Dawn of War 4’s Four Campaigns Aim to Revive RTS Storytelling (and Fan Hopes)

A Real Reason to Get Hyped: Four Campaigns, Not Just One

Honestly, I did a double-take when I heard Dawn of War 4 would launch with not one, but four full campaigns. Anyone who’s played the originals knows a good campaign is the heart of great RTS-not multiplayer skirmishes or recycled survival modes. After Dawn of War 3’s identity crisis, it’s clear King Art (of Iron Harvest fame) is laser-focused on what fans have been begging for: actual story content, seen from every faction’s perspective. When was the last time an RTS shipped with branching, narrative-driven experiences for every major army at launch? It’s almost retro in its ambition, and that’s why it stands out.

• Four full-scale narrative campaigns-Space Marines, Orks, Necrons, and Adeptus Mechanicus-all with their own stories, mechanics, and tone.
• Non-linear, branching missions with decisions that (supposedly) have tangible impact—think “Homeworld meets Red Alert 2,” if the devs are to be believed.
• 40+ minutes of cutscenes per campaign and full CGI intros. They’re clearly not skimping on production values.
• Fan-focused approach: King Art is pulling directly from community feedback that’s been simmering for years since DoW3 fumbled the ball.

Why This Actually Matters: Lessons from the Past

The campaign-first approach is more than just a PR hook. Dawn of War 2’s campaign was revolutionary for its RPG tweaks and character focus, but as much as I loved that direction, many of us missed the epic, multi-faction conflict of the original and its expansions like Dark Crusade. Dawn of War 3 tried to split the difference and ended up pleasing almost nobody. King Art is making a bet: if they deliver deep, replayable campaigns (with room for Ork shenanigans, cryptic Necron plots, and Mechanicus weirdness), they might finally get the magic back.

And the move isn’t just about nostalgia. In an era where most RTS games either go real-time tactics (Company of Heroes), purely competitive (StarCraft II), or straight to “live service” grind, a real narrative focus with variety and replayability is sorely missing. It’s the kind of ambition I associate with classic Command & Conquer—or the best of Blizzard’s Warcraft campaigns—before cut corners and DLC nickel-and-diming became the norm.

Show, Don’t Tell: Is the Promise Real?

Let’s get this out of the way: we haven’t actually played these campaigns yet. The one mission shown in the Dawn of War 4 preview is tantalizing—Blood Ravens on Kronus, Orks up to the usual mayhem, Necrons lurking—but it’s still just a taste. The real question is, will each faction’s story stand on its own, or will this be four thinly-spread checklists? King Art says the decision to make four separate campaigns was an early, foundational choice—not an afterthought. If that’s true, and the branching decisions go beyond token “good/evil” toggles, they might really pull this off.

There’s also the matter of tone. I’m encouraged by reports of the British voice actors hamming it up as Orks (let’s be honest, the 40K Ork accent IS a British cultural treasure at this point), and the developers citing Homeworld and Red Alert 2 as touchstones. If they give the Adeptus Mechanicus campaign actual mechanical depth (fiddling with the noosphere, anyone?) and don’t shy away from the Necrons’ dry humor or existential horror, each campaign could end up feeling truly distinct.

Our Biggest Hope—and Fear

The best part is how the four stories apparently tie into a single overarching narrative. That’s always a risk, though: if the overarching story is just window-dressing, players will sense the lack of depth a mile off. But if King Art delivers—a real interconnected story told through four unique gameplay lenses—it could be a new gold standard for single-player RTS campaigns. The alternatives are just too familiar: tacked-on campaigns, bland missions, cookie-cutter “choose your ending” moments. This game can’t afford to fall into that trap.

TL;DR

Dawn of War 4’s four-campaign gambit is exactly the kind of bold, single-player-first move the RTS genre needs. If King Art delivers on its promises—non-linear missions, faction flavor, meaningful choices—this could finally give Dawn of War back its legacy. But after DoW3, we’re right to be hopeful and skeptical until we see all four stories in action.