Dawn of War IV Returns to Old-School Roots—But Should Fans Be Excited?

Dawn of War IV: A Fresh Start-or Just Nostalgia Bait?

I didn’t see this coming-when Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War IV surfaced at Opening Night Live, I had to double-check that it wasn’t a meme. For years, the RTS community’s been begging for a true follow-up, especially after the awkward missteps and eventual silence following the lukewarm reception of Dawn of War III. So, should we be hyped that the series is back? Or cautious, considering all the changes?

• The new dev team, KING Art, is known for Iron Harvest-not exactly a household name, but they know their way around squad-based RTS.
• Four playable factions (Orks, Space Marines, Necrons, and Adeptus Mechanicus) and 70+ campaign missions promise legit content depth.
• The return to original Dawn of War gameplay could finally scratch the itch for classic RTS fans—but will it really recapture the magic?
• Multiplayer seems robust, but genre fatigue and lingering doubts from the last game could hold back the community.

The Real Story: Relic Steps Down, KING Art Steps Up

Let’s get one thing straight right away: this isn’t Relic’s Dawn of War. After over a decade of forging the series’ identity—with a track record that’s seen the highest of highs (that original 2004 game still slaps) and some major stumbles (looking at you, DoW III)—Relic is out, and KING Art is picking up the bolter. These are the folks behind Iron Harvest, which was mid-tier in terms of ambition and polish but nailed its unit control and production mechanics. KING Art doesn’t have the legacy baggage, but they’re also unproven on this scale. If you’re the kind of player still running Soulstorm mods, you’ll probably have some healthy skepticism about what “returning to the roots” really means here.

Back to Basics: Is Classic Dawn of War Gameplay Still Enough?

The big pitch here is a throwback to the first Dawn of War’s gameplay—resource points to capture, base-building, squad customization, and factions that actually play differently. After DoW III’s weird MOBA-lite experiments, that is honestly what the community wants. Four starting factions (no Chaos—or Eldar, yet?) is a bold move that’ll please lore nerds, but it also means a ton of balancing work for the devs. Over 70 campaign missions is a mega-flex, especially promising faction-specific campaigns. If they’re not just copy-pasted skirmishes, this is huge for replay value—remember how much we all loved the Dawn of War II campaign variety?

Cautious optimism is the mood, though. Promises of “classic mechanics” are easy to make but tough to nail, especially when the original’s magic was in its pacing, unit feel, and just how damn good it felt to call down an orbital strike. KING Art better not lose that eye for drama and heavy metal spectacle, especially with John French on writing. Give us a campaign with actual stakes and highlight the faction rivalries; 40K fans won’t settle for less.

Multiplayer, Modes, and the Long Shadow of the Past

Competitive multiplayer was always a battleground in this series (Relic’s balance patches were legendary… for being broken, sometimes). Dawn of War IV is promising a suite of modes—1v1, 2v2, 3v3, PvP and vs AI—that tick all the standard RTS boxes. Customization makes a return too, which is great, but the devil’s in the details. The real test will be if the game can actually foster a lasting online community. RTS is a savage genre in 2024: you need killer netcode, balanced updates, and meaningful progression to keep folks from bouncing after a month. Let’s hope KING Art has learned from games like Company of Heroes 3, which floundered post-launch despite solid bones.

What Gamers Should Watch For

The 2026 launch window gives them time to polish, but it also sets expectations sky-high for something worthy of the Dawn of War name. If you’re a longtime fan, this is cause for cautious excitement: everything on paper is what the audience’s been clamoring for—a real campaign, beefy factions, proper base-building. But execution matters more than nostalgia. With Relic out and KING Art unproven at this level, it could be a glorious return… or another Warhammer misfire lost in the warp.

TL;DR

Dawn of War IV is finally happening, with KING Art promising a throwback to the series’ glory days—classic RTS mechanics, beefy campaigns, big factions. But with a new developer at the helm and plenty of old wounds from DoW III, fans should cross their fingers but keep their expectations in check until we see real gameplay.