Legendary Warhammer 40k RTS series returns to its roots with fourth installment announced at Gamescom

Warhammer 40k is one of the darkest science-fantasy universes out there - certainly one of the things that makes it so beloved. What started out as a tabletop game made by Games Workshop has since grown into a successful franchise. Arguably, one of the big factors that contributed to the meteoric rise of Warhammer 40k were and are the video game tie-ins. Most recently, Space Marine 2 made huge waves, but the first success story in terms of video games was Warhammer 40k: Dawn of War. 

Originally released more than 20 years ago in 2004, Warhammer 40k: Dawn of War introduced many now long-time fans to the franchise for the first time. The Real Time Strategy (RTS) was published by now defunct THQ and developed by Relic, and it was so beloved that a total of three stand-alone expansions were made: Winter Assault (2005), Dark Crusade (2006) and Soulstorm (2008).

After four years, the 2004 engine was showing its limitations, and thus, in 2009, Warhammer 40k: Dawn of War II followed. The second title was a success in its own right, but it dumped the base-building model of its predecessor for a more action-focused gameplay. Relic tried to combine both design approaches into one with Warhammer 40k: Dawn of War III (2017), but the last entry in the series fell flat, being abandoned by the developer not long after release.

Apparently, Relic had had enough of the series, despite recently releasing a remastered version of the beloved first entry. At Gamescom 2025, Warhammer 40k: Dawn of War IV has been announced, and the new entry is made by German developer King ART games. The new game was unveiled with a trailer, which shows a return to the gameplay roots of a base-building RTS like the original Dawn of War, as well as four playable races - Space Marines, Orks, Necrons and for the first time ever in Dawn of War, the Adeptus Mechanicus. 

Warhammer 40k: Dawn of War IV does not have a concrete release date yet, but fans of the series can already wishlist the tile on steam, with the game coming out in 2026.