Sega has announced that it will be selling Relic Entertainment and laying off approximately 240 employees across its European?? s?tudios. 

Sega attributes the structural reforms to "the business environment surrounding the Consumer are?a, especially in European region" rapidly changing, citing "reactionary decline from the stay-at-home?? demand in COVID-19 and the economic downturn due to inflation," as well as lowered profitability.

According to an internal email obtained by IGN, the layoffs will hit Sega Europe, Creative Assembly, and Hardlight. The layoffs will reportedly not affect Creative Assembly’s ongoing work on Total War and another unannounced project. In the email, Sega Europe managing director Jurgen Post explained some of the reasoning behind the company’s latest decision: “We need to streamline, focus on what we are good at, and position ourselves as best we can for the road ahead.”�?/p>

He apologized for the stress the layoffs will undoubtedly cause and specifically apologized for not being able to tell employees about the move until Sega Sammy Holdings made the annou??ncement to the Tokyo Stock Exchange. According to Post, Sega will provide support to affected employees where it can, including severance pay, career support and access to independent and internal guidance.

What’s next for Relic

As part of this move, Sega is selling Relic, and the studio is going independent. Relic made its own announcement on social media, saying, “With an external investor, Relic Entertainment will become an independently-run development studio.�?It plans to continue supporting its current projects, like last year’s Company of Heroes 3. 

This will be the first time that Relic has been independent since it was acquired by THQ back in 2004. Sega bought the studio during THQ’s bankruptcy in 2013. Were it not for the larger context surrounding the announcement, Relic going independent would be pretty exciting. But not quite a year ago Sega laid off 121 employees at Relic and canceled an FPS game called Hyenas being developed by Creative Assembly, despite announcing five titles—som??e which look to be going for a li?ve service model—during the 2023 Game Awards.

Kotaku is keeping a count of all the video game industry layoffs this year, and we’re already approaching last year’s shocking total of 9,000. 2024 is ??still young?, so we’d better strap in for a rough ride. ;

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The developer is undergoing a restructuring

Sega Europe and Relic Entertainment have announced the layoff of 121 employees from Relic.

The press release cites “external factors�?and goes on to say that this is part of a restructuring of a wider restructuring of th?e studio.

//twitter.com/relicgames/status/1661060864651452??416?s=20

Relic Entertainment is based in Canada and has been behind such hits as Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War and Homeworld. Their area of expertise is strategy games, with their most recent title being Company of Heroes 3. While Company of Heroes 3 did well critically, user reception is much worse, with the addition of microtransac?tions often cited for the negative response. Nonetheless, if missing targets was the reason for the job cuts, Sega hasn’t disclosed anything.

“Relic and SEGA remain fully committed to supporting and investing in our titles, including the recently released Company of Heroes 3. We’re confident that following this necessary restructuring, Relic will be in a position of strength to continue delivering outstanding experiences to players all over the world,�??the press release says.

It goes onto say that “Right now our focu?s is on supporting departing employees in every way we can.�?Again, nothing more specific is mentioned.

Layoffs always suck, especially ones of this magnitude. It’s something we, unfortunately, see a lot of in this industry. Hopefully, those affected can quickly find a new home and continue doing what they love. I also hope Relic’s “restructuring�?goes well, and we can continue to see more f?rom the studio.

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Company... Halt

Publisher Sega and developer Relic Entertainment have announced that the incoming strategy sequel Company of Heroes 3 has been hit with a delay and will no longer meet its Nov??ember release date �?It is now rescheduled to launch on PC on February 2?3, 2023.

Speaking in a statement on Twitter, the development team said that it believes the military sequel is not quite up to the standards expected of the team or the player community, and will be using the additional four months for additional development time, stamping out bugs, tweaking balance, and further polishing visual elements of the final product. Company of Heroes 3 had previously taken steps to revitalize its build following feedback from a beta period, which took place in November of last year.

//twitter.com/CompanyOfHeroes/status/15772972?41894789124?s=20&t=??3DZZoaA22NyOmP1nlLlPxw

Showing remarkable restraint for video game fans, the Company of Heroes community reacted to news of the day with positive patience, asking Relic to continue with their work in hopes of delivering the greatest entry in the acclaimed series to date. CoH 3 is set against the backdrop of the Italian and African theaters of World War II, and will feature all of the scalpel-precise, point-balancing, tactical action of the previous games, complete with a whole new environmental destru??ction engine and several new visual effect improvements. Additionally, players will be able to pause the action and queue up multiple maneuvers �?allowing plans to be executed in real time when ga??meplay resumes.

Company of Heroes 3 will launch February 23, 2023 on ??PC. Get your no??t-so-qucik march on.

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The DLC packs are now included and there's some neat bonus materials like an artbook and guide

I genuinely believe that Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine deserves a sequel, and after th?e dozens upon dozens of licensed Games Workshop video games that have come out in the last decade, some far better realized than others, that feeling has not wavered. Will it ever happen? If not, I feel like we'll at least get another game that tries to capture its same spirit one day �?or maybe a remaster, if and when time allows. That'd be nice too.

For now, there's just a small development in the Space Marine saga. The PC version on Steam has been updated to an Anniversary Edition to celebrate 10 years since the original launch on PC, PS3, and Xbox 360. If you own Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine on Steam (which I kind of forgot I did!), you don't need to do? anything �?it should've auto-upgraded.

"Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine puts players in the heart of the fight, showing what it truly means to be a Space Marine, and it's still beloved by fans to this day," reads the announcement post on Steam. "We??'re excit??ed to release this iconic game along with all its DLC, as well as some amazing extra content for players to enjoy."

