Textbook manufacturers should theoretically fact check their contents for accuracy. Unfortunately for Oxford University Press, a prominent error in its English File Elementary Student's Book 3rd Edition textbook mixing World of Warcraft with Warhammer slipped through, one that an attentive gamer noticed.
Reddit user Zsomo was amused when they turned to page 88 in the textbook they use to teach and discovered the mislabeled image in section 11C. What appears to be a trio of Warhammer space marines from the Dawn of War era charge forward under a World of Warcraft banner.
The franchises share a common ancestor, in that their origins were influenced by their creators' love for J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth, as described in Lord of the Rings. They both have orcs as playable races, in one capacity or another, but that is about as far as the resemblance goes.
Blizzard's World of Warcraft multiverse uses a fantasy setting, with the main tools of war consisting of blades and magic. The setting came to embody its MMORPG in 2004, and has blossomed into a franchise that is so popular that Blizzard made it company policy not to discuss World of Warcraft subscriber counts.
Games Workshop approaches the Warhammer setting from a science fiction perspective, with the main tools of war consisting mostly of battlemechs and guns made for a modern or post-modern era. Most of Warhammer 40k gameplay takes place not on players' computers, but through painted miniatures set out on a table. While it is true that Games Workshop wants to put out more Warhammer AAA video games, it is unlikely the franchise will ever step away from its plastic roots.
The error made in the Oxford University Press textbook is glaring, but also makes a fun story for those who want to talk about the possibility of space marines invading World of Warcraft.