Dawn of War IV Preview: 70-Mission Campaign, Four Factions, Streamlined RTS

King Art Games and publisher Deep Silver handed journalists a hands-on look at Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War IV that leans hard into faction identity while trimming traditional RTS busywork. The preview revealed four playable factions at launch - Blood Ravens Space Marines, Adeptus Mechanicus in their first full-series entry, Orks, and Necrons - and developer commentary pegged the combined campaign length at roughly 70 missions with branching elements and cinematic presentation.

The campaign emphasis is significant for players who want narrative depth and replayability. Branching missions promise decision points that affect later sorties and campaign pacing rather than a single linear march, while the cinematic framing aims to deliver the Warhammer theatre fans expect. For players juggling hobby time and matches, the sheer mission count is a clear signal that the single-player offering will be a major focus.

On the gameplay side King Art has pared back base-management conventions common to modern RTS titles. Space Marines, for example, will receive buildings delivered instead of relying on worker-unit construction, a change intended to cut excessive micromanagement and keep engagements focused on tactics and unit composition. The studio frames this as a return to Dawn of War’s feel - distinct faction fantasies and battlefield scale - but modernized so matches spend less time babysitting logistics.

Faction design follows lore-first logic. Orks are built around swarm play and the classic green tide approach, thriving on mass and momentum. Adeptus Mechanicus centers on networked systems and powerful vehicles, playing more like a mechanized, tech-driven force. Necrons are durable and designed to escalate fights differently, with survivability and late-game presence. Space Marines are the flexible core - elite and smaller in number, able to adapt across roles rather than overwhelm by count.

Multiplayer features aim to span casual co-op and competitive formats, including Last Stand horde-style modes and ladder options in 1v1, 2v2, and 3v3 matches. King Art emphasized balancing lore-authentic playstyles across those modes so an Ork green tide or a vehicle-heavy Mechanicus army reads the same in single-player and in ranked matchups.

For the community this preview matters: veterans looking for the classic Dawn of War pulse can expect faction flavor and tactical depth, while newer or time-poor players get accessibility through streamlined macro systems. Competitive players should watch balance moves as multiplayer testing ramps up, and campaign fans get a substantial single-player draw.

This hands-on look suggests Dawn of War IV aims to marry old-school faction fantasy with modern usability. Expect further demos and testing phases to reveal balance tuning and how well the game holds together across thirty-plus missions per faction and the promised multiplayer roster.