Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War IV
A new Dawn of War returns to Kronus with four factions.
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War IV is an upcoming real-time strategy game from King Art Games and Deep Silver, set to launch on Windows PC via Steam on December 3, 2026. As the fourth main entry in the Dawn of War series, it marks a shift in developer: King Art, the German studio behind Iron Harvest, takes over from Relic Entertainment.
The action returns to Kronus, the planet featured in *Dark Crusade*. At release, players can choose from four factions—Space Marines, Adeptus Mechanicus, Necrons, and Orks—each with its own abilities and a unique campaign. Critical choices made during certain segments alter the campaign’s path, unlocking missions that only appear on subsequent playthroughs. Beyond the story, the game includes Skirmish mode and a revamped Last Stand mode, which returns from *Dawn of War II*. The campaign supports two-player cooperative play, while competitive multiplayer offers 1v1, 2v2, and 3v3 matches.
In missions, players command units in direct combat, building and reinforcing bases, capturing requisition points to expand their reach, and managing resources for research, recruitment, and deployment. A cover system reduces damage for units behind obstacles, and an expanded Sync Kill system synchronizes melee animations between opponents. Accumulated resources unlock powerful stratagems—for example, Space Marines can call orbital bombardments to wipe out enemy units and structures. A "Painter" tool allows extensive unit customization.
Development began after Games Workshop invited King Art to pitch for the series during the making of *Iron Harvest*. Creative director Jan Theysen noted that the original *Dawn of War* and its large-scale, prolonged battles served as key inspiration. King Art aimed to modernize the franchise with a "combat director," an evolution of the original Sync Kill system. The returning Last Stand mode was redesigned to be less hero-focused and less similar to a MOBA. John French wrote the story, set 200 years after the original game and *Dark Crusade*, following Cyrus and Jonah as they return to Kronus to rebuild their chapter. The time jump allowed the team to use the updated Warhammer 40,000 setting, though the narrative is largely self-contained with minimal impact on the wider universe.
Quick Facts
- Title
- Warhammer 40,000: / Dawn of War IV
- Developer
- King Art Games
- Publisher
- Deep Silver
- Platforms
- Windows
- Engine
- Unity
- Released
- December 3, 2026
- Director
- Jan Theysen
- Designer
- Elliott Verbiest
- Writer
- John French
- Series
- Warhammer 40,000
- Genre
- Real-time strategy
- Modes
- Single-player, multiplayer
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Set 200 years after the original game and its expansion Dark Crusade, Dawn of War IV continues the story of Cyrus and Jonah as they return to Kronus to rebuild their chapter. The time jump allows the team to use the updated version of Warhammer 40,000 as their setting, though the narrative is largely self-contained with little to no effects on the wider world. John French was hired to write the game's story.
The game features four factions at launch: Space Marines, Adeptus Mechanicus, Necrons, and Orks. Adeptus Mechanicus were added because they had never appeared in previous Dawn of War games, while Necrons were added because they were briefly teased at the end of Dawn of War III. Each faction has distinct abilities and unique campaigns. In certain segments, players must make critical decisions that alter the course of the campaign, meaning some missions appear only when players make different choices in a subsequent playthrough.
The original Dawn of War game and its focus on large-scale, drawn-out battles were a major source of inspiration. King Art also wanted to modernize the franchise, introducing the 'combat director', an evolution of the original game's Sync Kill system. Last Stand from Dawn of War II returns, though it was designed to be less 'hero-centric' and 'less MOBA-like'.
Reader's Guide
Dawn of War IV represents a significant shift for the series, as development moved from Relic Entertainment to King Art Games, a studio best known for Iron Harvest. The game was announced at Gamescom in August 2025, originally set for release on September 17, 2026, before being delayed to December 3 the same year. Players who purchased the Commander Edition can access the game on November 30.
Gameplay is played from a top-down perspective, with players commanding units to engage in direct confrontations and complete objectives. Base construction and reinforcement, capturing requisition points, and resource allocation for research, recruiting, and deploying units are core mechanics. A cover system allows units to take less damage when behind cover, and the expanded Sync Kill system synchronizes melee animations between opposing units. Stratagems, such as the Space Marines' orbital bombardment, can be used by accumulating resources. Units can be extensively customized using the 'Painter' tool.
The campaign can be played cooperatively with another player, and the game offers three competitive multiplayer modes: 1v1, 2v2, and 3v3. Additional modes include Skirmish and Last Stand. King Art Games planned to support the game with downloadable content packs, and introduce a fifth playable faction and a campaign extension during its first year of release.
Did You Know?
- Dawn of War IV is the first game in the series not developed by Relic Entertainment, instead being developed by King Art Games.
- The game is set 200 years after the original Dawn of War and its expansion Dark Crusade.
- The game was delayed from September 17, 2026 to December 3, 2026.
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