With Space Marine Anniversary Edition, you're getting a lot of DLC:

• Chaos Unleashed Map Pack
• Dreadnought Assault DLC
• Iron Hand Veteran Chapter Pack DLC
• Death Guard Champion Chapter Pack DLC
• Golden Relic Bolter
• Golden Relic Chainsword
• Power Sword
• Blood Angels Veteran Armour Set
• Salamanders Veteran Armour Set
• Alpha Legion Champion Armour Set
• Legion of the Damned Armour Set
• Emperor's Elite Pack
• Traitor Legions Pack

And there's also some neat but not exactly groundbr?eaking additions:

• The full soundtrack for the game
• Classic and brand-new wallpapers
• The original manual (pdf)
• The Official Strategy Guide (pdf)
• Ringtone (!!!)
• The Collector’s Edition Artbook (pdf)
• Collector’s cards (pdfs)
• The original launch trailer

Basically, it's content that would be hard to justify buying in 2021 combined with bo??nus ?materials for fans to reminisce about. I wish more games got this treatment!

This was one of those pretty good to potentially even great games in the Xbox 360 and PS3 era that fans remember fondly, even now. I remember it having a short but engaging shooter campaign, multiplayer that I never fully invested in, and generally feeling like it captured lightning in a bottle. Between Space Marine and Dawn of War II, I was set.

If you don't own Space Marine, on Steam, it's currently $20.39. A littl??e high, given its age.

According to my Steam stats, it's been a decade since I've played the game, and I have a bunch of partially completed multiplayer achievements. Out of curiosity, I reinstalled Space Marine, hit "continue," and was thrown into the final boss fight in all its (very of the time) QTE glory. I also poked my head into the multiplayer matchmaking, and a couple of potenti?al matches popped up, so clearly someone had the same idea. Boost it!

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Relic's WWII strategy series is back

Relic Entertainment is headed back to World War II, as today it announced Company of Heroes 3, a new entry in its Company of Heroes franchise. And while it won't be out until next year, there is a way to check i?t out a little bit early today.

Company of Heroes 3 was revealed today, showing off its Mediterranean setting in both a cinematic reveal trailer and a gameplay reveal. You can check out the former below:

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0nWPG_cFqY

The next entry in the Company of Heroes series heads to the Mediterranean, which includes areas like the Italian mountain passes and the deserts ?and coasts of North Africa.? There's also a Dynamic Campaign Map, allowing players to order ground, naval, and air forces as well as supply lines, with long-term choices affecting both battles and the story of the war.

There's also a Full Tactical Pause option, allowing players to freeze the usual real-time strategy. That way,?? if you're a li?ttle overwhelmed or just want to survey the field a bit, you can hit the pause button and take it all in.

If you'd like to see how these additions will change up the game, well, you're in luck. Relic is hosting a Pre-Alpha Preview from now until Aug. 2, at 7 p.m. PT. You just have to head over to the Company of Heroes site and link your Steam account.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=EwBOk-2vWZs

It's exciting to see this series get a new installment, especially since it's been years since Company of Heroes 2 launched back in 2013. Relic's World War II str??ategy series was a neat spin on the action compared to both the real-time strategy games and World War II games of the time, and there haven't been many like it since. I'm definitely marking this demo down to play sometime soon.

Company of Heroes 3 is currently aiming for a PC launch in 2022.

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'Shifting focus to other projects'

In a statement made to Eurogamer, Relic Entertainment have announced that they are ceasing future development on RTS Warhammer title, Dawn of War III. C??iting low sales and a small player-base, Relic stated that their plans for the title have been abandoned, including any DLC and other additions.

"While Dawn of War 3 has a dedicated player base, it didn't hit the targets we were expecting at launch, and it hasn't performed the way we had hoped since," said the Canadian developer. "When a game under-performs, plans need to change. With Dawn of War 3, we simply? don't have the foundation we need to produce major content. We're working in close partnership with Sega and Games Workshop to determine the best?? course of action."

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War III launched in April of last year to generally favourable reviews. If the game has indeed flopped in the eyes of its developers and publishers, it may leave the future questionable for further video games under the Warhammer banner. Considering the brand has survived for thirty-odd years, I'm sure it'll find a way to rise from the ashe?s.

Relic Entertainment abandon Dawn of War III [Eurogamer]

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Get the WWII strategy title on Steam

The folks at the Humble Store have been in a giving mood as of late and that trend continues today with yet another freebie. For a limited time, you can score a free Steam key (Windows, Mac, Linux) for Relic Entertainment's 2013 World War II real-time strategy title Company of Heroes 2.

Once you redeem your copy, it's yours to keep -- this isn't a trial ??or a "free weekend??" offer.

I've always been more into Relic's Warhammer 40K strategy titles, but this is worth nabbing.

Company of Heroes 2 [Humble]

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And you get an unlock, and you get an unlock...

For as extensive as the campaign modes might be, the Dawn of War games have lived on thanks to their extensive multiplayer support. The different combinations of units you can take into battle makes for some incredibly deep strategy and has kept players coming back for more. Dawn of War III, though, was met with a lot of fan trepidation and hasn't necessarily gained the same follo?wing as its predecessors.

For one reason or another, the game launched with an unlock currency (skulls) for different multiplayer units. While the intention was to progressively let players experience different builds for battle, it ended up tu??rning the game into a massive grind to get more expensive units and build a team that might work better for you. Plain and simple, it sucked.

That is all gone now. With last week's patch, the entire unlock system has been removed from Dawn of War III. Now, all players (whether old or new) will have basically every unit from the get go. A few of the "Elite" units will still be locked behind a progression system, but at least it won't keep players from experiencing the full? range of options.

Maybe this will be enough to turn Dawn of War III around with the public, but a quick glance at the? comments from Relic's Steam forum post doesn't seem to indicate that. People are definitely hard to please, it seems.

Patch Notes: September 26, 2017 [Steam Community]

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Orks charge!

Dawn of War III didn't have the best fan reception at launch. While I thought it was actually a pretty solid campaign, the multiplayer drew too many comparisons ??to MOBAs and the lack of mod support put a lot of people in a sour mood. While the multiplayer eventually received an update to include a different mode, the eventual Steam Workshop integration was never really dated. Thankfully, the wait is over and modding tools ar?e in.

