

FAQ

Do Warhammer Survivors campaigns share progress between 40K and Age of Sigmar?

No. Characters, upgrades, unlocks, stages, and achievements are all specific to the universe you earned them in. Only some passive abilities appear in both universes. Budget your time as two separate grinds.

Which campaign is better for beginners, 40K or Age of Sigmar?

Neither is confirmed easier. Newcomers to the genre should start with 40K and Malum Caedo, since the Chainsword opening teaches spacing quickly. Players who want the clearest lesson in weapon evolution should start with Neave Blacktalon on the Age of Sigmar side and build toward Whirlwind Axes.

Do I need to play both universes to finish the game?

Each campaign is self-contained, so you can finish one side's content without touching the other. Completionists chasing the full roster and both achievement tracks will need to play both, since nothing unlocks across the divide.

Will my demo progress carry into the November 10 launch?

That has not been confirmed as of the demo (October 2026). Neither Auroch Digital nor the store pages have stated whether demo unlocks transfer, so assume a fresh start until an official announcement says otherwise.

Related Guides

• Beginner guide and tips - surviving your first runs in either universe, whichever you pick first.
• Characters roster - every officially named hero on both sides with starting weapons.
• Achievements overview - how the two independent achievement tracks work per universe.
• Ally squad system - rescue and recruitment rules that behave the same in both campaigns.
• Stages and paint pots - Aqshy, Space Hulk corridors, and the Hobby Table map.