What's Up With Warhammer 40K Fans Debating About Female Adeptus Custodes? The Controversy And Memes About 'Femstodes' Explained

The Warhammer 40K fandom has been embroiled in a bit of a culture war this past week after Games Workshop, the creators of Warhammer 40,000 and other table-top games (TTG) like Warhammer Fantasy, slipped in a brief paragraph and short story about female members of the Custodes faction in the recently released 10th Edition Codex — as well as a contentious tweet.

The Adeptus Custodes have historically been an all-male cadre of genetically engineered warriors as per Warhammer lore and general headcanon among fans, so the introduction of female members had enthusiasts split in their reactions to the news with some calling it a massive retcon.

While some people were pretty blasé if not overly excited about the idea of lean, mean female Imperial bodyguards, others saw the update to the game's lore as petty pandering bordering on "woke" (some going as far as calling the game "Wokehammer").

Here's everything you need to know about "Femstodes" and how the Warhammer community is reacting to the news.

Who Are The 'Adeptus Custodes' And When Were Female Custodes Introduced To 'Warhammer 40K' Lore?

In Warhammer 40,000 lore, the Adeptus Custodes (or the "Ten Thousand") are the top-tier guards and warriors created to protect the Emperor of Mankind, who's the leader of the Imperium.

The elite army of genetically enhanced transhumans are regarded as the deadliest warriors in the Warhammer galaxy, and up until this year, they were largely thought to all be male, similar to the Space Marines. Additionally, most references to the group so far described them as "men," "brothers" or similar terminology.

However, earlier this month, Games Workshop announced preorders for merchandise related to the Orks and Adeptus Custodes, including codexes for the 10th Edition of the TTG.

The book that accompanied the new codexes for the Custodes saw the introduction of female Custodes, a first in the history of the game (though there are many other females in the universe outside of this specific group).

This fact was then confirmed by Games Workshop on April 14th with the official Warhammer account on X / Twitter replying to a query about female Custodes by saying, "Since the first of the Ten Thousand were created, there have always been female Custodians."

This tweet subsequently kicked the whole topic into overdrive as mass discourse and infighting among 40K fans erupted online, which is still ongoing as more and more people weigh in.

How Did 'Warhammer' Fans React To The Introduction Of 'Femstodes'?

Initial kneejerk reactions to the news about the existence of female Custodians had Warhammer fans ricocheted back to the female Space Marines debates of 2020 when the community argued back and forth about whether the idea of women in the super-soldier human cohort of deadly warriors was acceptable or not.

Some people saw the introduction of Femstodes as Games Workshop botching the game's lore about gene editing, and others joked that the move was "gaslighting" fans who are known for poring over the most minute details in the game.

But over on Reddit, many players seemed more receptive to the idea of updates in the game's lore, even if they didn't seem to be taking the news all that seriously.

Memes about the update on Reddit ranged from people agreeing that female Custodes didn't mess with the game's lore the way female Space Marines would have and others joking about how they wouldn't get mad online over "Wardollies."

While some voiced outspoken opinions decrying the move as pandering to "wokeism" and other controversial topics, others merely disagreed with the way that Games Workshop introduced women to the Adeptus Custodes, claiming the company once again fumbled the introduction of something that otherwise would've been fine.

How Did People Fit The Idea Of Female Custodes Into The Game's Lore?

Numerous YouTubers issued their reactions and responses to the new Codex and talked about how they saw the introduction of Female Custodians fitting into existing Warhammer 40K lore since the announcement.

Given that the Custodians were created not just to be warriors but also the Emperor's intelligent companions, some people thought that having women in the cadre made sense, with many noting their existence is entirely possible within the lore — unlike the Space Marines that are restricted to males within the rules of the universe (at least as it's currently understood).

That being said, many 40K YouTubers were less sympathetic to the way Games Workshop (GW) perceivably forced the retcon upon the universe, with YouTuber Luetin09 uploading a video that dove into the issues with such a jarring change and how things like this can disrupt continuity.

Much like other well-known YouTubers such as Bricky, Luetin noted that many fans have no issue with the idea of "Femstodes," just the way GW rolled it out. Many, like Bricky for example, also explained that this is far from the first time a major retcon has hit the universe from GW.

What Are Some Memes People Made About Femstodes?

Since the new lore update, countless memes have erupted online ranging from people fantasizing about "10-foot dommy mommies" to critics claiming it ruined their interest in 40K entirely. As with any viral debate among a fandom, there are also plenty of jokes mocking the opposing takes on both sides of the argument.

For the full history of the Warhammer 40K Femstodes Debate, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for more information.