Available starting today, you can now mod the game to your heart's content and then upload your creations directly to Steam. The new update for Dawn of War III (which ??launched yesterday without mod ?tools) also includes a lot of balance tweaks and includes an autosave feature for the campaign mode. I definitely could have used that at launch.

You can read the rather extensive tweaks done to specific units over on the official website, but I'll include the more pe?rtinent patch notes below.

Patch Overview

• Modding tools added
• Steam Workshop support added for new mod tools
• Autosave added to campaign
• Balance update (multiplayer only, balance changes d??o not?? apply to the campaign)

General Updates

• Vehicle health upgrades will now apply to player-made structures
• Buildable turrets for all factions have had their Power cost decreased from 60 to 50
• Diomedes, Terminators, Mad Dread, and Wraithblades no longer gain Fury while attacking neutral objects
• The slowing effect from Devastators, upgraded Lootas, Terminators, and Dark Reapers are now classed as a new status effect: suppression
• Suppression does not stack with other sources of suppression, but the highest value of suppression will override the other sources
• Power Generator initial Requisition cost increased from 80 to 100
• Power Generator scaling Requisition cost increased from 16 to 50
• Power rate per generator decreased from 25 to 20
• Power reward from killing enemy Shield Generators decreased from 100 Power to 50 Power
• Phase 2: Power generator bonus increased from 50% to 87.5%
• Phase 3: Power generator bonus increased from 50% to 62.5%
• Phase 4: Power generator bonus increased from 25% to 30%

Patch Notes: August 29, 2017 [Dawn of War]

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Age of Empires I, II, and III are getting Definitive Editions

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War and Company of Heroes studio Relic Entertainment is on board for the long-awaited Age of Empires IV. Details are light and the attached trailer doesn't show any gameplay, but just knowing who's developing the gam??e has fired up my imagination. I can picture it!

Microsoft announced that in addition to Age of Empires: Definitive Edition (which is coming to Windows 10 on October 19), Age of Empires II and III will also see remastered versions. You can expect 4K support, an overhauled user interface, updated assets, ?and even some gameplay enhancements.

This news came out of an hour-long Age of Empires stream that's archived here.

Good to see this series back in the limelight.

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Surrender or die!

Relic isn't done with supporting Dawn of War III just yet. While there aren't many issues with the final version, some annoying little bu??gs have reared their heads for players and Relic is hot on the case. For the first patch, coming this Monday, Relic is going to be tackling issues with units being invisible as well as including a surrender option for when the bat?tle is basically lost. I know that would be my most used button, overall.

On the following day, Relic will be?? looking at server issues that have been plaguing users. For some, the game has been pairing them up with servers that aren't close to them, resulting in a lot of input lag. Relic states they are going to refine which servers specific regions utilize based on latency data from the first week of play, so hopefully that issue will be an easy fix.

F?inally, sometime later in the month, Relic will be releasing a balance update. They are looking at data on least used units and looking over reports of unit abilities that are overpowered (they mention,?? specifically, Zapnoggin's teleport). They will also be looking into how escalation phases work in multiplayer to see if the buff tiers are scaled correctly.

All in all, it sounds like the multiplayer portion of Dawn of War III should become a bit more balanced. I haven't played much of the multiplayer since release, but I wasn't particularly excited about it in beta. Maybe balance issu??es really were to blame, but either way the game should be getting better going forward.

Community Update: May 4, 2017 [Steam Community]

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Waaagh to the future

I've been playing Warhammer tabletop for nearly 20 years, and I've seen what feels like hundreds of games based on the property come and go. Some stick with me, like Total War: Warhammer. Others fall by the wayside and are forgotten like Fire Warrior.

But the Dawn of War series has been one of the most consistent sub-franchises of all. Even with some of the missteps in the third iteration, it's still rel?evant.

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War III (PC)
Developer: Relic Entertainment
Publisher: Sega
Released: April 27, 2017
MSRP: $59.99

Since there's been a lot of confusion as to whether or not Dawn of War III multiplayer has shifted into a MOBA, let's clear that bit up -- it's not, and I s??ay this as someone who plays a MOBA match nearly every day. But seeing as the developers even stated in the past it is "inspired" by them, you're going to see some similarities.

Sure there's a core to destroy now in multiplayer matches, but first and foremost, the modus operandi is that of an RTS. There's base building, point capturing, and plenty of micromanaging and control group creation. It's more like the first Dawn of War really, with a few streamlined concepts like enhanced heroes (elites) and stealth brush thrown in -- things that have been done in plenty of RTS games before it, from Command & Conquer: Red Alert's Tanya and beyond. Elites need to be paid for with elite points, which you speed up by capturing points and building generators on top of said points, which you'll need to constantly defend. There's walkers as well, but their existence feels som??ewhat cheapened by elites (they can share the same category), as they have less abilities to work with and mechanically provide a lot of the same support.

That's forgivable though as each and every elite is formidable, yet sports few enough skill shots to make them impactful without providing an overwhelming presence like MOBA heroes. It's a delicate balance, but I like having elites, especially some of the more lore-heavy ones, in tandem with the base building system. With that in mind, the lack of variable win conditions in multiplayer (it's always "blow up the core") is something I'd love to ?see altered in a patch.

Mechanics like mass recalling, interconnected teleporation webways, and timed core invulnerability make for some cool comebacks, but ultimately they just filter back into the idea of destroying the core instead of tactically cutting off each building one by one (which you can still do, but if you're in their territory, you may as well go for the win). I tested out some AI matches in addition to multiplayer pre-launch, across the 1v1, 2v2, and 3v3 modes. Eight maps is just enough to get me by, but after enough time has passed I can see myself want??ing more.

