Stunning In-Engine Trailer for Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War IV Reveals Developer Inspirations

Exciting Reveal at PC Gaming Show – Tokyo Direct

At the recent PC Gaming Show – Tokyo Direct, KING Art alongside Deep Silver unveiled a captivating in-engine trailer for the much-anticipated real-time strategy game, Warhammer 40, 000: Dawn of War IV. This title was initially announced during Gamescom 2025 and is scheduled for release on PC in 2026, accessible through Steam. As stated by Creative Director Jan Theysen, this installment aims to embrace the essence of its pioneering predecessor.

Inspirations Behind Development

Deciding the direction for Dawn of War IV was a critical initial step. The team deliberated whether to emulate the style of either Dawn of War I or Dawn of War II, or perhaps find a balance between the two. The consensus leaned towards a focused exploration of the original game’s elements, particularly its memorable sync kills:

“When you do a reinterpretation of a classic game, the challenge is not merely to recreate the old game, but to capture the feelings players experienced when they first played it. It’s essential to analyze what made the original resonate and how we can evoke similar emotions two decades later, ”explained Theysen.

Faction Selections and New Additions

Theysen also shed light on the selection process for the game’s factions, stating:

“With a plethora of fascinating factions and lore at our disposal, we prioritized iconic groups such as the Blood Ravens and the Orks to ensure that our evolution of Dawn of War remains true to its roots.”

He also mentioned the inclusion of Necrons, a faction that fans anticipated during the development of Dawn of War III, stating, “It felt right to finally introduce them to the players.”Furthermore, Theysen highlighted the significance of the Adeptus Mechanicus, which has yet to appear in the Dawn of War series, providing an opportunity to introduce something fresh for both new and returning players.

Development Background

It’s important to note that the three prior installments of the Dawn of War franchise were developed by Relic Entertainment. The company separated from SEGA in March 2024 and is currently focused on a new self-published turn-based strategy title named Earth vs Mars, revealed in February 2025.

On the other hand, KING Art’s last release was the real-time strategy game Iron Harvest, which debuted in 2020 and received a commendable score of 8 out of 10 from our reviewer Chris Wray.

For the latest updates and the stunning gameplay unveil, be sure to check out the full trailer

here

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