Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War 4 preview – Oh, we are so back

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In 2025, the unveiling of “Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War 4″ was undeniably one of the year’s most exciting online surprises. Given my preferences, you can easily visualize the elation I felt upon discovering that the “unannounced RTS from a well-known IP” I scheduled a demo for was none other than the continuation of the series by King Art Games.

It’s surprising that the renowned series is now being handled by Iron Harvest developers and Deep Silver, rather than Relic Entertainment and SEGA – this shift likely occurred due to poor reception of Dawn of War 3 in 2017, which negatively impacted Relic’s reputation.

At Gamescom 2025, I noticed that the developers seemed to steer clear of discussing the troubled third installment in the series, similar to a forbidden topic that could potentially sully their fresh new product. Instead, the conversation was centered around “going back to basics” or returning to the original roots of the franchise. The upcoming game, Dawn of War 4, appears to draw heavily from the first title and incorporates certain aspects from the second one, like the Last Stand mode.

So, what does this translate to in gameplay? Essentially, base-building is making a comeback. During the demo, we were able to play as the Blood Ravens, who possess the ability to summon buildings from orbit. These structures fall into three main categories: production for creating units, research for technological advancements, and defense for protecting your base.

As you progress through the game in a manner similar to most Real-Time Strategy (RTS) games, you will unlock more advanced buildings and units by upgrading your resources, allowing you to start off with lighter units like Infiltrators and eventually move on to heavier units such as Terminator Dreadnoughts.

In this game, similar to previous versions, individual teams and groups can also undergo upgrades and customizations. For instance, you could outfit your squads with distinct weapon sets that alter their strength against various types of adversaries and affect fundamental attributes like attack range. Additionally, hero characters’ loadouts and abilities can be modified, enabling them to adapt effectively in combat scenarios.

Characters who are heroic aren’t the only ones with special abilities; even ordinary Space Marines possess talents like hurling frag grenades or acquiring stealth. Terminators also boast multiple skills, such as unleashing a barrage of missiles to obliterate an area or pinpointing a single target with grenade salvos. Every character seems valuable and significant; the more they grow in experience, the more customization options become available, making each one’s loss increasingly impactful as you become more invested in them.

Luckily, the retreat option has been reinstated, allowing injured units to dash back to HQ for reinforcements, restoring their strength. Meanwhile, units like the Terminator can be fixed right on the battlefield; however, it’s wise to safeguard them until they are repaired.

In contrast to the rapid pace of StarCraft 2, Dawn of War 4 isn’t quite as swift, but it’s also not the slow-moving game like Age of Sigmar: Realms of Ruin. There’s room for improvement in terms of movement speed, especially since Space Marines are known for their speed. However, the overall tempo is satisfactory; it provides enough time for strategic thinking and employing abilities before units are eliminated. It’s not a game where reaction speed determines the winner, but it’s neither so leisurely as to disregard mechanical skills. You can manage units, employ tactics like kiting to gain an advantage. The key is positioning your units effectively and deciding which unit should confront which enemy, although micro-management plays a significant role in the game’s success.

When deploying against Ork forces, units equipped with armor-piercing weapons would be most effective against heavy walkers. On the other hand, flamethrowers are ideal for handling hordes of Gretchin. Meanwhile, Infiltrators should maintain a strategic position at the rear, utilizing their Stalker Rifles’ long range to maximum effect.

As a gamer, I’ve found that every unit I control is capable of getting into close-quarters combat, regardless of their specializations. However, unlike in Realms of Ruin, engaging in such combat doesn’t bind my units in place. I can still withdraw them from the fray, although they may sustain injuries during the retreat.

In addition, there are options to request powerful interventions, like overwhelming orbital attacks, which can shift the outcome of a fight – but be aware that these requests consume a significant number of Requisition Points, so it’s wise to use them judiciously.

In this game, a deliberate pace in movement provides significance for stationary defense structures. The Space Marines can utilize turrets and fortified bunkers to defend their land, which serve two purposes: supporting other defensive units or purchasing time for reinforcements to arrive. Similar to the original game, securing resource nodes spread across the map enhances your income (as no active mining is taking place by workers). This creates motivations to occupy and safeguard territory while also instigating raids aimed at crippling the enemy’s economy.

In Dawn of War 2, it seems that cover might not play a significant role as suggested by the demo map, with only limited areas offering protection. However, this aspect could potentially be adjusted during map design. Furthermore, buildings such as the mentioned bunkers allow you to place units within them for added cover.

Typically speaking, Dawn of War 4 is essentially a game filled with grand and violent battles – battles that are stunning in their brutality. Explosive barrages send Ork warriors flying like skittles, close-combat sequences feature intricate maneuvers culminating in gruesome finishes, and the impact of a unit armed with powerful Thunderhammers can be felt as they land after using their Jump Packs. The whole experience perfectly encapsulates the grandeur and excess that one would expect from a Warhammer 40,000 game.

The scale of this game is impressive, capable of managing battles on multiple fronts simultaneously. The battlefield layout, reminiscent of Total War, located at the bottom center of the screen, provides a continuous and accessible method for monitoring the status of your troops, neatly organized into different control groups for easy management.

The summary could be improved by clearly distinguishing the various unit types, as many Space Marines appear similar at first sight (to this faithful subject of the Eternal Empire). Enlarging the icons or using colors to differentiate between unit types would significantly aid players in maintaining an understanding of their force composition, particularly those less acquainted with the numerous types of power armor that exist.

King Art Games has been making promising statements thus far, and playing their demo mission has left me feeling optimistic that they’re backing up their words with actions. The developers appear to understand the essence of a Dawn of War game, and after my encounter at Deep Silver’s booth, I feel incredibly confident in what the German studio is working on. Now, I can hardly wait to try out those Necrons!

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War 4 is targeting a release on PC in 2026.

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2025-08-28 11:47