Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Definitive Edition

The remaster of Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Definitive Edition is the first game release since Relic Entertainment became independent again, and it sees them modernising one of the most popular and influential real-time strategy (RTS) games ever.

Hard to believe! Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War was released in September 2004 - over 20 years ago. Now, the popular and critically acclaimed real-time strategy (RTS) classic is returning as the Definitive Edition, which is not a remake but a remaster. This means it has been improved for today's PC hardware. However, Relic Entertainment has made it clear that the basic gameplay has not been changed.

The Definitive Edition includes the original Dawn of War and all its expansions: Winter Assault, Dark Crusade and Soulstorm. This amounts to four complete campaigns, nine factions (Space Marines, Orks, Eldar, Chaos, Imperial Army, Tau, Necrons, Dark Eldar and Adepta Sororitas), multiplayer for two to eight players and over 200 maps.

The Definitive Edition features image-based lighting and upgraded unit textures, enhancing the overall presentation. According to the developers, "improved world lighting, unit reflections, more detailed shadows, surface gloss and emissive lighting make for a superior experience while retaining the classic Dawn of War feel". The game now supports 4K and has an optimised HUD and widescreen monitor layout. The textures of all units and the game world have been upscaled by up to four times. However, it should be noted that it is only a 'remaster' and very basic models can be seen in close-up; though the camera is not usually so close in the tactical battlefield view. The camera has been generally improved, and the draw distance has been extended. Additionally, unit pathfinding has been improved, especially for large armies, which simplifies unit management.

"Though our primary focus is on updating the game for modern hardware, we have been keeping a close eye on your feedback. Multiplayer balance will mostly remain the same; however, we have been fixing some of the most egregious legacy bugs that should help improve the multiplayer experience. Though not all legacy bugs will be addressed for launch, we plan to be on standby to hot fix any high priority issues after the game’s official release. In addition to that, we are experimenting with changes to high impact items to improve general gameplay, such as the behavior of flying units or the pathing of infantry and vehicles, along with quality-of-life settings such as grid key presets." - Relic Entertainment

It is important to mention the upgrade to 64-bit architecture, which improves performance and stability. Nevertheless, the game is compatible with mods dating back 20 years. Speaking of mods: the Definitive Edition also features an integrated mod manager.

Relic Entertainment is a Canadian video game developer based in Vancouver, best known for its real-time strategy games. Founded in 1997, the company made a name for itself with Homeworld, followed by Dawn of War and Company of Heroes. Relic was part of THQ from 2004, but moved to Sega following THQ's bankruptcy in 2013. In March 2024, the studio split from Sega and became independent with the support of the UK-based investment firm Emona Capital. The studio is currently working on Earth vs Mars, a turn-based strategy game reminiscent of Advance Wars. "Earth vs Mars is our first game under the Relic Labs banner. Relic Labs games differ from our traditional, larger-scale strategy titles (which we're continuing to support and develop) in that they are created by smaller teams with shorter development cycles and a goal of experimenting in new strategy spaces, creating fun new worlds, and getting them in the hands of players sooner. Earth vs Mars was made by a small team of passionate Relicans with the goal of paying homage to some of our favorite strategy games, while adding a Relic twist," writes the studio.

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Definitive Edition was released on 14 August 2025 for €29.99 on PC via Steam and GOG. A 30% veteran discount is available to owners of the original game, Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Anniversary Edition. Additionally, a 10% launch discount will be available to everyone for two weeks.

Conclusion

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Definitive Edition is a comprehensive package offering meaningful technical upgrades for modern systems. However, it should be noted that this is a remaster, not a remake. But it could have been a little more.