The Big Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War IV Interview: Year 1 Roadmap, New Playable Factions, and More

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War IV has a merchandise date, caller from the Warhammer Skulls 2026 showcase. And portion we cognize the basal crippled volition beryllium released this September, we besides cognize what the roadmap of post-launch contented and DLC for the pursuing 9 months looks like. The header present is the summation of a 5th playable faction via a run expansion, but there’s overmuch much to look guardant to.

The Dawn of War IV twelvemonth 1 roadmap of content.

To coincide with the merchandise day announcement, I sat down for an interrogation with King Art Games originative manager Jan Theysen and elder crippled decorator Elliott Verbiest to excavation into the roadmap, effort my champion to get juicy lore details, and inquire astir that 5th playable faction. And cheque retired our roundup of everything announced astatine Warhammer Skulls 2026 to find retired much connected what's coming down the line.

IGN: How is Dawn of War IV’s Crusade Mode antithetic from however it worked successful erstwhile Dawn of War games?

Jan Theysen: We can't spell into each the details, but what we tin decidedly tease is that there's a small spot much to it than, for example, successful Dark Crusade. What we marque definite is that determination is besides truly applicable gameplay connected the World Map part. The Last Crusade mode was fundamentally much oregon little like, okay, wherever bash you privation to play next? It was like, not a batch of gameplay there. And we felt like, okay, this could beryllium much similar a committee game, wherever it has its ain gameplay there. And truthful we invested immoderate clip and thoughts into that and made definite that adjacent that portion unsocial is fun.

Elliott Verbiest: We wanted to grow a spot much connected the meta gameplay that happens. So wrong the Dark Crusade crippled mode, it's mostly similar you're moving pieces astir the board, and past you've got the Skirmish gameplay successful betwixt that keeps it together. And truthful we're besides looking to adhd further gameplay elements to adhd further extent to the World Map.

Jan Theysen: We are German, truthful we bash committee games, right? Our nonsubjective was, we fundamentally said adjacent without the real-time strategy part, determination should beryllium fun. Even if you're not playing the RTS missions, it should inactive beryllium fun. And that was the goal.

IGN: The communicative prologue returns to Aurelia, which I deliberation is seared into my representation arsenic it volition beryllium for galore Dawn of War fans. Why did you determine that was the close spot to spell backmost to for the prologue?

Jan Theysen: When we announced that Dawn of War IV, you're not lone playing the Blood Ravens, but besides the Dark Angels, radical were excited astir the Dark Angels, but also, ‘Oh, wherefore can't I play much of the Blood Ravens?’ And fundamentally we said, ‘Okay, for everybody who's truly each astir Blood Ravens, we connection them conscionable much Blood Ravens.’ And besides reply possibly immoderate of the questions radical volition person erstwhile they play the main game, which is basically, okay, what is with the remainder of the chapter? Where is everybody? This benignant of thing. And truthful we fundamentally said, ‘Okay, let's marque this the prologue to the main crippled that is each astir the Blood Ravens.’ And that is the starting point, and past Aurelia came retired of that.

IGN: The earthy travel up question is, the prologue is “guided by a legendary commander.” You cognize who everyone's going to wonderment about. Can you speech a spot astir what that means exactly, and who we tin expect, due to the fact that fans volition decidedly speculate astir that one.

Jan Theysen: Well, determination is simply a legendary commander! That is, I think, each we tin accidental astatine this point.

Elliott Verbiest: I deliberation we're blessed for players to speculate a small longer!

IGN: The Aftermath run enlargement sounds exciting. The main happening present is adding a 5th faction to the crippled crossed each crippled modes. I'm not expecting you to archer maine what that faction is, but bash you see idiosyncratic Space Marine chapters arsenic their ain faction, oregon are Space Marines wide a faction?

Jan Theysen: For america internally, a faction is Space Marines, and past determination are sub-factions; successful presumption of the Space Marines it’s chapters, successful presumption of the Orks it's Ork Clans. But erstwhile we accidental determination volition beryllium a caller faction, past we are talking astir a large caller thing. Obviously we can't archer you what it is, but if you look astatine the past of Dawn of War and inquire yourself, what could you expect from a Dawn of War crippled that possibly isn't successful Dawn of War IV, possibly you're going successful the close direction.

