Dawn of War IV is not played only with the Blood Ravens. In the Space Marine campaign, King Art Games also lets you play the Dark Angels, a second chapter with its own commanders and a part for its Primarch, Lion El’Jonson. The studio revived the subject in early August by presenting the voice cast: Alistair Petrie voices the Lion, Alex Jordan voices Chaplain Ezrael.
Update, October 26, 2026: the game no longer launches on September 17 but on December 3, 2026. The Commander Edition grants access from November 30 (our article on the delay). On October 8, King Art detailed both chapters in a Space Marines deep dive. The closed beta began on October 21.
One Kronus, two chapters
The campaign opens with the Blood Ravens arriving in orbit, led by Captain Cyrus and Chief Librarian Jonah Orion. They came to recruit new aspirants on their old recruiting world. They walk into an ambush by Warboss Gorgutz and his Orks, while Beastboss Guzcutta is already hunting humans on the ground. With the Space Marines and the Astra Militarum under pressure on every side, the Dark Angels step in and answer the call for help.
For the first time in the series, the campaign has you play two Space Marine chapters. According to King Art, the Dark Angels’ arrival creates a real strategic choice. You command either the Blood Ravens, who lean on flexible combat, or the Dark Angels, who prefer shock. The weakened Blood Ravens run skirmishes and operations behind enemy lines. The Dark Angels bring far heavier firepower.
The frame is the one already announced: four playable factions, four campaigns and more than 70 missions, written by Black Library author John French, with base building. To compare the four factions, see our Dawn of War IV preview.
Deathwing and Ravenwing: commanders make the difference
The two chapters share many units. That is why King Art stresses the commanders, who account for most of the difference in play.
- Company Master Astoran wears Terminator armour and leads the Deathwing: a frontline bastion that breaks heavy units with power fists.
- Chaplain Ezrael leads the Ravenwing: bikes for lightning strikes across the whole battlefield.
The gap is therefore less about unit lists than about command style. The Deathwing absorbs and advances in the centre, the Ravenwing harasses and strikes fast. That gap is the most useful test of whether the choice between chapters adds replayability or stays cosmetic.
Lion El’Jonson: a small but decisive part
King Art presents Lion El’Jonson as the first playable Primarch in a Warhammer 40,000 video game. The studio does temper expectations, though: the Lion will have a small but decisive role in the battle of Kronus, without being playable in every mission. It is a staging choice more than a permanent gameplay hook, which seems consistent for a figure so overwhelming in the lore.
By contrast, Gabriel Angelos, hero of the first Dawn of War, is absent. The developers ruled him out because they found him too powerful. Cyrus and Jonah Orion take over, characters whose power level stays closer to ordinary units.
What to watch
As of August 6, release is set for September 17, 2026 on PC, with early access on September 14 for the Commander Edition. That edition also includes the two paid Year 1 expansions. The real test remains how missions are split between the two chapters. King Art has given no figures on that. Two command styles in a trailer do not guarantee two distinct experiences across more than 70 missions.
For what came next on the calendar, read the update above. For an overview, see the Dawn of War IV page.
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