Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II - Anniversary Edition

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II – A Tactical RTS Masterpiece

Relic Entertainment’s Dawn of War II is a bold reinvention of the RTS genre, stripping away traditional base-building mechanics in favor of a more tactical, squad-based approach. The result? A game that feels fresh, intense, and deeply rewarding.

Gameplay & Innovation
Unlike conventional RTS titles, Dawn of War II focuses on commanding an elite strike force rather than managing resources. Players take control of squads of Space Marines, each with unique abilities and gear that evolve throughout the campaign. The game seamlessly blends real-time strategy with RPG elements, allowing players to customize their squads with loot and skill upgrades2. The tactical depth is immense—every battle demands careful positioning, use of cover, and strategic deployment of abilities.

Campaign & Story
The single-player campaign follows the Blood Ravens chapter of the Space Marines as they battle against the Orks, Eldar, and the terrifying Tyranids. The narrative is gripping, with well-developed characters and a strong sense of urgency. Missions are non-linear, allowing players to choose their battles and shape the course of the war3. The addition of a cooperative campaign mode enhances the experience, letting players team up to tackle missions together.

Multiplayer & Replayability
The multiplayer component is equally impressive, offering intense 1v1 and 3v3 skirmishes. Players can command different factions, each with distinct playstyles, ensuring a varied and strategic experience. The game’s Essence Engine 2.0 delivers stunning visuals, with beautifully detailed units and destructible environments. The sound design is equally immersive, with epic orchestral scores and battle cries that heighten the tension.

Final Verdict
Dawn of War II is a triumph of innovation, blending tactical RTS gameplay with RPG progression and a gripping narrative. Whether you’re leading your squads into battle, customizing their gear, or facing off against opponents in multiplayer, every moment feels impactful. It’s a must-play for strategy fans and Warhammer 40K enthusiasts alike.

if they just expanded the campaign and changed nothing else about the game I would buy it for 20 bucks, this game is the reason I first downloaded steam (back when the things came on discs) over 15 years ago. Beaten campaign on primarch difficulty with Angel of Death score and I still come back, I wish there were other rts experiences similar to this one

properly some off the best and most fun rts still out there, at least for multiplayer.
big community all considered, 50+ people in chat almost always etc.

Even after the years I sit down and play this one hours on end. Too bad we never got a 3rd game, as that couldve been fantastic.

DoW 2 was very different from DoW 1, and I LOVED DoW 1. That being said, I've really enjoyed this game. It has great replay value, and the mechanics work pretty well.

great control of units. not massive armies but more tactical missions and strikes.

Space boys + jump pack = yes

It isn't perfect but if you like 40k you will probably enjoy it. Nice music and visuals. Gameplay is good but not incredible. I highly recommend you play the campaigns on Very Hard otherwise they become a cakewalk very quickly. On very hard they are challenging up until the lategame where if you built your characters properly you are Godlike.

If they had just made a hybrid of this and the original Dawn of War then Dawn of War 3 would have succeeded.

Great game, very nostalgic

Game doesn't run on high core count CPUs. Big fat fail.

amazing game a real shame the fandom has forgotten about it

The sheer ludicrousness of the setting goes hand in hand with reasonably well implemented game mechanics that are both easy to pick up and provide sufficient tactical depth.

The downsides: the missions of the single player campaign get very repetitive after a while (often taking place on the exact same maps), while multiplayer games require tons of micromanagement on the players' part.

Still highly enjoyable.

the game bugged out during a cutscene in the campaign and the mission couldn't continue.

truly, a 2000's classic

I still prefer the original style more. But I admit, they managed to do something very rare. Re-create a franchise. These games are equally good, but just a little different in play style. These ones also illustrates (sort of sometimes) how OP space marines really are

It is fun but a bit difficult at first

Relic account ruins the experience, it randomly signs out within the game and kicks you out of the game.

A very good RTS. I played it in 2025, but still it was better than many strategy games I played in the last years. It is just a well designed game.

Very good game

The game won't start and freezes my PC every time I try to start it.

Timeless classic.

If these devs were in prision I would protect them in the showers.

If you have a windows 11 system with a !13700 you will not beable to play this game, an there is no support for this game. DO NOT BUY! you will just have to refund it. I didnt buy recently i just upgraded my computer an was reinstalling some of my favort games... an oh yay... half my games dont run on this new system... feels like im back in WIndow Vista days... like didnt microsoft learn not to... ruin their reputation... guess they like not being more wealthy.

Game doesnt run.

ultimate warhammer!

Still a grand example of the hero-focused RTS, and an excellent entry point into Warhammer 40K in general.

Good game

The best version of Dawn of War. The first one is fantastic, but a little dated in terms of aesthetics. The base game is second only to Chaos Rising, which is the absolute sweet spot of small unit tactic RTS. If you love WH40k, especially if you love Space Marines, this is a fantastic game. Even 15 years later.

lots of interesting combos

"I am eternal."
- Space Marine Dreadnought

The game is unplayable because of persistent 'A sign in change has occured" error that effectively prevents progression through campaign.

Even this late after release, this error appears randomly and affects some people, but not others. There is no apparent solution - as far as I know. Sometimes people have this problem, sometimes they don't. It's very inconsistent in this regard.

I don't recommend buying the game until the problem is fixed.

The best Warhammer 40k game I've ever played. I finished the base game multiple times. That good. Chaos Rising is also great.

Haven't played Rts in ages, campaign too a few missing to get used to but having fun now!

! find it fun in a odd way way. like the past melded with a raw future gone wrong

This felt like a huge step back from DoW 1. It started off with so much promise but I don't feel like DoW ever recovered after this.

Games are painfully small, repetitive, and boring.

The cover system is broken with squads often hiding on both sides of a wall.

Maps are boring with endlessly repeating assists.

Lead an elite strike force of space marines, doing lore-accurate missions across multiple planets, while facing the hopelessness of a Tyranid Hive Fleet, Ork Waaaagh!, and Eldar Secret Invasion.

9/10 Needs more IG.

The Emperor Protects

BOOOM! The lore and the gore, Still playable after all these years. ooooh. still crazy after aaaaaalll these years

Awesome game and awesome campaign. Way, way better than dawn of war 3.

Still not as bad as the haters claim. Yes its much smaller in scope, but the cover mechanic and teamwork required with such small squads was an interesting idea but the graphics are pretty good.

get it on sale play it a few times

Fun single player campaign. Lots of different units and ways to customize your heroes.

A game I wish I didn't skip out on back in 2009. Absolutely amazing MOBA game.

just make sure you are connected to the internet

You can't save and exit in the middle of a mission so if you have a life or responsibilities this game is not for you. That alone makes the game unplayable for me. Beyond that it gets old and repetitive very quickly. It's a really small game relative to DOW I. Save your money-- better options out there

Yet another forgettable RTS sequel from the "RTS is dying" era

There will be no mercy for the misguided, so I recommend this game.

Love the old school Warhammer 40k feel. Played this for well over 100 hours and keep coming back every year or so. Definitely pick it up if you love 40k.

This game and its expansions are really great games, a little hard to learn at the start, since it doesn't works like a normal RTS, so it will take some time to click, but when it does, is a glorious fest of battle and blood, just like the Emperor intended. Also, the Chaos Rising expansion is a master class in how to make an expansion for a game.

this is perfect except for no base building

It's a good Warhammer game if you're looking for a good Warhammer game

It's not an RTS though. I mean the PVP mode technically is, but it's not a good RTS. And the campaign is straight up just not an RTS campaign, it's a squad based tactics RPG but I like those too so yeah. I recommend it for 10 bucks on sale, don't spend 50 bucks on this shit.