IGN: This roadmap takes america up to outpouring 2027. Can we expect much DLC aft arsenic a twelvemonth 2 roadmap?

Jan Theysen: This fundamentally covers the archetypal 9 months aft launch. After that, hopefully, if the crippled works good and everybody is excited, hopefully we tin bash more. But this is the program we person truthful far.

IGN: So you’re not saying this is the lone caller faction that volition ever beryllium released for the game? Assuming it's palmy and everyone's blessed and it's going well, you program to grow it further?

Jan Theysen: I mean, if determination is thing that Warhammer 40K has, it's a batch of factions, right? So we would beryllium precise blessed to person much of the game.

Elliott Verbiest: Yeah. We've nary shortage of options here, I think.

IGN: I truly enjoyed the past Adeptus Mechanicus gameplay video. I thought that was awesome and suggests you truly nailed the consciousness of that faction arsenic radical ideate it from the tabletop. Did it see our archetypal ever look astatine an Imperial Knight Drop Pod? Because I don't deliberation I've ever seen a exemplary for that oregon adjacent artwork.

Jan Theysen: Actually, I thought you would beryllium adjacent nerdier and inquire astir the Ironstrider tiptoeing connected the spot! Because that was what I was astir blessed astir that radical picked up connected it.

With the Knight’s driblet pod, we had the question, okay, however bash we present the Knight to the battlefield? And we received connection determination mightiness beryllium thing similar a Knight driblet pod that astatine immoderate constituent idiosyncratic designed. And we said, ‘Okay, we privation this, springiness it to us.’ And we are fortunate capable to person it successful the game. And arsenic you said, it's similar the archetypal clip anybody sees it. It's this immense building. So you don't physique the unit, but what you bash is you physique this gigantic gathering and past the gathering comes down, clears everything successful the surrounding country with rockets, lands, and past the Knight comes out, but the gathering besides remains. So present you person this immense operation determination that tin assistance you. We took it and ran with it.

IGN: So I’m knowing correctly, you had a notation constituent for the Imperial Knight Drop Pod?

Jan Theysen: Basically we talked to Games Workshop, however tin we present this thing? And they came backmost and said, ‘Well… determination is this idea…” And we took it and ran with it.

IGN: You indispensable beryllium delighted that fans are picking up connected each these small details successful gameplay trailers. It indispensable beryllium rewarding for you to spot Warhammer 40,000 fans with those affirmative comments.

Jan Theysen: I mean, absolutely, right? You enactment truthful overmuch clip and vigor into this and sometimes you wonder, volition anybody ever spot this, oregon does anybody attraction astir this? And erstwhile radical do, it's large due to the fact that past you consciousness like, ‘Okay, it was worthy it.’

That is possibly thing that not each the players are alert of. If you make an plus for a crippled similar this, you walk days and weeks with this asset, right? So astatine the end, an creator knows each nook and cranny of the full thing. And truthful if you enactment thing successful determination and radical admit it and say, ‘Hey, that's cool," past radical tally done the bureau precise happy.

Elliott Verbiest: And that's precisely what we're trying to bash present with Dawn of War IV, is make that authentic Warhammer 40K experience, right? Because determination are truthful galore players who are looking for that benignant of detail, and I deliberation seeing specified a affirmative absorption to the Ironstriders was a truly bully motion for america that we're connected the close way with that, and that, okay, this is what radical are looking for and this is what they're delighted with, and that's what we're delighted with.

IGN: Is determination much unit to get the tiny details close with a Warhammer 40,000 video crippled than immoderate different crippled universe?

Jan Theysen: It mightiness be, but I mean, we ne'er worked connected different IP that big, truthful we can't truly comparison it to thing else. I would ideate if you bash a Harry Potter crippled past astir apt Harry Potter fans are besides precise peculiar astir the details.

But for maine it's similar conscionable an look of however overmuch radical attraction astir it, due to the fact that they emotion the world, they deliberation it's the coolest happening ever. And besides if idiosyncratic has a small spot of accusation astir thing and past that's precise important for them and this small happening needs to beryllium successful there. Our occupation is to effort to get arsenic galore of these things successful the game. But successful the end, evidently we volition miss immoderate things and radical volition person a tract day, but that's wholly good due to the fact that again, I deliberation it comes from a spot of caring astir it.

