In the grim darkness of the far future, there is only war. In the okay dimness of the near future, we have Dawn of War 4 – the near, near future, it turns out. The storied RTS series has returned, and with Warhammer Skulls in full swing, we now have a release date, as well as a roadmap of its content for the following year.
We here at PCGN are known Dawn of War enjoyers; our DoW 3 review got a solid 8/10, with Robert going on record saying that it “is a game of big, meaty encounters and twitch-quick micro-management rather than sneaky ambushes and environmental tactics.” Warhammer 40k isn’t always known for its subtlety, and this is one instance where I’m glad the bombast trumps everything else – I hope Dawn of War 4 follows suit.
The Dawn of War 4 release date is Thursday September 17, 2026. There will be two editions available to purchase: Standard and Commander, with the latter including a three-day early unlock period and all the year-one content. You can wishlist it, too.
The roadmap for Dawn of War 4 looks just as meaty as the battles, with several modes, map packs, and even a mission editor being staggered out over the months following release. Fan-favorite Crusade Mode makes its triumphant return post-launch, turning linear campaigns into planet-spanning efforts of dominance; it’s kind of like the most violent game of Risk you’ve ever seen.
Map packs of various locations, old and new, are also coming – some free, some paid for – but perhaps most exciting is the mission editor, where battle scenarios can be created and shared with the rest of the community. 40k fans are known for their dedication to the craft, so I can’t wait to see what the community cooks up with this feature.
There is an additional faction coming in that initial year, too, to bolster the four already available at launch. I’m not sure who it is just yet, but I hope it goes full Starcraft and adds playable Xenos – who doesn’t want to squish exotic alien species with a huge army of Space Marines? I know I do.
Not long now until I get my Dawn of War fix; in the meantime, I might take the new Space Marine 2 update for a spin – it isn’t a strategy game, but it’s still smashing things with a big, motorized sword. Good enough.
