Just passed local Games Workshop and came across the new Blood Bowl set up there in the store! Couldn't buy straight away, but it's available on pre-order, out in two weeks!
Had a good look though. I learned a few things:
The Blood Bowl box itself will cost £65 (contains core rules, Human & Orc teams, dice, templates, pitch/board, dugouts, team/player cards and special play cards) It's has already been shared on fumbbl, but unboxing video here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZP2u1ePaHc&t=4s
The boards with dugouts and everything surrounding are surprisingly big! Seems bigger than the last release. The squares comfortably fit in the miniature bases, with no protrusion.
GW staff said all GW will release is the box itself , a supplement called 'Season One', and Skaven miniatures. Other than this GW do not plan to support with further products, i.e. miniatures for other teams.
GW guy said Season One will have rosters/rules for other teams. I inquired whether Season One is the equivalent of Death Zone in previous release, with teams, extra rules and Special Play Cards, but he didn't know (dude was younger than me and what I estimate are the majority of fumbbl coaches - guys whose teen years were in/around the 1990s - though this may be changing since release of Cynadide's Blood Bowl 2?)
Miniatures for other teams will be released by a third party company, which as far as I remember will be Fantasy Forge.
The game comes with at least two decks of special play cards. One of these is Random Events, which aren't currently implemented on fumbbl. Had a look, and many or even most seem to involve crowd in some way, such as favouring one team with throw in direction, and even exerting tackle zones on sidelines, two squares deep!
Another set of special play cards will be delivered with pre-orders. Other promos involve raffling BB cardboard standups similar to the kind you see in cinema lobbies.
Those are the main facts I can recall. My own subjective opinion is that the aesthetics of the new book, templates, cards and miniatures aren't as cool as the previous release. Plastic miniatures will never be as good as metal, and all blitzers having metal claws isn't how I picture things personally. Hoping Fantasy Forge can maybe do better. The old acetate templates were clear and durable. Not as convinced about these new brittle plastic frames.
These are minor gripes though. Overall, it looks great!