Timeline
| Date (2026) | Update | What it told us |
|---|---|---|
| Jul 1 | Battlefield Report – 1v1 Space Marines vs Orks | First extended multiplayer look |
| Jul 8 | Battlefield Report – 1v1 Necrons vs Adeptus Mechanicus | Mechanicus fortifies territory; Necrons apply relentless pressure |
| Jul 20 | Necron CGI trailer | Necron reveal |
| Jul 24 | Multiplayer AMA | Quick Match defaults to Annihilation; matchmaking supports Annihilation, Domination and Maelstrom; balance philosophy |
| Jul 29 | Faction Deep Dive – Necrons | Tomb Citadel, Power Matrix, Dominion, Resurrection Galleries, Scarabs; still citing a September 17 release |
| Aug 5 | Introducing the cast | John French wrote the 70+ mission story; Brian Drummond (Gorgutz), Alex Jordan (Chaplain Ezrael), Toby Longworth (Space Marines, Redemptor Dreadnought) |
| Aug 12 | Release Date Update | Launch moved to December 3, 2026 |
| Sep 9 | Battlefield Report – 1v1 Annihilation Orks vs Necrons | Annihilation mode in action |
| Sep 16 | Battlefield Report – 2v2 Team Domination | Team play and Domination objectives |
| Sep 23 | Battlefield Report – 2v2 Team Skirmish Maelstrom PvE | Maelstrom objectives against high-difficulty AI |
| Sep 30 | Space Marines CGI trailer | Blood Ravens and Dark Angels fighting for Kronus |
| Oct 7 | Closed Beta announcement | Beta starting later in October |
| Oct 8 | Faction Deep Dive – Space Marines | Blood Ravens and Dark Angels; how the chapter plays |
| Oct 21 | Game Overview Trailer (≈9 minutes) | Four factions, campaigns, classic base building, Skirmish, multiplayer, Last Stand, Army Painter |
| Oct 21 | Closed Beta starts | Five days of 1v1 Skirmish and multiplayer with all four factions, under NDA |
| Oct 23 | Game Overview Trailer, Previews & Closed Beta post | Press previews (Polygon, PC Gamer, TechRadar, GameSpot and others); preview build had Astra Militarum and Space Marine prologue plus full Ork and Mechanicus campaigns, 30+ missions |
| Nov 2 | Closed Beta Developer Message | Participation doubled expectations; 80% returned for multiple sessions; thousands of survey responses; “Painter fans, we see you” |
| Nov 5 | Battlefield Report – Last Stand | 3 players, 20 waves, up to four companion units per Commander, deployment points, scoring, progression |
| Nov 9 | Poster giveaway | Community promotion; no game news |
What is next
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| November 30, 2026 | Commander Edition early unlock (3 days before launch) |
| December 3, 2026 | Full launch on Steam (PC) |
| 2027 | Year 1: free updates (Crusade Mode, Mission Editor, map packs) and DLC (Blood Ravens Story Prologue, Aftermath expansion + new faction) |
Deep Silver has also promised a dedicated Army Painter reveal before launch — it had not happened as of November 10.
How we track this
This timeline is built from the Steam news API and the official Deep Silver/Dawn of War IV news pages, pulled on November 10, 2026. We add entries when official posts go live, not when a rumor circulates. For the launch-specific questions, see release date and FAQ.