Deep Silver and KING Art Games have released a massive new look at Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War IV. The official Game Overview Trailer went up yesterday on the official Warhammer 40,000 YouTube channel, and at nearly nine minutes long, it covers just about everything players can expect when the game launches on PC on December 3rd.
The trailer opens by calling the game "the long-awaited return of the legendary real-time strategy franchise, reimagined and modernized by King Art Games and Deep Silver, while remaining deeply faithful to its classic gameplay roots."
Four Campaigns And More Than 70 Missions
The story mode is the centerpiece of the package. Dawn of War IV features four fully playable campaigns, one each for the Orks, the Adeptus Mechanicus, the Necrons, and the Space Marines. The campaigns were crafted with Black Library author John French, and they can be played solo or in co-op.
Across more than 70 missions, players will make choices about where to strike, what to defend, and what to sacrifice. The war plays out through cinematic storytelling and a dynamic world map, and it takes place on Kronus centuries after Dark Crusade.
The trailer also teases the story's major beats. Gorgutz and his Bad Moons fight Beastboss Guzcutta and his Snakebite Beastsnaggas for control of the Orks. The Adeptus Mechanicus awaken a secret buried for millennia, and the Necrons rise. The Blood Ravens make a final stand before the Dark Angels arrive, and eventually, the Primarch Lion El'Jonson joins the fight himself.
Classic RTS Gameplay With The New Combat Director
Fans of the original games should feel right at home. Players will build bases, manage resources, research upgrades, and command infantry, elites, vehicles, and war machines. Each army is led by Commanders with unique abilities, and every faction has its own stratagems.
The big new system is the Combat Director, which the trailer says comes "from the legacy of SyncKills." The sync kill animations were a fan-favorite part of the original Dawn of War, and the Combat Director expands that idea so whole fights look synchronized and reactive.
How Each Faction Plays
Each of the four factions has its own style:
- Orks: Cheap, fast units built for aggressive expansion and map control, with the WAAAGH! used to crush enemy lines.
- Adeptus Mechanicus: A Noosphere Network that buffs bases and unlocks new units, augur vision to spot enemies early, and Knights of House Raven that can drop from orbit.
- Necrons: A Tomb Citadel that spreads a Power Matrix to build, heal, and strengthen everything nearby, resurrection galleries for fallen units, and teleportation for units like Monoliths.
- Space Marines: Buildings deployed from orbit, Thunderhawk strikes, Drop Pods, air strikes, and orbital bombardments.
Players will also command two Space Marine Chapters. The Dark Angels bring "overwhelming shock and awe to the front lines," while the Blood Ravens are better at smaller skirmishes and covert operations behind enemy lines.
Skirmish, Last Stand, Multiplayer, And The Painter
Skirmish mode has four battle types: Annihilation, Domination, Maelstrom, and Defend. Players can tweak dozens of settings, face up to five AI opponents, and pick from 30 maps at launch, with more planned.
The fan-favorite Last Stand mode is also back. Three players team up to survive 20 waves of enemies, with five Commanders available at launch and more coming after release. Each player can lead a Strikeforce of up to three companions, and there are 30 levels of gear and abilities to unlock.
Online multiplayer supports 1v1, 2v2, and 3v3 matches across 30 maps and three game types, with options to change research, resources, population caps, and damage output. The army Painter returns as well, and the new Advanced Painter lets players color individual parts of their units' armor and equipment, which the trailer says is a first for the series.
Release Date And Pre-Orders
Dawn of War IV launches on December 3rd for PC. The Commander Edition includes early access starting November 30th. On Steam, the Standard Edition is listed at $59.99 and the Commander Edition at $89.99, with a 10% pre-order discount currently bringing them to $53.99 and $80.99.
Which faction will you play first in Dawn of War IV, the Necrons or the Adeptus Mechanicus?
Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.