The release of Warhammer 40000: Dawn of War – Definitive Edition turned out to be not just a nod to the classics, but also a signal for a potential revival of the series. And so it happened — a direct sequel was announced at Gamescom 2025! The new game is being developed not by Relic Entertainment, but by KING art, famous for the strategy game Iron Harvest. We have gathered the information currently available to speculate on what the game might be like in the end.
She Whose Name Must Not Be Mentioned
The craftsmen from Relic Entertainment were famous for their ability to create high-quality strategies. The Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War series they created was replete with pathos, interesting and varied gameplay for asymmetrical factions, bringing life to models for the tabletop game, as well as bloody battles where the losers are mercilessly finished off. The result had a huge impact on the gaming community and played a significant role in popularizing the Warhammer 40000 universe among gamers.
Relic's love for experimentation backfired when working on Warhammer 40000: Dawn of War 3. Fans of the series suspected something was wrong when they saw the more cartoonish visual style, which looked more like a representative of mobile donation dumps. Those who were familiar with the inside of the universe grabbed their hearts when Gabriel Angelos, the master of the Blood Ravens order, somersaulted in Terminator armor. Only the Emperor himself is capable of pulling off such a trick!
In reality, everything turned out even worse. Players faced a sad technical condition when the game did not respond to commands properly. The gameplay was a mixture of the first and second parts of Dawn of War, where the mechanics used were simplified to the point of obscenity. The plot was striking in its banality, which is an achievement – the story missions of Dawn of War never grabbed stars from the sky, but they still drew you into what was happening.
The final nail in the coffin was the disgusting balance. The game turned into a MOBA, where heroic units destroyed entire armies of standard fighters.
The reaction to the game was so negative that it was abandoned almost immediately after its release. The crushing failure made people think that the series was dead and no new parts would be seen. Fans collectively agreed that the story ended in the second part, while the third never existed.
New Player – Old Rules
Suddenly, the community was struck by the news that work was underway on a new part of Dawn of War. This time, the game is being developed not by Relic Entertainment, but by King art — the developers are famous for the strategy game Iron Harvest. The latter takes place in an alternate history of the 1920s, where giant mechs of the most unusual design fight alongside ordinary soldiers. Iron Harvest received positive reviews, but never became a cult classic. However, it can be said with certainty that the developers know their business, and they have a chance to correct the mistakes of the "non-existent third part" of Dawn of War.
Representatives of King art stated that they respect the Warhammer 40000 universe and are going to follow the original source as accurately as possible. The plot of Dawn of War 4 should become the heir to Dawn of War – Dark Crusade. The events of the fourth part take place 200 years after the events of "Dark Crusade", where a bloody war will begin again for the fate of the planet Kronus.
The campaign consists of 70 missions, which are divided between the participants in the conflict. Decisions made during the passage are important and have story consequences. The developers also advise completing the campaigns in a certain order, where the orcs become the first participants in the conflict.
Currently, the presence of four main factions has been announced:
Blood Ravens
The Blood Ravens are an order of space marines that became popular thanks to the Dawn of War series. This faction is famous for its expensive and powerful fighters, who are able to land directly into the thick of the battle.
The trailer can be called daring, because it pierced Cyrus, who decided to replace the scout armor with standard space marine power armor — and he plays a significant role in Dawn of War 2! The character was loved by fans thanks to his charismatic voice, experience fighting tyranids and the ability to criticize the authorities. News of his death is almost certainly exaggerated, as he appears in screenshots on the game's Steam page.
The developers stated that the updated Blood Ravens not only have features from previous parts, but also have the ability to change weapons in the heat of battle. They also use contempt for the enemy, which only intensifies in particularly fierce skirmishes.
Alas, now the ranks of the Blood Ravens consist not of firstborn, but of primaris – space marines, who are better than the Emperor's creation in all respects. It is only pleasing that we are talking about Dawn of War, and the terrible creation of Games Workshop can be turned into minced meat when playing for other factions.