Taking a closer look at the armies -- Marines, Eldar, and Orks -- Relic is basically riffing off of the launch choices from Dawn of War II, minus the Tyranids. Stylistically they're very different, and if you were going to go with three choices, these are probably the ones you?? want. As per the actual lore Marines are basically 'roided-up assholes that rely on functional tech, Orks operate with horde-like mentality with shoddy weaponry, and the Eldar are prim and proper mystics.

Mechanical differences range from the subtle (a few elites share the same abilities with only slight nuances) to drastic (Orks need to build towers to upgrade their army, and Eldar can warp buildings around at will). All three armies are wonderfully animated, which is a feat given the enhanced unit count. It's always a treat to see the detail that goes i?nto something as basic as summoning grunts, though I do wish you could zoom in a bit more.

Proper cover is gone (it's relegated to a shield buff in certain locations now, though the Eldar can call upon their own version of it), but there's still plenty of micro opportunities for each and every unit. You can toggle stances for melee and ranged attacks, use unique abilities like grenades or jump jets, queue up defensive or hold formations, and issue sequential commands for individual units -- typical RTS staples. Every squad is also explained with a helpful series of tooltips, so even if you don't partake in the 40K universe you can tell the difference between a heavy bolter and a lascannon. The unit build queue is also easy to read, as is creating multiple control groups. Dawn of War III is more accessible than ??past entries, but it doesn't ??sacrifice its integrity to get there.

Multiplayer isn't the only thing on offer, as there's still a campaign mode that sprawls across the three aforementioned factions. You'll jump from mission to mission as it follows the core narrative, spurred by the Eldar's obsession with the Spear of Khaine, a "divine" weapon. Some are elite-centric and that's fine (I liked the Nova missions in StarCraft II for the same reason), but because of that laser focus, you could argue that it takes multiple levels until it really ra?mps up into something exciting.

When it does get good, it can also get frustrating. Some later missions feel cheap in the sense that the CPU is kind of just throwing insurmountable odds your way wit?hout the level of tactical depth you'd expect from an RTS campaign. It's also worth noting that when playing through the story mode I experienced some light glitches -- thin?gs like units moving through walls even though they lacked an ability like jump jets -- but nothing game-breaking or critical like crashes.

As far as long term goals go, playing just about any mode will earn you skulls to unlock more elites, which is all part of the rat race. It rubs me the wrong way that some of the more iconic characters are gated behind skulls, as are some individual abilities, but these gates never felt like they were outright ruining the game or even slowing the pace of any individual match since their base kits are well designed. As is the case with any Warhammer strategy fantasy there's always more races and fa??ctions on my wishlist, but the deep faction/army painter is a good concession fo??r now.

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War III takes a few steps back in time to make one step forward. It hearkens back to a lot of older design choices from the first game, and attempts to build upon other RTS conventions in the process. Not everything works (especially the strict adherence to the core conceit), but it's still very much both a Warhammer and a Dawn of War joint.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]}

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Time for Waaagh!

I get the feeling that Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War III is going to be divisive t??o the fan base. A lot of people seem to be complaining about a supposed "dumbing down" of mechanics or how there isn't anything new on offer. I don't necessarily agree, but I also wasn't too impressed with the closed beta I played.

If you're still interested, despite the negative fan feedback, Relic has released a developer diary behind the multiplayer design. I don't know how many people will be willing to tolerate a 40 minute video of a match, but it does explain the choices made behind new aspects in Dawn of War III. If nothing else, you will get an unadul?terated look at the ?game.

Dawn of War III will be getting an open multiplayer beta this weekend. Running from April 21 to April 24, the beta will feature the same content as what I experienced with the closed beta. Tha?t is to say, it will have all three armies and? three maps.

If you're keen to jump in on this, just head over to Relic's website to sign up. Relic has also posted "Six Tips to Help You Survive the Open Beta," but I don't know how helpful "Play The Tutorials" is. I suppose if you've never played an RTS before, then that might be? a good first stop.

Dawn of War 3 de?v diary talks tactics ahead of t??his weekend's open beta [PC Gamer]

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Dawn of Meh

I can’t say I’ve ever been a particularly big fan of real-time strategy games' multiplayer portions. I know that sounds crazy (seeing as how StarCraft is almost a national sport in Korea), but I like devising tactics and executing them against AI more than othe??r humans. When playing against living beings, I typically don’t think as fast due to my lack of ability in?? the genre. I don’t do well with micromanaging or base building.

So Dawn of War II was more my speed when it came to exhibition matches. I liked that the game put a stronger emphasis on the action elemen??ts while relegating traditional-style RTS staples to specific game modes. The same as the campaign, you had a few "Champion" units and small squads that could be recovered from capture points, putting an emphasis on pushing forward and bringing the fight to the enemy instead of me??ticulously researching upgrades, placing buildings, and managing resources.

Still, I understand the appeal behind that style of gameplay. It rewards more careful thinking and cautious play. It doesn’t even slow down the pace of the game, if you’re able to quickly grasp the mechanics. That being said, Dawn of War III’s closed multiplayer beta showed me very little that I particularly find interestin??g about strategy games.

The basic concept is kind of a mash-up between the original Dawn of War and its sequel along with elements also seen in MOBAs (Multiplayer Online ?Battle Arena). You get some simple base building, basic unit training, "Elite Heroes," and a central power core for each team that is the main objective??. Capture points around the map help you push forward and gain resources for building more stuff, but the bulk of the action is seemingly meant to come from the "Elite" units and their constant threat.

You’ll have access to these Elite units once you gain enough of a specific resource. This resource can be sped up through the acquisition of capture points around the map, but you’ll also be given them over time. Once you have enough points, you can summon your Elite units ??into battle and plop them close to any of you??r captured points.

