White Dwarf 526 celebrates Dawn of War IV with Blood Ravens extras

White Dwarf 526 puts Dawn of War IV at the front of July’s magazine, using the Blood Ravens to pull the game’s return straight back into the hobby. The issue centers on an exclusive interview with creative director Jan Theysen, framing the long-awaited fourth Dawn of War entry as more than a nostalgia hit and making it clear Games Workshop is treating the series as a live part of 40k’s wider ecosystem.

The magazine does not stop at coverage. It comes with a free transfer sheet carrying more than 350 decals for Gabriel Angelos and his crimson-clad battle brothers, plus a step-by-step painting guide for the Blood Ravens’ red armour. That turns the issue into an immediate build-and-paint tool for anyone working on a Blood Ravens force, or for players who want their army to match the chapter that defined the series on Kronus.

That crossover approach fits White Dwarf’s wider role. Warhammer Community describes it as the official monthly Warhammer magazine, built around news, features, pictorials, battle reports, painting masterclasses, designers’ notes and exclusive rules. In practice, that means issue 526 can do double duty: it feeds Dawn of War fans with setting material while also giving tabletop players concrete hobby pieces they can use at the desk, not just read and shelve.

The issue also carries an “astonishingly beautiful” Genestealer Cults collection by Mark Kilburn, keeping the magazine rooted in miniature culture rather than treating the video game feature as a standalone promo. That balance matters because Dawn of War IV itself is being positioned as a return to the series’ mass-battle, base-building roots, with Warhammer Community confirming four factions and naming the Adeptus Mechanicus alongside the Blood Ravens, Orks and Necrons.

The game was formally revealed during gamescom Opening Night Live 2025, and Steam now lists it for release on September 17, 2026. Steam also says it will include more than 70 campaign missions, plus Last Stand, Skirmish and multiplayer modes. Put together, White Dwarf 526 reads like a pre-launch handoff: the magazine gives players the Blood Ravens detail they can use now, while the game lines up the next reason to stay in the 41st Millennium.