Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War 4 has been hit by a delay of two-and-a-half months.

Previously set to launch on September 17, developer King Art Games has now confirmed its real-time strategy title will now debut on December 3, with early access from November 30.

Significantly, this moves Dawn of War 4 out of the September video game crush, which is itself caused by publishers hoping to get ahead of the behemoth that is GTA 6 in November. Games launching next month include Marvel's Wolverine, The Blood of Dawnwalker, Control Resonant, Silent Hill Townfall, and Onimusha Way of the Sword.

"As we approached the final stages of development, we saw an opportunity to further enhance Dawn of War 4 and deliver the quality of experience we've always envisioned," said Jan Theysen, the game's creative director. "The additional time will allow us to continue optimising performance, resolving bugs, and applying further polish to ensure players have the best possible experience from day one."

An updated Year 1 roadmap for the game published today shows how the delay has impacted Dawn of War 4's free post-launch content schedule, which will now begin in 2027. Crusade Mode and Map Pack 1 will arrive early next year, followed by a second map pack and Lord Ahmnok Last Stand Crusade in early spring. A third map pack and mission editor arrive after that, with a fourth in early summer, alongside the Guzcutta Last Stand Crusade.

Two paid-for additions are also coming: the Blood Ravens story prologue in spring, and the Aftermath campaign expansion containing a new faction in summer.

Once again, that new launch date will be December 3, while those with the Commander Edition will gain early access to the game from November 30. While you wait, be sure to check out our interview with the developers at King Art Games to find out more about what to expect.

Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social