Different and stronger units have higher or lower costs, so the theory is that early game Elites are cheaper and are supposed to be leading small squads while the later-game units are expensive and can deal greater damage. I rarely called in more than the basic unit because he got wrecked pretty damn fast. Maybe I just used him wrong, but it’s the same sensation I’ve had in the few MOBAs I’ve played in the past (League of Legends and Heroes of the Storm).

I never understood how this supposedly battle-hardened warrior gets taken out so quickly by simple units. With three small squads, your standard Elite unit is toast. You might as well save the Elite Points and spend them on either a stronger unit down the line or your faction specific ability. While it made more sense with how Dawn of War II handled the Champions (basically regular units with special abilities), this just feels like taking elements from a popular sub-genre and shoving them in to differentiate DoW III from its predecessors.

The general pace of battles is also on the sluggish side. Despite steamrolling the opposition in my first ma?tch, it took around 30 minutes to reach the conclusion. Everyone else seemed more focused ?on going through the middle of the map, so I stuck to the outskirts and spent time gathering resources and buying some upgrades for my units.

I only got to try out the Space Marines, but I was really in love with their Orbital Drop ability. I’m ?not sure what the official name was, but you can call in an orbital drop of any unlocked unit and have them quickly ready for battle with the click of a button. The drop, itself, also acts as an at?tack and can catch enemies off guard. If you have a lot of requisition points, you can just order a few tanks, drop them directly where they need to be, and have at it. Each faction has a specific ability, so that is pretty interesting.

This led to the end of my first match where I had an Elite unit, six small squads, one specialty squad, and four tanks all blasting away at the opposing team’s power core. Having an abundance of resources definitely helps in this regard. Team games have a shared pool of resources, so you can potentially focus more on army building while your team captures points. 1V1 requi??res you to do everything.

Before eac?h match, you can customize a loadout for battle that has specific Elites and passive buffs. Your Elite units can be leveled up after repeated use and you can unlock different abilities and buffs to try out. That aspect I strongly dislike, even if I was partial to the specific abilities I had chosen. The whole idea behind RTS games is that the battlefield is level and players are building armies to assault each other, not picking buffs to gain an advantage. You win because you were better at resource management, not because yo?u’ve leveled up your Elite and he has “better” powers.

The closed beta had access to one map for each team variation. There was a map for 1V1??, 2V2 and 3V3 play. While that is technically three maps, each one followed the same standard structure of three lanes. There was nothing different going on, aesthetically, between the maps I play?ed.

From my experience as the Space Marines, cover was also massively scaled back from DoW II. There weren't buildings to garrison my units or even trenches to hide in. For that matter, there was nothing unique to explore on any of the maps. It feels like most of the window dressing was axed for the sake of pl??ayability, leaving you with only the units you've selected beforehand and ba??sic ground to walk on.

As for how the main game will turn out, I don’t really know. The multiplayer portion in the final Dawn of War II expansion was basically a regular RTS game, so who’s to say if other options won’t be available in post-release patches. The campaign could al?so be radically different from anything I played here, which might placate my indifference to the multiplayer portion. At least there was no lag during the match and the performance was fine in this beta (though I am on a GTX 1060).

We’ll find out when the final game launches. I’m sure there are going to be people who immediately take to the changes found in DoW III, but it wasn’t my cup of tea. I’m glad some of the base building is back, but? this feels more like a compromise in an attempt to please everyone in?stead of trying to achieve a unique vision.

_{[I apologize for factual inaccuracies in the original write-up. This hands-on preview of the closed beta has been amended.]}

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Sign up now and play on April 21

Juuust ahead of launch on April 27, Relic is holding a beta for Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War III.

You'll be able to test out the game's multiplayer from April 21 at 10:00am Pacific to April 24 at 10:00am Pacific. Not every aspect from the full game will be accessible here, but with all three factions, 15 elite units, and three maps available, you should get a sense for Dawn of War III's multiplayer. It's less of an all-out war, and more about taking down key structures?? to wo??rk your way into your opponent's base.

If this sounds worth your time, register for the beta right here. Pre-loading begins on April 18.

Open Beta FAQ [Dawn of War]

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For the Emperor

On April 27, Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War III will release on PC worldwide for the typical $59.99 list price. For those interested in the real-time strategy game (with hints of MOBA), we've rounded up a number of noteworthy deals for you to peruse. Currently, the standard edition of Dawn of War III is on sale for as much as 25% off.

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War III Deals

• Green Man Gaming (Steam key) — $44.99  (list price $60)
• DLGamer (Steam key) — $49.99  (list price $60)
• Bundle Stars (Steam key) — $50.99 (list price $60)
• GamesPlanet (Steam key) — £37.49  (list price £50)

For those in the states, the best deal out there on a Steam copy of Dawn of War III is arguably at DLGamer with a ??ten-dollar discount to $49.99. There you'll find the price reduced to $49.99. DLGamer has the key straight from Sega and offers the pr?e-order bonus "Masters of War Skin Pack." Details about the skin pack are further below.

The same discount can be found at the popular Green Man Gaming, priced again at $49.99. This is a great deal, especially if you're familiar with its storefront and already have an account (mayhaps with some store credit?). GMG's keys are sourced from an authorized distributor and they make no mention of the p?re-order bonus.

Finally, if you reside in Europe or have Euros on hand, the retailer to consider is GamesPlanet. It has a higher percentage discount than either GMG or DLGamer, offering 25% off the £50 list price. GamesPlanet pric??es its games in pounds, but the key it sells can be activated worldwide and would technically be cheaper in US dollars than GMG or DLGamer. If you go this route just be warned there may be a foreign currency fee, depending on your credit card issuer.

Dawn of War III Pre-Order Bonus

Pre-ordering Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War III will net you the game's "Master?? of War Skin Pack." The pack isn't exactly an absolute must-have, but it will grant you the Dark Queen, Big Kustom, and Ghost Seer skins f?or each faction's Super Walkers.

