Summary
The classic real-time strategy gameWarhammer 40,000: Dawn of Waris returning for contemporary audiences to play in the form of a new “Definitive Edition” remaster. Originally released in 2004,Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of Warwas one of the most successful earlyWarhammer 40,000games.
Though it’s been a fixture of the tabletop scene and geek culture for decades, recent years have seen theWarhammer 40,000franchise gain a lot of attention in mainstream circles, thanks in part to the cultural rise of tabletop games in general. That rise has been accompanied by a glut of new and interesting video game adaptations, such as theincredibly successfulWarhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2.Many of these new game-based success stories would be significantly less likely withoutWarhammer 40,000: Dawn of War. Relic Entertainment’s 2004 real-time strategy game was a pioneer of sorts for40K, introducing the franchise’s over-the-top warfare and deep lore to a wider gaming audience more than 20 years ago.
NowDawn of Waris coming back in the form ofWarhammer 40,000: Dawn of War Definitive Edition, a remastered version of the game. The new edition will take advantage of modern PC hardware and include support for higher resolutions, improved textures and effects, and an updated user interface. Developer Relic Entertainment will release the game via Steam and GOG in 2025. The announcement confirms earlier leakshinting at aDawn of Warremaster.
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War Definitive Edition Includes All Previous Expansions
In addition to bringing modern hardware compatibility to the experience,Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War Definitive Editionwill include all previously releasedDawn of Warcontent. As a result, players will be able to choose from nine different playable armies, including fan favorites like the Tau, Necrons, and Sisters of Battle. It’s an amount of playable content that not evenDawn of War’s sequels, the RPG-likeDawn of War 2and thedivisiveDawn of War 3, were able to match.
TheDawn of WarDefinitive Editionalso collects the single-player campaigns for all threeDawn of Warexpansions, each of which makes for a different experience. Where the base game followed the Blood Ravens Space Marine chapter in a story-based campaign, theWinter Assaultexpansion followed the Imperial Guard (renamed to the Astra Militarumin subsequentWarhammer 40Krevisions). TheDark CrusadeandSoulstormexpansions introduced more new factions and adopted a freeform campaign map structure, adding a sense of strategic breadth reminiscent of series likeTotal WarandStellaris.
Though it doesn’t have a release window more specific than 2025,Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War Definitive Editioncould revive the fortunes of the series. The remaster could also inject new life into the game’s community thanks to more modern support and spruced-up visuals.
