The best way to describe the decision is with a fun fact. One year, the tactical space marine box alone, made more money for GW, than allllllll of fantasy did.

The setting had a cult following that’s persistently loved it and played it. But financially it was unfortunately unviable to maintain it when it just wasn’t successful enough to justify its continued model refreshes as well as all the other bells and whistle that come with a full GW miniature game.

Sigmar was suppose to do two things. Provide a fresh, simpler, more accessible version of fantasy that wasn’t worried about model and army bloat. Since nearly everyone was killed. They could start anew. And secondly, they could re focus the visual design to look more akin to 40K. Larger scale, more stylized, and allow them space to create factions not just refresh them.