Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War IV Guide
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War IV is KING Art Games' return to classic Dawn of War RTS — base building, four factions and a 70+ mission campaign on Kronus, out on Steam for PC on December 3, 2026, with Commander Edition owners playing from November 30. These pages cover the release date and unlock timing, what each edition includes, the four factions and how to play them, Last Stand's 20-wave co-op mode, multiplayer modes, the Army Painter, the closed beta, and everything the developers have confirmed so far.
Updated Nov 10, 2026
Release: December 3, 2026 · Steam for PC (Windows)
Early unlock: Commander Edition from November 30, 2026 (3 days early)
Price: $59.99 · pre-order 10% off = $53.99 (US)
Developer: KING Art Games · published by Deep Silver (PLAION)
Campaign: 70+ missions · four faction campaigns · solo or online co-op
Modes: Skirmish · 1v1 / 2v2 / 3v3 multiplayer · Last Stand · Army Painter
Start here
- Dawn of War IV release dateDawn of War IV releases on December 3, 2026 for PC via Steam. Commander Edition owners can play from November 30, 2026 — a three-day early unlock. The exact unlock hour, preload timing and download size have not been announced.
- Dawn of War IV Commander Edition vs Standard EditionStandard Edition is $59.99 ($53.99 with the 10% pre-order discount). Commander Edition is $89.99 ($80.99) and adds a three-day early unlock from November 30, the Blood Ravens Story Prologue, the Aftermath campaign expansion + new faction, and the digital soundtrack.
- Dawn of War IV system requirementsThe official system requirements have not been published yet. Steam only confirms that the game requires a 64-bit processor and operating system and lists the OS as “coming soon”. Closed beta testers describe heavy GPU load in large battles, but those reports are unverified.
- Is Dawn of War IV on Game Pass?No. Dawn of War IV has not been announced for Game Pass — not PC Game Pass, not Xbox Game Pass. It is a Steam-only PC release published by Deep Silver (PLAION), with no Microsoft Store or Xbox listing.
Factions
- Dawn of War IV factionsDawn of War IV has four playable factions: Space Marines (including Blood Ravens and Dark Angels), Orks, Necrons, and Adeptus Mechanicus, which makes its Dawn of War debut. Each has its own campaign, and all four are playable in multiplayer and skirmish.
- Space Marines in Dawn of War IVSpace Marines are the elite faction: expensive, high-quality units that usually win one-on-one fights. Dawn of War IV features the Blood Ravens and the Dark Angels — Dark Angels are a playable sub-faction, and the Space Marines campaign has you command both.
- Orks in Dawn of War IVOrks win through numbers, aggression and free Stratagems. Their buildings are armed but fragile, their individual ranged units are weak, and the correct play is constant pressure with multiple strongholds and Waaagh! Banners.
- Necrons in Dawn of War IVNecrons play a slow, snowballing game: spread the Power Matrix, grow Dominion income from the Tomb Citadel, heal and toughen units on the Matrix, and use Resurrection Galleries to replace losses for free. Their weakness is speed.
- Adeptus Mechanicus in Dawn of War IVAdeptus Mechanicus is new to Dawn of War in IV and plays around the Noosphere Network: extend it to key resource points, raise its level for research and upgrades, and protect your firing line. Beat them by destroying Cogitator Relays and closing the distance with melee.
Game modes
- Dawn of War IV campaignThe campaign has 70+ missions across four faction campaigns that feed a single overarching story, set on Kronus and co-written by Black Library author John French. It can be played solo or in online co-op, with CGI intros and animated cutscenes.
- Dawn of War IV Last Stand guideLast Stand is a three-player survival mode: survive 20 waves with a customisable Commander who can now bring up to four companion units. Deployment points limit your loadout, and score comes from clearing speed, Commander survival and control of strategic locations.
- Dawn of War IV multiplayerDawn of War IV supports 1v1, 2v2 and 3v3 online multiplayer. Quick Match defaults to Annihilation, and you can select Annihilation, Domination and Maelstrom for matchmaking. Skirmish offers the same battles against highly configurable AI.
- Dawn of War IV Army PainterYes, the Army Painter returns: KING Art confirms a Painter tool that lets you “stamp your own unique personality” on your forces, and the option to use existing Warhammer 40,000 factions. The developers have promised a closer look before launch, but full details — patterns, colours, sharing — are not published yet.
Before launch
- Dawn of War IV closed betaThe closed beta ran from October 21, 2026 — a five-day test of 1v1 Skirmish and multiplayer with all four factions, under NDA. It is closed now; there is no open beta or demo. Future test invitations are announced through the Dawn of War IV newsletter and the official Discord.
- Dawn of War IV news and updatesThe big beats: multiplayer AMA on July 24, release date moved to December 3 on August 12, the closed beta opened October 21, the Game Overview Trailer landed October 21–23, and the Last Stand Battlefield Report on November 5. Launch is December 3, 2026.
- Dawn of War IV FAQDawn of War IV launches December 3, 2026 on Steam for PC, with Commander Edition from November 30. Standard is $59.99 ($53.99 pre-order); Commander Edition is $89.99 ($80.99). No Game Pass, no demo, no open beta, and the system requirements are not published yet.