Orks
Playing as greenskins promises to be fun and crazy. The principle of the game is little different from the first part: create as many "boyz" as possible and conduct aggressive expansion. A large number of orcs and their structures fill the WAAAAAGH!!! scale (prayer, battle cry and the name of a massive war among mushroom people), which makes them even stronger.
The WAAAAAGH!!! of the orcs on Kronus is led by Warboss Gorgutz — a charismatic character who has managed to be an actor in the Dawn of War series. Twice he successfully avoided death, and once even won a convincing victory over the Blood Ravens and the rest of his rivals. If anyone can put the primaris in their place, it's him!
Necrons
In the games of the series, the necrons belonged to the fourth edition. In essence, they were slow and evil metal skeletons that were very difficult to destroy. If they managed to get to the enemies, then it became painful and offensive for them. If the enemies got to the necrons first, then the metal skeletons were already sad. In battle, they were greatly helped by the Lord, who presented many unpleasant surprises to the enemy with his skills.
Modern necrons are fighting in Dawn of War 4. Their backbone still consists of slow and powerful warriors. But now they must be supported by specialists whose abilities compensate for this weakness.
Adeptus Mechanicus
Previously, representatives of the tech priests were not singled out as a separate faction. Perhaps the decision to add them was influenced by the popularity of the game Mechanicus, where warriors in red robes plundered the necron tomb. It is highly likely that these villains dug up the necron tomb on Kronus, which was buried in Dark Crusade — and now they will have to deal with the awakened ones.
It can be assumed that in battle this faction will use skitarii (augmented fighters) as the backbone of the army, and servitors as cannon fodder. Strategically, the adepts of the machine god should prove themselves in the construction of fortifications and attacking mechanisms. At best, the player will be allowed to control mighty titans!
If the game is successful, then additional factions will certainly be added to it. One of the first should be the Imperial Guard, since there are already hints of their presence — they will be encountered in the campaign. Next will be Chaos and Eldar – loyal and popular companions of any conflict in Dawn of War.
Rethinking Established Gameplay
The developers stated that the gameplay is based on the mechanics of the first two parts. The basis of the strategic component is taken from Dawn of War 1: the player must capture strategic points and build observation posts in their place to receive an influx of "influence", while generators are needed to produce energy. These two resources are used to build buildings, massive troops and conduct research.
The emphasis on the use of abilities in units and named characters has migrated from Dawn of War 2. Most likely, the RPG systems from the second part will also return.
The ability to strengthen squads with special units has been returned. In the Imperial Guard, you could attach a commissar to the squad, who motivated his charges by shooting them. Or you could attach a psyker who recognized invisibles and used his mighty abilities.
The return of shelters was very pleasing. It seems like a simple mechanic, but the ability to get a bonus for using shelters saturates the tactical component and immerses you in what is happening. The increasing rank of fighters fills you with hope that the heroes will not destroy them with one blow.
The developers are very proud of the new combat mechanic. In it, two fighters can come together in a deadly duel, which is accompanied by a unique animation of their collision, and not just "waving" in the air. The result of such a battle depends on the situation on the battlefield.
In visual terms, the emphasis in the trailers is on the color scheme and style of Dawn of War 3, but KING Art has already shown screenshots without interface and other effects — it looks like a dark future where there is only war! It remains to be hoped that fidelity to this rule will be maintained until the release.
Analysis
The decision to bring the Dawn of War series back to life is risky – given the justified skepticism. But the participation of developers from KING art in the resurrection process makes you look at the situation with optimism — they have enough experience to bring the matter to an end.
The materials shown say that the game will have exactly the mechanics that fans want to see. And if the developers manage to achieve success, then not only new ones, but also old participants will join the world of eternal war. To fight with renewed vigor for dominance over one unfortunate planet — as in the good old days!
Warhammer 40000: Dawn of War IV is scheduled for release in 2026.
