When the THQ firesale kicked off in earnest, the biggest trade chip that switched hands was Relic Entertainment, makers of the Company of Heroes, Homeworld and Dawn of War series.
SEGA bought the studio for around US$30 million at the time, but we haven’t seen a new Dawn of War game since. Until early this morning.
After teasing an announcement a couple of days ago, Relic has revealed that Dawn of War 3 will be making a return next year. A Steam page is already live, as is one of the coolest trailers put out this year. You can watch that below.
The important questions that the trailer didn’t answer: will there be a return of Dawn of War 2’s co-op campaign, and will there be a return of the base building mechanics from the original Dawn of War games? In an accompanying press release, Relic had the answer to both: yes.
“Our biggest units ever? Check. Giant orbital lasers? Check. Base-building, epic heroes, huge battles, it’s all in there,” executive producer Stephen MacDonald said.
According to the Steam description, there will be three single-player campaigns featuring the Space Marines, Eldar and Orks, with each race having access to their largest units (that’s the Imperial Knight, Wraithknight and Gorkanaut, which you can see in the trailer).
To commemorate the launch, all Dawn of War games are 75% off on Steam. The Master Collection for the original Dawn of War is available for US$9.24 for the next 2 days, while the Dawn of War 2 complete bundle will set you back US$17.49. The games run just fine on modern systems, although unfortunately they won’t run natively on OSX. (There’s no reason you couldn’t install a wrapper and get things going, ala Stardew Valley, however.)
Comments
37 responses to “Dawn Of War 3 Is Coming Out Next Year”
OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG IT’S HAPPENING!!!!!!!!!!11111111oneoneone
PLEEEEEASE return to the root multiplayer gameplay of the original game and don’t make it like DoW 2.
according to PC GAMER base building is definately back and the game is mixing elements from both 1 and 2. the only thing im hoping for now is ofr Chaos, Tau, Necrons, Dark Eldar, Imperial Guard and Nids to also appear. I want all factions damn it!
if they are going with titans hopefully there is some DLC (or mod capability) to go bonkers and remake the warmaster horus campaign 😀
Necrons! *fingers crossed*
Been replaying original DoW just recently and the max screen res on the based game is atrocious.
The base building is not the only thing that DoW 2 ripped out of DoW 1 though. While the return of base building is great, there’s a lot of other mechanics they’ll need to reintroduce to return to the great gameplay of the original.
I must have been the only person that actually liked the cover based squad gameplay in DOW2, I never really felt like base building fit within the 40K universe, seeing as Marines generally (from everything I’ve read in novels/codices etc) deploy from their flagships and battle barges in orbit, Orks from Spacehulks and cruisers etc.
I’m with you mate – I felt DoW2 was far more authentic.
But i love both, so oh well.
I loved DoW2, particularly playing co op campaign. However, going in expecting an RTS meant I was initially a bit disappointed.
Yeah. I really liked Dawn of War 2’s campaign. I think my ideal Dawn of War 3 would be mostly Dawn of War for multiplayer versus, then for the campaign/co-op mostly Dawn of War 2 with few big battles thrown in.
I get where RTS fans are coming from and understand that Dawn of War was a brilliant gateway to 40k rather than a project for 40k fans, but you’re right that base building doesn’t really fit with 40k. Bases, fortifications, outposts, etc but they’re terrain. You call in reserves, summon, spawn, etc. To me that’s base building in 40k and it has a lot of potential to be interesting in an RTS.
For sure, but if they just drag across DoW1 and throw in a couple of heroes I don’t think it’d do the game justice.
For now, I’m just happy that they sound like they’re on the right track for a good RTS 😀
I liked DoW2. =(
I’m sure this is going to be good. I don’t see why people hate on DOW 2 it was a great multiplayer game, once you learnt how to use cover and how the different units could be used/countered it was great.
*repeatedly smashes wallet into monitor*
I’ve been doing that for the past half hour man, it hasn’t been working. Maybe if I throw the money at the monitor it might work…
Maybe if we all throw our wallets at one monitor at one time, it’ll work?
Good idea!
Send me your wallet and I’ll give it a try.
Wait.. this sounds familiar… like it’s happened to me before…
… Are you a nigerian prince?
THEY HAVE A STEAM PAGE BUT IT WON’T LET ME PREORDER OH GOD WHY IS IT ON THE FRONT PAGE AND I CAN’T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT HOW LONG WILL I BE TORMENTED
Well… except for indicate ‘not interested’, but that would be the lie of the century.
As long as the Gorkanaut isn’t as shitty as it is on the tabletop! Wraithknight OP etc etc
So excited for this. Finally a reason to turn on my home PC!
Fuck yeah, DoW2 was excellent.
You’re all happy now… wait until we get closer to release and you have to preorder at certain stores to get access to certain races 😀
MONEY TAKE MINE SOMETHING
this is the most beautiful thing ive seen all day *sniff* I don’t think im ready.
You’re ready. DOW2 came out in 2009,
Holy shit, really?
And I still haven’t finished it
THE EMPEROR PROTECTS
I’m not even a fan of Warhammer in particular but holy crap WHAT A TRAILER!!
I hope it’s more like DoW1 than DoW2. And I hope there will be Tau eventually. Best gaming news I’ve read in months.
All I could think of while watching that is …
WAR IS COMING!!!!!
But honestly they know how to make an awesome trailer.
I’m hoping they’ll surprise us all with a gameplay combination that no-one expects which makes everyone happy, but if they can’t manage that, I’d be really happy if they just straight-up clone Dark Crusade, which was the best thing they’ve ever made.
Just pretty much want them to do anything that isn’t like DoW2, the worst thing they’ve ever made.
Sometimes you seem so smart, Transient. Then, I just…. I just don’t know anymore.
Oh, I can’t stay mad at you.
FITE ME BRO
…in DoW3 when it comes out. Just the once. Because I’m a carebear and would rather co-op with you bro.
This is excellent news! I loved the original and all of its expansions, some fond lan memories form back in the day with this game!! Didn’t like the second one so much so I’m glad to hear that they’ll apparently be mixing elements from both games, I hope base building will be back along with larger army sizes as seen in the first game.
My only issue so far is the WHEREABOUTS of CHAOS Space Marines?!?! Anyways this is awesome news which I’m super keen about.
Pps. Relic please add LAN support back into the Steam release of the original Dawn of War!
OMG yesssss!
Now I just need to buy/build a PC to play it on…
Hey guys what’s going on in this thre…. BY THE EMPEROR!
KNOWLEDGE IS POWER.
GUARD IT WELL.
Good to see someone from the prime times speaking out for what once was, Dow multiplayer was the most immersive, fun, endlessly playable experience I’ve ever had on a RTS and I’ve tried them all. No two battles were the same, so many different openers/counters/strats, it was beautiful and worked minus the lack of support in the balance area. It was made for multiplayer and had they kept on supporting the game it would have been the more accessible/interesting take on Starcraft and it WOULD have been a huge game.
Dow2 was experimental (props for trying) but ultimately a failure, slow, soulless and flawed (but looked nice). Simplification for an uncertain market which basically ignored its own routes and its small but knowledgeable fan base which consisted of some very fine competitive players that would put any of these moba ‘stars’ to shame. It was sacrilege to all of its devotees that experienced something truly magical and were met with nothing but confusion as to why Relic would do a U-bend and make the terrible choice of reskinning their flagship WW2 game.
I just hope they remember the intelligent, beautiful game that made them and the player base that fueled them, we are still out here and we want the core gameplay that got us hooked. If they listen and can do that? Dont keep it a secret and support your game this time.