Elliott Verbiest: A batch of the comments that we saw astir precocious connected the AdMech trailer was the information that the voiceover narrator is Jonathan Keeble, who is similar a precise good known audiobook dependable histrion for a batch of the Warhammer books. So it's not conscionable wrong the crippled itself, wrong the gameplay and however we show factions and truthful on, but each the mode down to things similar the benignant of dependable actors that we bring successful for this project. I deliberation there's a batch of antithetic references and different details that a batch of fans of Warhammer 40K tin truly admit and volition look guardant to.

IGN: It’s large you person Jonathan Keeble for the trailers, but does helium bash thing successful the crippled itself?

Jan Theysen: He doesn't play 1 of the characters oregon thing similar that, but we are astatine the infinitesimal talking astir thing that helium could narrate successful the game. So it's not yet confirmed, but hopefully we tin get him due to the fact that we are fans of him arsenic well, right?

Elliott Verbiest: And we besides person respective different dependable actors connected committee who are rather good known wrong the property, besides for audiobooks and the like. So we'll decidedly perceive a mates much recognizable voices and a mates recognizable names for this crippled for certain.

IGN: Since we past spoke, Games Workshop has announced a caller variation of 40K. Are you mindful of the developments that hap for the tabletop, oregon does that person nary power connected what you're doing? Do you get immoderate benignant of similar heads up and past you plan things with that caller variation successful mind? How does it really work?

Jan Theysen: In general, the RTS is not similar a integer mentation of the tabletop, due to the fact that it conscionable doesn't work. It's a antithetic thing. What we instrumentality from the tabletop oregon from the IP successful wide is of people the wide consciousness of a portion and what is the portion for and each of that stuff. But that besides doesn't truly alteration betwixt editions, right? What they bash with 11th Edition doesn't truly alteration what we would bash with Dawn of War.

We sometimes get a small spot of a heads up erstwhile determination are immoderate changes with units oregon thing similar that that is applicable for us, but successful general, the tabletop rules bash not truly impact the RTS rules.

Elliott Verbiest: We wage attraction to this benignant of worldly due to the fact that we're funny and we privation to cognize this benignant of thing. We privation to play it! Of course, we're excited astir this. But these 2 things are fundamentally separate. There are things that we'll get a heads up connected if they're applicable for us, but different they're fundamentally abstracted successful what they are by quality of the information that one's a video game, the other's a tabletop.

Jan Theysen: Terminators are Terminators successful eighth, ninth, 10th, oregon 11th Edition.

IGN: Also since we past spoke, we person the announcement of Total War: Warhammer 40,000. The games aren’t the same, obviously, but astatine look worth determination are intelligibly immoderate similarities. Do you spot determination being capable country for some Dawn of War IV and Total War: Warhammer 40,000, and that you tin carve retired your ain fanbase that volition beryllium capable to enactment each the DLC ambitions that you person adjacent though this crippled is besides coming out?

Jan Theysen: Yeah, absolutely. We are blessed the much bully Warhammer 40K games are retired there, due to the fact that the much bully games determination are the much radical attraction astir it, the much radical are funny successful Warhammer successful general. And that besides helps Dawn of War. We don't spot them arsenic similar nonstop competition. It's besides not similar players play the 1 game, but not the other. I deliberation galore players volition astir apt play some of them. And truthful for america it's much like, okay, chill if it's similar a large crippled and brings much eyes to the franchise, each the better. And of people besides we cognize and similar the guys from Creative Assembly. And we privation to play the game! So we are conscionable blessed that they bash thing chill with it. And successful the end, I deliberation astir players volition astir apt bask some of them.

Elliott Verbiest: Yeah, decidedly a lawsuit of rising tide lifts each boats. We're looking guardant to playing it arsenic well!

IGN: Just from a axenic gameplay perspective, if you’re conscionable a strategy crippled fan, what makes Dawn of War IV basal retired from the Warhammer 40,000 crowd?

Jan Theysen: It's the classical RTS gameplay, right? So you person these antithetic levels, right? You person economy, you person strategy and tactical elements. If you want, you tin besides micro a small bit. But it's similar a batch of things going connected astatine the aforesaid time. And it has this precise peculiar oregon similar this unsocial size to it, right? Because it's not similar a Space Marine 2 wherever you're one, 2 oregon 3 guys oregon thing similar that, but it's besides not hundreds and thousands of units successful these ace monolithic battles. It's similar successful the middle.

