Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War 4 – Everything we know about the new RTS game

The reveal of Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War 4 is perhaps the best surprise that real-time strategy (RTS) fans could have asked for during the Opening Night Live Gamescom 2025 presentation. After an eight-year absence, Dawn of War has returned under developer King Art Games with what looks to be the series' biggest offering to date, with four factions – each with their own unique playstyle and campaign – arriving at launch.

However, the bar is high when it comes to the new game. The original Dawn of War is still considered by many to be one of the best Warhammer games set in the 40K universe, while strategy fans continue to hail it as one of the very best RTS games – holding up against far more modern releases. Yet King Art Games is no stranger to the genre, having created the excellent Iron Harvest back in 2020, and the studio feels like a smart pick to continue Dawn of War's legacy.

While there's still a fair bit of waiting to go until we get our hands on the long-anticipated strategy game, we've rounded up everything you need to know about Dawn of War 4 below. From a release window, gameplay details, trailers, and more, we've scoped the virtual galaxy and left no prisoners behind.

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War release date speculation

Currently, there's no Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War 4 release date; however, we do know it's heading our way sometime in 2026.

This 2026 release date window was confirmed during the game's announcement at Opening Night Live as part of the Gamescom 2025 schedule. With a shiny new trailer and a bunch of news hitting us, hopefully, we get a release date soon, as development on the title seems to be going well. We'll keep you posted as more news heads our way. In the meantime, you can read our Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II review for more on this series.

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War platforms

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War 4 will be available to play on PC once it releases in 2026. It's not surprising to see Dawn of War 4 being added to our list of upcoming PC games since most RTS titles live on said platform. Between all the menus and UI, it's a genre that plays best with a mouse and keyboard in hand instead of a controller.

However, King Art Games' last title, Iron Harvest, was also available to play on the latest Xbox and PlayStation machines, so we may see Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War 4 as part of the line-up for all the upcoming PS5 games and upcoming Xbox Series X games in the near future as well.

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War trailer

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War story and setting

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War 4 is set in the Warhammer 40,000 universe, which is basically a grimdark dystopian future that is constantly at war as humanity fights to preserve the human race from extinction. The empire humanity has set up is known as The Imperium of Man, and they are almost always facing off against alien species such as Orks or rebel human servants of Chaos who make use of various (and very nasty) demonic forces. Very cheery, isn't it?

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War 4 is set on the planet Kronus, a Tomb World where the Necrons have been in stasis for millions of years. It's an Imperial planet that came under the influence of the Tau Empire, and had plenty of action once the Nercons (aka scary robotic skeletal warriors) woke up. Orks also got involved to make matters more complicated. Kronus was featured in previous Dawn of War games, so we are keen to see how the new game fits into the timeline.

What we do know is that Space Marines, Necrons, Orcs, and Adeptus Mechanicus will be in the game (each with their own campaign). Instead of one overarching story (like previous Dawn of War games), Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War 4 has different faction campaigns that (while having some cross-linking between them) are largely separate affairs. Details about these campaigns are pretty sparse currently, so hopefully, we will get some more narrative insights soon.

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War gameplay

Like past games in the series, Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War 4 is a real-time strategy game that will have you gathering resources to develop your base while you also try to build up an army and stop your opponents from doing the same.

Players will get to choose between the following four factions for their game: Space Marines, Necrons, Orcs, or the Adeptus Mechanicus. Each of these factions also has its own campaign as well as unique playstyles, meaning that there will be plenty of replayability to dig into as well. This really pushes forward single-player gameplay and narrative capabilities as a whole, as you feel much more invested and immersed in your own faction's fate.

We are excited about the concept of diving into a non-linear and sprawling RTS like this for sure, and honestly, Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War 4 sounds as if it has the makings to be one of the new best strategy games released in recent years. We'll be sure to keep you updated as even more details head our way.

Can I pre-order Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War?

Currently, you can't pre-order Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War 4 (heartbreaking, we know.) Since there isn't a release date for the new game either, we may be waiting for a good long while for pre-orders, too. But worry not, we are keeping our eyes peeled and will let you know as soon as they are live.

In the meantime, Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War 3 regularly goes on sale on Steam if you want to catch up on the series in the meantime. Or if you are after fresh recommendations to tide you over, we have a list of the best space games that you can play right now as well.