Hive City

The vast vertical cities of Warhammer 40,000, from slum-ridden depths to the spires.

In the Warhammer 40,000 universe hive cities are huge urban agglomerations set apart by their size, in both height and population. They are built on foundations sunk deep into a planet's crust and can stretch miles into the sky.

Quick Facts

Setting: Warhammer 40,000
Upper levels: The spires
Best-known example: Necromunda

Lore & Background

Most of a hive city's area is given over to manufactories, and living conditions for the workers are poor. The lower levels are consumed by gang violence, overcrowding and disease, while the upper levels, the spires, house wealthy aristocrats with sunlight and luxuries. The best-known hive cities are those of Necromunda, the setting of several spin-off games. The term itself describes a vertical city or arcology as dense and organised as a beehive.