Hey everyone!

We’ve been so heartened to see the enthusiasm from the fans that have gotten their hands on the title at Gamescom, PAX West, and - coming up this week - at EGX. We can’t wait to show it off to even more of you soon!

All of our fans (that’s you!) have been incredible, asking great questions and wanting to know more, and we know that keeping track of everything that’s been revealed in all the press and interviews can be a bit overwhelming. With that in mind, we wanted to create a one-stop-shop FAQ for the Space Marines, as well as some of the Dawn of War III basics.

This post should give you all the key details (well, almost all - we still have a couple tricks up our sleeve) on Dawn of War III, and serve as a primer to Gabriel Angelos and the Blood Ravens as they head towards their biggest battle yet!

General / Features

How many factions can you play in Dawn of War III?

Space Marines, Orks, and Eldar. These competing armies let us tell the best story, and give us the most interesting playstyle dynamics to work with across both the campaign and multiplayer.

Fourth faction? Or more factions via DLC?

Not for launch. At this stage, we’re creating a fun, balanced experience with three factions as a starting point. After that, we’ll see! Let us know which factions you’re rooting for.

What kind of campaign can we expect?

The campaign will rotate between the three factions, letting you see all sides of the story as the missions unfold. Our Campaign Lead, Brent, speaks in more detail in this interview.

We’ve only seen one planet so far. Why?

The mission you’ve seen on Acheron picks up late in the campaign, with the previous missions showcasing how all three armies were drawn to this new mysterious world. That is to say, you’ll fight through a range of environments before you land amidst the fire and ice you’ve seen so far.

What about multiplayer?

We’ll make sure you have lots of ways to lose friends over multiplayer matches. Don’t worry!

The trailer music was amazing. Will the in-game soundtrack be similar?

Yes! We heard the resounding love for the trailer music, and thankfully composer Paul Leonard-Morgan will be composing the rest of the soundtrack! You can find out more about the creation of the music here.

Will there be an Army Painter?

You bet. More details to come!

What kind of mod support can we expect?

Mod support? Yes. Specifics? Closer to launch.

What’s the release date?

So far, all we can tell you is 2017. But we won’t keep you waiting longer than we have to!

Space Marines

Will there be any returning characters from the previous games?

Absolutely! Gabriel Angelos is back to lead as the Chapter Master of the Blood Ravens with Jonah Orion as their new Chief Librarian. Will there be more? Yes. Stay tuned!

Wait, wasn’t Gabriel Angelos left for dead, and Jonah Orion mortally wounded?

Advanced cybernetics for Gabriel. Sus-an Membrane for Jonah.

How many Space Marine units are there?

You’ve seen all the Space Marine line units, vehicles, and buildings that make up the typical tech tree, but, you’ve only been introduced to four of the faction’s Elite units. You’ll have plenty left to discover come launch!

How many units can I build? How big can my army get?

There’s a population cap but things can get pretty out of control! Your armies will look more like they did in DOW than they did in squad-based DOWII.

What are the in-game resources?

You’ll see familiar resources like Power for vehicles and upgrades, and Requisition for infantry. A new resource - called Elite Points - is being introduced that will determine at what rate you can deploy your Elite units.

Is Solaria the only Imperial Knight we’ll see in the game?

Nope! Remember those unannounced Elite units we mentioned? Well spoiler alert: one of them is a Knight Paladin, a melee Imperial Knight for all you brawlers out there.

Don’t the Elite heroes render line unit strategy obsolete?

They might look OP, but none of the Elites are invincible. For example, Solaria will quickly fall to melee units who get past her minimum range. Brute force is nothing without careful strategy, and synergy between Elites and line units will be key to victory.

What are the Space Marine’s faction mechanics?

The Space Marines have two faction mechanics: Death from Above and Plant the Standard.

Death from Above is their ability to produce units in drop pods, and then slam those onto enemies to unleash mobile reinforcements. Plant the Standard deploys a Standard that knocks enemies back and inspires nearby troops, increasing their movement speed and doling out a new combat bonus every ten seconds.

How does Orbital Bombardment work?

Orbital Bombardment, the Space Marines’ super ability, unlocks once you upgrade your Stronghold to Tier III. Call it down wherever you have sight, and move it across the battlefield to unleash maximum destruction. Don’t worry, there are counters to it in multiplayer. Stay tuned.

Why has the cover system changed?

The scale of armies made microing units behind logs and walls a pain. Instead, Dawn of War III cover calls back to buildings in DOWII, and gives melee units a crisper role on the battlefield.

It doesn’t look like Tactical Marines can shoot while they move?

Some units can, some units can’t. Some units can’t, but then can depending on your Elite loadout and abilities. Clear as mud?

No more retreat mechanic?

Nope! The Retreat function didn’t fit the large army, all-out battle playstyle we’re going for. Instead, use skimmer units and scouts to find out what’s hiding in the fog of war to make sure you’ve got the troops you need to take ‘em down!

Thanks so much for all your great questions, and be sure to keep them coming as we talk about the Eldar and beyond by keeping active on the forums, and reaching out to us on Twitter!