Collector's and Limited Editions

If the Standard Edition is not enough Warhammer for you, fans of the series can also pick up the more expensive $65 Limited Edition and $130 Collector's Edition of the game. These are not sold through third-party sites, nor will you find a digital edition sold on Steam, so discounts won't be readily available on either premium edition. Currently, the only way to purchase is on Relic Entertainment's site for full price. These editions?? come with the game and ex??tra physical goodies.

The Limi??ted Edition gets you the game, pre-order bonus, premium Disc book??, official game soundtrack, and art card. The Collector's Edition comes with this plus Gabriel Angelos' iconic "Godsplitter Daemon Hammer" replica (collector's item about the size of a regular hammer), three cloth faction banners mounted on wooden poles, and everything in the Limited Edition.

So if you want a badass hammer for some awesome nail ??hammering action, head to Relic's site and get the credit card ready, Space Marine.

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WAAAGH!

It won't be much longer now before we'll be sending our dispensable [Space Marine / Ork / Eldar] fodder into battle with reckless abandon. Relic Entertainment is prepping Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War III for a worldwide PC relea?se on Monday, April 27. That's one way to start your week off.

Unsurprisingly, Sega is holding back some stuff for? pre-order??s, as depicted in this trailer:

To recap: you can use the Super Walker Elites even if you don't pre-purchase Dawn of War III??, but you'll be missing out on these cosmetics: "the Dark Queen skin for Lady Solaria (Imperial Knight), the Ghost Seer skin for Farseer Taldeer (Wraithknight), and the Big Kustom skin for Beauty (Morkana??????????????????????????ut)."

There's also a limited edition ($65) with the soundtrack and lenticular art, and a collector's edition ($130) with clo?t?h faction banners and a 14.2" replica of Gabriel Angelos' Godsplitter Daemon Hammer.

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Slowly but surely

Enough of the single-faction drip-fed trailers: this latest video for Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War pits the Eldar against the Space Marines and the Orks in large-scale skirmishes, and the end result just plain looks cool. I'm no Eldar player, but that Wraithknight slide at 1:03 is a s??tandout moment.

I'm also reminded that the marketing rollout for this game has been going on for quite a while now -- at least it sure feels that way at the current pace -- and we're still only on for an indeterminate "2017" release o?n ?PC. It'll be some time yet before any prophecies come to pass.

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...I want to play as them!

To date, Relic has focused on the Space Marine side of Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War III, but that's only one of the playable factions in the campaign. We'll also get to command the resourceful Orks and the oh-so-pesky Eldar. It's now the latter's turn in the spotlight.

Farseer Macha is returning for Dawn of War III and, um, are you awake enough for a lore dump? Here ya go! In this game's story, she's trying to preserve her kind, and that will on??ce again put her up against Gabriel Angelos. That said, I won't be surprised whe?n a greater threat leads to a short-live alliance.

I'm not much of an Eldar player, but the Wraithknight Taldeer (the badass counterpart to the Space Marine's Imperial Knight Solaria) has me strongly reconsidering this stance. Other confirmed units include Dire Avengers, Howling Bansh??ees, Dark Reapers, Rangers, Shadow Sp??ectres, and the Fire Prism.

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An intriguing mix of the first two games

It's no secret that I've been happy about Relic's revival of the Dawn of War series amid the countless other Warhammer 40,000 video game adaptations materializing on a now-yearly basis. There's so gosh darn many of 'em! And, aside from a dream sequel to the well-liked but still underrated Space Marine, there's nothing I want from this densely-packed property more than Relic-made strategy titles.

This past weekend at PAX West, I was able to spend 45 minutes with the base-building, big-army ways of Dawn of War III, a sort of fusion of the first game's design philosophy with the more re??cent titles' focus on managing fewer, more powerful chara??cters in and outside of cover.

I don't have a definite "take" on the game yet -- it was only a single mission's worth of hands-on time, leaving lots of room to speculate and extrapolate ??--?? but my appointment sure did go by quickly.

The demo ??was a later-game mission, according to Relic, and it sure felt like one given how many units I had access to (most of which I ignored in favor of producing waves of Dreadnoughts because it seemed like a good idea at the time) and also considering the complete lack of tutorialization.

Go in, fight the Eldar troops, destroy their warp points, and you're done for the day. That was the idea, a?nyway! But as anyone who has attempted to do well at a strategy game on a convention floor will tell you, it's not always so easy getting started. You're not always in your right mind.

Touching down on the frozen planet of Acheron, I lead our good pal Gabriel Angelos into battle against Eldar forces alongside the towering Imperial Knight, Solaria. These two characters -- and a third, a squad of teleporting Terminators I unlocked later in the mission but kept neglecting -- represent the Dawn of War II side of this game. They all have their distinct roles to play, with Gabriel hopping about and smashing troops on the ground, and Solaria painting the ice a nice misty red with her missile barrages and sweeping Gatling spray that you manually aim and initiate. These heroes are powerful, but not invincible. If they die, it isn't exactly the end, b??ut you will have to wait for a lengt??hy-feeling revive.

Going back to the Warcraft III days, I've always loved this sort of design where, sure, you're having to juggle troops, but most of your attention is set on keeping track of a few priority characters and their ability cooldowns. It was micro-managing these units where I felt most at home with Dawn of War III.

The vision for this installment, according to game designer Carolina Mastretta, is to "Synergize how those two [types of units] work together. How big and small heroes with epic possibilities can synergize very well with the rest of your army. What's inspired us from both [Dawn of War and Dawn of War II] is the strategic depth, and that's something we want to take even fur?the?r."

During our brief chat, we also got to talking about the rise of MOBAs over RTS titles and how their market domination may or may not be affecting Relic's design choices. "I think the strategy genre has absolutely evolved in the past year," she told me, "which is fantastic for every one of us making this game. Yes, there is inspiration, but DoW III is an RTS through and through."

