What the game is
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Definitive Edition packages the original Dawn of War and all of its expansions into one release. It is a real-time strategy game set in the 41st Millennium, built around base building, unit management, and tactical combat across a large roster of factions. The Definitive Edition runs on a 64-bit platform and includes an integrated Mod Manager, with compatibility for over 20 years of community mods. Visual updates include image-based lighting, upgraded unit textures with at least four times the original resolution, improved world lighting, unit reflections, more detailed shadows, surface gloss, and emissive lighting. The gameplay camera has been improved for modern systems, including 4K displays, with increased draw distances and a HUD and screen layout optimized for widescreen viewing. Pathfinding updates were also added to make unit management easier.
Playing together
Multiplayer supports 2 to 8 players, either in teams or free-for-all, across many modes and numerous maps. Online co-op and online PvP are both available. Across the whole package there are over 100 maps and nine factions to pick from: Space Marines, Orks, Eldar, Chaos, Imperial Guard, Tau, Necrons, Dark Eldar, and Sisters of Battle. Each faction plays differently, from the mechanized Imperial Guard and Tau battle suits to the melee-focused Orks and the ancient Necrons, so a group can split into teams and try contrasting matchups. The four campaigns can be played through as well, including the non-linear Dark Crusade on Kronus and the Soulstorm campaign in the Kaurava System, which is playable as any of the nine factions.
Before you start
Winter Assault has you guide either Order (Imperial Guard and Eldar) or Disorder (Orks and Chaos) in a race to recover a Titan war machine, so pick a side before you begin. Dark Crusade is non-linear and playable as Space Marines, Imperial Guard, Eldar, Orks, Chaos, Tau, or Necrons, while Soulstorm is the second non-linear campaign and opens up all nine factions. The content includes gore and violent imagery, so keep that in mind for your group. The game is tagged as singleplayer alongside its multiplayer options, and a level editor is included alongside the mod support.