Over the last few years I have wildly oscillated between "The RTS is coming back" and "The RTS is screwed", and today I'm leaning towards the former. That's because we're getting a new Dawn of War coming in 2026, and rather than trying to shake things up, it's returning to its roots.
The Blood Ravens have returned to Kronus, 200 years after the events of Dawn of War expansion The Dark Crusade. But they aren't the only ones interested in this miserable planet. They'll be joined by the Adeptus Mechanicus, orks and necrons—each with their own bespoke campaign.
Dawn of War 4 is very much channelling the original game, with a focus on building up large bases and then throwing large armies at your enemies. The four singleplayer campaigns are the headline attraction, but naturally they aren't the only game mode. Expect skirmishes, co-op, competitive multiplayer and the return of Last Stand.
I've been waiting a long time for this. Dawn of War 2 was great, but a completely different take on the RTS, favouring squad-based tactics over massive wars. Dawn of War 3, meanwhile, brought back some of the great bits, like base building and larger armies, but launched with a terrible campaign, a greater focus on multiplayer, and questionable balance decisions that defanged everyone.
Dawn of War 4 sounds like a modern interpretation of the best game in the series, which makes me very happy indeed. The biggest change is that Relic's not at the helm this time. Developer King Art Games is making this one, but that gives me quite a bit of confidence.
King Art was the studio behind the excellent Iron Harvest, an alt-history WWI RTS full of mechs and bears. It shared a lot with Relic's best games, so if anyone can bring Dawn of War back to its glory days, I think it might be this lot.
If the Opening Night Live trailer has only whet your appetite, don't worry: I've played Dawn of War 4 and chatted to the devs, and I'll be sharing my impressions tomorrow.