To maine that feels very, precise bully due to the fact that it gives you the consciousness of, okay, there's a batch of worldly going connected and it's large battles, but astatine the aforesaid time, you tin inactive negociate truly what is going connected and it's not similar you're losing the overview close away. So to me, I deliberation that makes it interesting.

And besides what we effort to bash is we effort to truly absorption connected communicative and campaigns. And truthful I deliberation it mightiness beryllium a bully introduction constituent for players who are possibly not ace acquainted with Warhammer 40K, due to the fact that we effort to archer stories that adjacent without excessively overmuch 40K heavy cognition inactive marque consciousness and tin inactive beryllium enjoyed by players who are not that heavy into it.

Elliott Verbiest: With the campaign, we've enactment a batch of clip and effort into ensuring that each idiosyncratic faction feels precise unsocial and matches besides what the acquisition would beryllium similar for each idiosyncratic faction. We benignant of nudge players gameplay omniscient to play successful circumstantial types of playstyles for each idiosyncratic faction. There's of people nuance betwixt them. So for example, for the Orks, you tin play them arsenic a greenish tide wherever it's conscionable you're turning retired a ton of units. Or you tin benignant of space them much towards Orks get stronger from warring and you stress much connected their quality to summation conflict traits and antithetic upgrades for idiosyncratic units to get much elite units for them. So we benignant of assistance with those peculiar mechanics. We nudge players successful the absorption of, this is not conscionable similar however these factions would play organically for you, but besides however they consciousness successful the tabletop.

Jan Theysen: And besides erstwhile you play the Ork campaign, you decidedly person a bully thought what Orks are each about. So it's similar a bully introduction constituent I think.

Elliott Verbiest: Of course, that doesn't mean we're not going to person immoderate multiplayer features and we won't person immoderate enactment for that, but decidedly I deliberation that the campaigns are the spotlight feature, I would say.

Jan Theysen: It's ridiculous however galore radical archer america that they came to 40K due to the fact that of Dawn of War 1.

IGN: That’s me! I did.

Jan Theysen: Basically each 2nd idiosyncratic that we speech to says, ‘Yeah, due to the fact that of Dawn of War I’m a 40K fan.’ It would beryllium awesome if we tin bash it again, fundamentally beryllium similar a bully introduction constituent for players due to the fact that it's possibly a small spot little intimidating than possibly immoderate of the different games retired there.

IGN: Last question! In the cinematic for the AdMech, the Necrons possibly didn’t person their champion time astatine the office. There were plentifulness of Stormtrooper comparisons for their unspeakable shooting accuracy…

Jan Theysen: They conscionable woke up from a cardinal years slumber! When you aftermath up and you're expected to sprout someone... We saw that, of course, and we're blessed that the gameplay trailer of the AdMech turned everything astir for people.

Elliott Verbiest: There’s besides a communicative crushed for it. The CGI trailers are each portion of the overarching communicative that we person for the game. There is simply a crushed wherefore they whitethorn beryllium a small spot much successful disarray successful the CGI than we see.

Jan Theysen: It's besides successful the archetypal missions. They're not astatine their champion successful the archetypal missions and we explicate this successful the game. But I get the constituent wherefore radical felt like, okay, they should person deed astatine slightest something.

Elliott Verbiest: One of the goals that we had is that for each campaign, the faction that is the coolest is the 1 you're playing close now. So erstwhile you spell to the Necrons campaign, for example, that'll travel crossed a small spot differently, I think.

IGN: Unlucky rolls. We each get them. It’s fine!

Jan Theysen: It's a small spot similar successful the books. If you work an Ork book, past the Orks are the strongest and the coolest. If you work an AdMech book, past the AdMech are the strongest and the coolest. And it's benignant of similar that successful the game.

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War IV launches connected PC connected September 17, 2026. Commander Edition players tin play from September 14.

Wesley is Director, News astatine IGN. Find him connected Twitter astatine @wyp100. You tin scope Wesley astatine [email protected] oregon confidentially astatine [email protected].