Table of Contents
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War IV Delay Pushes Launch to December
The battle for Kronus will begin a little later than expected, with KING Art Games announcing a short delay for Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War IV. The strategy game will now launch on December 3, while players who pick up the Commander Edition will be able to start playing three days earlier on November 30.
According to the developer, the extra development time will be used to improve performance, resolve bugs and add further polish ahead of release. Creative Director Jan Theysen said the studio identified an opportunity during the final stages of development to further improve the experience it had originally envisioned.
“As we approached the final stages of development, we saw an opportunity to further enhance Dawn of War IV and deliver the quality of experience we’ve always envisioned,” Theysen said.
KING Art Games Says Extra Time Will Improve Day One Quality
Rather than pointing to any specific development issue, KING Art Games says the revised launch date is intended to give the team additional time for optimisation and general refinement.
“The additional time will allow us to continue optimising performance, resolving bugs, and applying further polish to ensure players have the best possible experience from day one,” Theysen added. Development will continue in the meantime, with more Battlefield Reports, gameplay showcases and developer deep dives planned over the coming months.
For anyone following the return of the long-running strategy series, the delay is relatively minor, although it does push Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War IV closer to the end of the year than originally planned.
Dawn of War IV Year One Roadmap Also Shifts
The delay has also resulted in an updated Year One roadmap, although KING Art Games has not yet provided revised dates for individual pieces of post-launch content. What is coming remains unchanged for now. Year One will include free updates adding Crusade Mode, new maps, additional modes, more Commanders and a Mission Editor.
Two major story expansions are also planned, which will continue the conflict on Kronus while introducing a new playable faction. That gives Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War IV a fairly substantial post-launch plan, even if players will now have to wait slightly longer before starting the campaign itself.
Commander Edition Players Still Get Three Days of Early Access
The standard edition of Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War IV will launch on December 3, while Commander Edition owners gain access from November 30 through its three-day early unlock. Both editions are currently available for pre-order with a 10% discount.
With the revised date now set, KING Art Games has a few extra weeks to tighten up the battlefield before players return to Kronus later this year.