It has been years since I've played the original Dawn of War but, to my eyes, its basic version of base building has gone largely unchanged here. You can gain resources by capturing control-point-type nodes on the map and then upgrade them for better, faster resource-point generation. With the necessary funding in place, you can then plop down buildings and start calling in reinforcements. Again, I was all about the Dreadnoughts, with a mix of Space Marines and Snipers lending a muscular hand. Truthfully, my macro-level play was too grog?gy to handle much more complexity than that.

Nearing the end of the demo with about a minute left to go before I had to pull off my headphones and stop playing, a single objective remained in the mission. The final push. I decided to pit what remained of my army, a mostly-dead ragtag group, agai?nst a sprawling Eldar army led by a massive Wraithknight -- the bad-guy equivalent of my up-until-then nigh-un?stoppable mech. It was as intimidating to fight as it looked and, yup, it sure tore my my little army to pieces. Might as well go out guns blazing, right?

It's like I said before: one mission isn't enough to wholly form an opinion about a game like this, particularly given how the single-player campaign is split between two other pla??yable factions (Eldar and Orks). And that's to say nothing of the multiplayer mode, which Relic isn't discussing yet. Did I enjoy this 45-minute slice? Heck yes. Will I enjoy the? remaining however many hours? That's hard to say for certain, but it'll depend on how varied the missions are in terms of objectives, setting, and scale.

I asked if my favorite part of this series, the Last Stand co-op survival mode, would return. "At launch, we're focused on getting [the best RTS we've made] into people's hands and then we'll see what's next," said Mastretta. As for other potential post-release support, "If you look at Relic's history both with Dawn of War and Company of Heroes, the DLC and expansion strategy has always worked for us. So maybe that's something that we focus on." Until then, we wait. Dawn of War III isn't out until 2017.

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The studio is focused on strategy games for now

Relic Entertainment is a studio best known for its strategy games, such as the Company of Heroes and Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War series, but that didn't stop the developer from knocking out of the park a project outside its typical wheelhouse in 2011. In the twilight of THQ's (Relic's former parent company) existence, the studio put out an impressive action game that brought to life the Warhammer 40,000 universe in ways that no video game adapta?tion had or has done since.

Unfortunately, for Relic and the ailing THQ, that title, Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine, failed?? to meet sales expectations, and plans for a pair of sequels were shelved amid THQ's 2012 bankrupt?cy.

Since those dark days, Sega has acquired Relic, adding the Vancouver-based studio to a stable of strategy-focused development houses that now also includes Total War maker Creative Assembly and Endless Space team Amplitude Studios. So, with a couple other Sega satellites to keep the strategy space locked down, I couldn't help but ask Relic if there was any desire to make something different, like, say, a new Space Marine, while visiting the team's offices last month to see Dawn of War III.

"There's a bunch of love for [a potential sequel]," said Brent Disbrow, campaign lead on Dawn of War III. "A lot of people on my team worked on Space Marine, had a great time making it, and want to do it."

While he was quick to say a "Space Marine 2" isn't in the works at present, Disbrow mentioned "there's definitely a hunger for it," and should it ever happen, you'd know "it came honest?ly from the ?team."

Since the Sega acquisition, Relic "has been doubling down on our strength as a studio, which is in the PC strategy market. That's what we are shaped around and focused on," Disbrow added. "Does that mean we wouldn't circle around and do a Space Marine sequel or som?ething like that in the future? Absolutely not. But righ?t now we're focusing on strategy games."

Relic's renewed commitment to strategy games under Sega's leadership was a sentiment echoed by the developer's brand manager, Alex Price, who called the studio "a destination for strategy," saying the genre is its "core" focus "That's what we do best, that's our heritage, ou??r?? legacy. It's something we know and love as a studio. We might as well stick to what we can deliver in terms of what our fans want."

You can find the original Space Marine on PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC marketplaces.

_{[Editor's note: This article was prepared prior to the author's departure from Destructoid earlier this month.]}

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That new cover mechanic is, uh, interesting

We've had some clips here and there, but this narrated mission (an extension of what was shown at E3) is our first proper look at the gameplay of Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War III.

Watching this 12 minutes or so of footage, it's apparent Relic has largely moved away from the Dawn of War II design of smaller-scale, cover-centric skirmishes toward base-building and all-out spectacle. That'll make certain fans very happy??, but as someone who preferred the former approach, I'm torn for the time being. Elite units like the Imperial Knight razing the battlefield, though? Hell yes!

This will prob?ably be what gets me to upgrade my PC. I've been putting it o?ff for too long.

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That should make some of you very pleased

Not only was that teaser building up to Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War III as many of us had hoped, but the reveal trailer itself was badass. ?I'm so happy. Even if it is Space Marine??s, Orks, and Eldar again for the three-sided story campaign (pending inevitable DLC), I need this!

Picking up from the basics shared this morning, PC Gamer has extra details about Relic's real-time strategy game. Bases, and larger-scale skirmishes, are back. I always preferred Dawn of War II's tactical squad-based style over the original game's more traditional battles, but there's certainly room to reach more of a middle ground, and it sounds like that's the pl?an. For players like me, there will still be special elite units to micro-manage in addition to the hordes of cannon fodder.

Another point of contention has been the recent games' cover system. According to PC Gamer, Relic is taking a "simplified" approach here. "The change makes Dawn of War III's big, chaotic battlefields easier to ??parse, and gives melee units an important role as siege-breakers."

Exciting stuff. I can??'t wait to see some Imperial Knights, Gorkanauts, and Wraithknights clash.

Dawn of War 3: inside Relic's biggest RTS yet [PC Gamer]

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Dang it I already got my hopes up

We are ready for another Dawn of War game, but is Relic Entertainment? I sure hope so!

This teaser video and the series' official site both point to an announcement happening tomorrow at 7:00am Pacific. May 3 and Dawn of War III? Could it be that obvious of a connection?

