Warhammer 40K: Dawn of War II Announced News

Publisher THQ has officially announced the sequel to Relic's critically acclaimed RTS, Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War. Relic Entertainment will take the helm of the series once again for Warhammer 40K: Dawn of War II, which will be released in Spring 2009 for the PC.

The game will run on an enhanced version of Relic's proprietary Essence Engine 2.0 (as used in Company of Heroes), while THQ is also promising a co-op multiplayer mode for the game.

"The original Dawn of War and its subsequent standalone expansions have established the series as one of the industry's leading RTS franchises," said Brad Carraway, Vice President of Global Brand Management at THQ. "Dawn of War II will re-define RTS gaming to gamers worldwide, delivering brutal frontline action and tactics, and allowing players to get straight to the action with unprecedented fast-paced RTS gameplay and a full co-op campaign, all in stunning cinematic detail."

Tarrnie Williams, General Manager of Relic Entertainment, adds: "We started with everything fans loved about the original Dawn of War and then added more than they ever could have hoped for in the sequel into Dawn of War II. Leveraging our critically acclaimed Essence Engine 2.0, gamers will develop and lead an elite strike force through Games Workshop's war-torn universe, engage in devastating combat among the ruins of fully destructible battlefields, and be immersed in an ever-changing single-player and co-op multiplayer campaign."

Warhammer 40K fans who purchased the Soulstorm expansion pack will receive exclusive invites to a multiplayer beta for the sequel at some point between now and next Spring.