According to its developers, Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War IV goes back to what worked in the 2004 original: base building, economy, research and big armies. From Dawn of War II and III it borrows commanders, upgrades and parts of the interface. It is also the first entry not made by Relic Entertainment but by KING Art Games from Bremen. The game launches on 3 December 2026, so everything about gameplay below comes from developer announcements and pre-release previews, as of 10 November 2026.
The series at a glance
The table covers the games you can buy on Steam today. The year is the original release year. Czech support follows Steam as of 10 November 2026.
| Game | Year | Studio | Focus | Czech on Steam |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dawn of War | 2004 | Relic Entertainment | base building, large armies | yes (Anniversary Edition) |
| Dawn of War II | 2009 | Relic Entertainment | small squads and tactics, no classic base | yes (Anniversary Edition) |
| Dawn of War III | 2017 | Relic Entertainment | bases return, stronger multiplayer focus | yes |
| Dawn of War – Definitive Edition | 2025 | Relic Entertainment | remaster of the original with all expansions | yes |
| Dawn of War IV | 2026 | KING Art Games | bases, economy and big armies like the original | no |
A new studio: KING Art instead of Relic
Relic Entertainment developed the first three games. Dawn of War IV is the first in the series from a different studio. KING Art Games is an independent studio from Bremen, Germany, that has been making games for almost 25 years. Its previous RTS is Iron Harvest, set in an alternate 1920s with dieselpunk mechs. The publisher is Deep Silver.
The developers describe the new game as a “modern interpretation of the first Dawn of War”. They call the original their “guiding star” and, by their own account, keep asking “What would Dawn of War 1 do?” during design. The short version is in our game overview.
Versus Dawn of War 1: same core, bigger fights
The original is the template. According to the developers, base building is back, along with capturing and upgrading resource points (Requisition and Power), commanding squads and research. The new piece is the Combat Director. Sync kills, the synchronised combat animations, already existed in the first game, but only for finishing blows. Dawn of War IV syncs every fight, the developers say, with more than 10,000 combinations.
The story connects too. The game is set on the planet Kronus roughly 200 years after Dawn of War: Dark Crusade, the expansion to the original. Gorgutz and the Blood Ravens return, but the developers call it a new story with familiar faces rather than a direct sequel. Black Library author John French is writing it. More in our campaign guide.
Versus Dawn of War 2: back to big armies
Dawn of War II focused on small squads and tactics instead of large armies and base building. Dawn of War IV heads the other way, back to the large battles of the original. It still takes two things from the second game: commanders with wargear and the Last Stand mode.
Last Stand comes straight from Dawn of War II. In the new game, according to the developers, 3 players face 20 waves, each controlling a commander with wargear, and each can now bring up to 4 escort units. Progression unlocks wargear and units rather than raw stat boosts. All modes are covered in our game modes guide.
Versus Dawn of War 3: a different emphasis
Dawn of War III brought back base building and larger armies. According to PC Gamer and PCGamesN, though, it launched with a criticised campaign, a heavier multiplayer focus and elements that resembled a MOBA. Dawn of War IV, the developers say, builds on the economy and armies of the original and takes mainly commanders, upgrades and parts of the interface from the second and third games.
The campaign is front and centre again. The developers promise four separate campaigns, one per faction, that weave into a single story, with more than 70 missions in total. You can play them solo or in co-op with a friend.
Factions: fewer, but with newcomers
The original in its Anniversary Edition offers 9 factions and 4 campaigns with all expansions. Dawn of War IV launches with 4 playable factions: Space Marines, Orks, Necrons and Adeptus Mechanicus. The Space Marines come in two chapters, Blood Ravens and Dark Angels.
- Adeptus Mechanicus is playable in the series for the first time.
- Dark Angels are also new to the series.
- Necrons have not been playable since Dark Crusade.
- Orks and Blood Ravens are series regulars.
How each faction plays according to the developers is broken down in our factions guide.
Crusade: a nod to Dark Crusade
The Crusade mode is inspired by the Dark Crusade expansion. According to the developers, it is an endless mode with a turn-based map of Kronus, Action Points, Strike Forces and Requisition. Units keep their experience between battles and weaker clashes resolve automatically. A typical Crusade should last 8 to 10 hours. Crusade arrives for free after launch as part of the Year One plan.
The Definitive Edition is not Dawn of War IV
Easy to mix up. Dawn of War – Definitive Edition was released by Relic Entertainment on 14 August 2025. It is a remaster of the original with all expansions, priced at €28.49 on the Czech Steam store as of 10 November 2026. It is a different game from Dawn of War IV. If you want the original Dark Crusade that the new game builds on, that is where you find it, on the Definitive Edition page. Dawn of War IV has its own Steam page.
Languages
Full voice-over in Dawn of War IV is English only. Interface and subtitles are available in 12 more languages according to Steam. The older games list Czech interface and subtitles on Steam, the new one does not.
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FAQ
According to the developers, like the first: base building, economy, research and large armies. From the second and third games it takes commanders, upgrades and parts of the interface, plus Last Stand from Dawn of War II.
KING Art Games from Bremen, the studio behind Iron Harvest. It is the first game in the series not made by Relic Entertainment. Deep Silver publishes it.
It is set on Kronus about 200 years after Dark Crusade, with Gorgutz and the Blood Ravens back. The developers call it a new story with familiar faces, not a direct sequel.
No. The 2025 Definitive Edition is Relic’s remaster of the original game. Dawn of War IV is a new game from KING Art Games.
Partly. Orks and Blood Ravens are series regulars, Necrons return for the first time since Dark Crusade, and Adeptus Mechanicus and Dark Angels are new.
Information verified on 10 November 2026. We will update this article after launch and expand the comparison based on the full game. More guides are in our guides section.