Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War IV is an upcoming real-time strategy game developed by KING Art and published by Deep Silver, under license from Games Workshop. It is the fourth main entry in the Dawn of War series and is described by its developer as a return to the series' classic roots, combining base building, territory control, and large-scale squad combat. The game is set on the planet Kronus and was first announced at Gamescom in August 2025.
The game launches on September 17, 2026 for PC (Windows) only. No console, Mac, or Linux versions have been announced. Players who purchase the Commander Edition receive three days of advanced access, beginning around September 14, 2026. For full details on the available editions and pre-order bonuses, see Release Date and Editions.
Pre-Release Note
This article covers an upcoming game that has not yet released. All information here reflects what has been officially confirmed before launch, and some details may change before the game ships. Specifics such as unit rosters, stratagem effects, branching campaign outcomes, and system requirements are either preview-level or have not yet been announced, and are described as such throughout the wiki.
Premise
The story is set on the embattled planet Kronus, some 200 years after the events of Dawn of War: Dark Crusade, which the developer uses only as a timeline anchor. A tear in reality known as the Great Rift has split the galaxy, plunging the wider setting into turmoil. The Blood Ravens Space Marine Chapter is left stranded and arrives at Kronus seeking to rebuild itself, only to uncover a sinister threat that endangers the entire sub-sector. For the full setting and narrative breakdown, see Story and Setting.
At the same time, an Adeptus Mechanicus expedition uncovers what it first believes to be a tomb on Kronus, then realizes is something far more dangerous: a prison. The question of what the prison was built to contain draws every faction to the planet, setting the stage for a four-way war. This central mystery ties together the game's separate campaigns.
Factions
Dawn of War IV ships with four playable Factions at launch, each with its own units, buildings, and playstyle:
Space Marines: playable as two distinct Chapters, the Blood Ravens and the Dark Angels. The Dark Angels Primarch Lion El'Jonson becomes playable at the campaign's climax, billed as the very first playable Warhammer 40,000 Primarch to appear in any video game.
Adeptus Mechanicus: the tech-priests of Mars make their series debut here, having never before been playable in a Dawn of War game.
Necrons: the ancient, undying robotic legions return as a playable faction.
Orks: the brutal, ever-warring greenskins round out the launch roster.
A fifth faction is planned to arrive after launch through the paid AFTERMATH expansion. That faction has not been named or shown, and is covered as a planned addition under Post-Launch Roadmap and DLC.
Campaign
The game features more than 70 campaign missions across four full campaigns, one for each launch faction. Each campaign can be played solo or in two-player co-op, and all four feed into a single overarching narrative. KING Art describes the Campaign as non-linear, with long-reaching decisions that influence how events unfold. The game includes over 40 minutes of fully animated in-game cinematics, and each campaign opens with its own CGI introduction.
Game Modes
Beyond the campaign, Dawn of War IV offers a range of Game Modes for solo and competitive play:
Mode | Description |
|---|---|
Four faction campaigns playable solo or in two-player co-op, all feeding one overarching story. | |
Custom battles against AI opponents. | |
A returning horde and survival mode. | |
Competitive player-versus-player matches in 1v1, 2v2, and 3v3 formats at launch. | |
A turn-based meta-campaign returning as free post-launch content. |
Of these, Crusade Mode is planned as free post-launch content rather than a launch feature. See Post-Launch Roadmap and DLC for the timing.
Core Mechanics
Dawn of War IV returns to classic real-time strategy fundamentals while layering in series-specific systems. The game is built around base building, capturing and upgrading resource points, and territory control, supported by cover and garrison buildings during battle. In total it features over 110 units and buildings across its factions.
System | Summary |
|---|---|
Construct bases, then capture, control, and upgrade resource points to fuel your war effort. | |
An expanded sync-kill choreography system that stages dramatic finishing moves for all participants in combat. | |
Units that survive battles grow more powerful over time through veterancy. | |
A unit painter that lets players customize the look of their forces. | |
Powerful off-map abilities; specific effects are preview-level and not yet fully detailed. | |
Hero leaders for your forces, central to several modes and post-launch scenarios. |
Editions and Roadmap
The game is offered in a Standard Edition and a Commander Edition. The Commander Edition bundles the base game with the Blood Ravens Story Prologue, the AFTERMATH campaign expansion (which adds a new faction after launch), a digital soundtrack, and three-day early access. Both editions include a 10% pre-order discount. No price has been confirmed. A full comparison appears in Release Date and Editions.
After launch, KING Art has announced a Year One plan of free downloadable content running from Fall 2026 to Spring 2027, alongside paid expansions. The free content is planned to include the Crusade Mode, new map packs, a mission editor, and new Commander scenarios. The full plan, including which items are free and which are paid, is detailed in Post-Launch Roadmap and DLC.
Development
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War IV is developed by KING Art, the German studio previously known for Iron Harvest, and published by Deep Silver, part of PLAION. The game is produced under license from Games Workshop, holder of the Warhammer 40,000 intellectual property. John French serves as writer on the project. The game was revealed at Gamescom in August 2025.