‘Cleanse, Purge, Kill!’ Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War Returns With Definitive Edition of 20-Year-Old RTS Classic

Relic has announced Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War – Definitive Edition, a modernized version of its 20-year-old RTS classic.

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War – Definitive Edition, due out on PC via Steam and GOG later this year, presents the original gameplay as fans will remember it, but optimized for modern hardware. IGN has an exclusive interview with design director Philippe Boulle where we run through all the Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War – Definitive Edition details — it’s well worth a read if you’re into Dawn of War in any way.

Fans have long-called for a revival of the Dawn of War franchise, and the first game in the series, which is considered one of the best if not the best Warhammer 40,000 games ever made, is a potential first start. The hope is of course that Relic uses this release as a platform for the creation of a brand new Dawn of War game; Dawn of War 4 perhaps.

The Definitive Edition includes all the Dawn of War and standalone expansion content (four classic Dawn of War campaigns, nine armies, and over 200 maps all in one game). There’s 4K support, upscaled textures (4x the originals), and image-based lighting for a higher level of fidelity while retaining the classic experience. World lighting, unit reflections, and shadows have all been improved, and new unit gloss and emissive lighting “will faithfully enhance the moment-to-moment action.”

The camera now lets you pull back further to see more on-screen, and the HUD and screen layout have been optimized for widescreen viewing. Dawn of War has also been upgraded to a 64-bit platform to support the ongoing efforts of the modding community and will be compatible with over 20 years of community mods upon release.

“The Definitive Edition celebrates the original Dawn of War and preserves the legacy of this landmark Warhammer 40,000 title for years to come,” said Justin Dowdeswell, CEO at Relic Entertainment.

“Warhammer 40,000 is more popular than ever, and we want new players to experience where the classic Dawn of War franchise began, while providing a platform for our long-time fans to relive it in its entirety.”

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War – Definitive Edition was announced during the Warhammer Skulls 2025 broadcast. In case you missed it, check out all the announcements and trailers from the show.

Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.