I know Games Workshop has bombarded us with video game adaptions in recent years, but I'll always have room in my heart for more Dawn of War. Another Space Marine, too.

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New character for Last Stand mode

Five years of Dawn of War II: Retribution. My goodness. It doesn't feel like it has been then long at all, but then, anniversaries like this have a way of sneaking up on me. Relic and Sega were keeping track, at least. While there's no surprise Dawn of War III announcement today (darn), there is news of a long-awaited character arrival and another patch for the 2011 strategy game.

For five days beginning March 10, 2016, players can nab the Necron Overlord for free for use in th?e Last Stand survival mode. He is "by far the most-requested addition," according to t??he developer, who designed him with a mix of long-range and area-of-effect melee playstyles. After that initial giveaway window (March 15 and on), the Overlord will cost $9.99.

The new patch addresses a handful of issues in Retribution culled from community feedback:

• Replaced the weapons for the supporting members of Imperial Guard Heavy Weapon Squad. The ranged weapons of the supporting squad members were removed in an earlier bug patch.
• The Hardcore Steam achievement now unlocks after beating wave 20 in the Last Stand Anvil of Khorne Map.
• Progress on Last Stand weapon achievements is now being recorded correctly.
• Fixed a crash that occurred when the Chaos Sorcerer cloned the Tau Shas’O Commander’s drone.
• Fixed a crash that occurred when first encountering the Eldar in the Space Marine campaign.
• Fixed a crash that occurred when crossing the bridge in the Dark Portal mission of the Ork Campaign.
• Added multiple colors in the army painter. Due to new colors for the Necron, there are new colors for everyone!

Relic also outlined some bugs it hasn't been able to fix yet -- Windows 10 crashes, broken Steam invites, Last Stand not launching -- and noted that its work isn't ??finished yet. "Ke??ep playing, keep your feedback coming, and together we’ll continue to improve!"

Cool to see continued support like this, but uh, Dawn of War III? Please? There's clearly interest!

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It was used to unveil Steam in 2002

In gaming, a few days ago is considered ancient history. So, if Fallout 4 being released two days ago is now consid??????????????????????????ered old news, what the hell do we call news from 2002? That’s pretty much the time when fish with legs were crawling out of primo??rdial soup in comparison, and yet here we are.

Way back in 2002, Valve unveiled its brand-spanking new platform, Steam. It was to be a way to easily download and install games quicker than it’d take to run the disc installer! To show off this fantastic new service at the 2002 GDC (I would've been seven at the time), a pre-release version Relic’s real-time strategy Impossible Creatures was used.

Fast forward 13 years to a future where hundreds of millions of people use Valve’s platform, including teenagers born after it was announced, and at last Impossible Creatures has been released on Steam.

Impossible Creatures’ main hook is the ability t??o mix-and-match?? parts of your animal units, for example shoving the head of a lion onto the body of an eagle and unleashed feline-avian fury on your enemies.

The game did see a full releas?e back in 2002, it just never get onto Steam. Publisher Nordic Games picked it up, gave it a bit of a facelift and patches to make sure it works on modern systems, they even re-enabled multiplayer and added Steamworks functionality.

For a game that was meant to release in 2002, that&rsq?uo;s a pretty awesome update.

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Pay money for more blood

Today's reminder that Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War III would be a lovely thing to exist comes in the form of a peculiar DLC release for 2011's Dawn of War II: Retribution.

Out now on Steam, the Ridiculously Bloody Blood Pack adds a toggle for dramatic new blood effects in the real-time strategy game. It's the? kind of thing that would be a fun little bonus, but it costs $1.99.

Nah.

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And not just the first game!

It isn't the weekend yet, but I'm about to have me some fun. Ready up.

The Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War series is free to play on Steam until Sunday at 1:00pm Pacific. I'd recommend Dawn of War II and Chaos Rising -- they'll keep you?? plenty busy. And know that you don't have to be a strategy mastermind to fall for?? these games. I'm certainly not one.

Do also try the cooperative Last Stand mode in Dawn of War II. It's so satisfying once you get a good team going.? Should you want to buy an??y of these titles, they're 75 percent off.

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Surely it'd be Mid-morning of War by now

It’s funny how many little ways a publisher can screw up and leak (or “leak” if you're a cynic) its upcoming games in 2015. A misworded interview here, a guy walking in and stealing your lunch there, ??and of cours?e personally one of my favourites: the domain name registration.

This time, it’s Sega of America’s turn, as their recent registration of DownofWar3.com lets on that maybe the third game in Relic’s popular Warhammer 40K RTS series is coming. Of course, the never-blinking eye of reddit noticed.

According to WhoIs lookups, the domain was updated by the Systems and Network Operations at Sega of America on March 26. This could just be a measure to prevent people from sitting on the domain, but Relic’s last game Company of Heroes 2 was released just over two years ago now. It makes ??sense for them to be working on something.

Oh so surprisingly, the domain doesn&rsquo?;t actually link to anything yet. The game not being announced yet and all maybe explains that, or maybe Dawn of War 3 takes place in a huge snow storm ?and that's the reason for the blank, white page.

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Step one: Play Space Marine

There's a lot to love in this Humble Weekly Bundle of Relic games, but I have to give a special shout out to Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine. Years later, I'm still amazed it turned out as well as it did. Satisfying shooting, melee, and movement, ?all wrapped up in that extravagant universe.

• Pay what you want: Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War Game of the Year Edition, Dawn of War II, Company of Heroes Complete Edition, Company of Heroes 2 - The Western Front Armies - Oberkommando West
• Pay more than the average (~$5): Dawn of War II: Retribution, Space Marine, Company of Heroes 2, Company of Heroes 2 - The Western Front Armies: US Forces
• Pay $15 or more: Company of Heroes 2 - Ardennes Assault
• Pay $30 or more: Relic t-shirt

The bundle runs until Thursday, June 4 at 1??1:00am Pacific??. Happy ork hunting.

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