Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War 4 gameplay: Jan Theysen and Elliott Verbiest lose 2v2 against Hard AI Orks

The first match reportedly ended in a loss for the developers in just over four minutes. In a second attempt, the number of Victory Points was increased, but that match also ended in defeat.

The gameplay was published by IGN and shows that the session consisted of at least two separate matches. In both cases, Theysen and Verbiest played as Space Marines.

What happened

The gameplay was published in an IGN article about Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War 4. It shows Jan Theysen and Elliott Verbiest playing as Space Marines against Hard AI Orks in a 2v2 Team Skirmish PvE setup. The source explicitly notes that this is developer gameplay and not a release announcement or a final balance update.

According to IGN’s description, the developers came under heavy pressure in the first match and the game was over after just over four minutes. The source directly links that short duration to the AI Orks’ dominance, which did not give the Space Marine players a chance to recover. That confirms the first session was not only a loss, but an unusually short one for a skirmish of this type.

For the second match, Theysen and Verbiest said they were “locked in.” After that, the number of Victory Points was increased to make the match last longer. That second attempt also failed to produce a win. The provided information does not confirm what other settings, units, or balance changes may have been altered between the two matches, and there are no additional details about the map, build version, or exact team setup beyond the mentioned Space Marines and Orks.

The available information does show that this was a showcase in which the developers intentionally faced a tough opponent. The source does not mention a release date for Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War 4, and it does not confirm that the difficulty shown is representative of the final version. What is clear is that the gameplay was played twice, both matches ended in defeat, and the second match was extended by adjusting the Victory Points.

Background

The footage shown is developer gameplay, not a final release build. As a result, the only confirmed details are that the session used a 2v2 Team Skirmish PvE format and that the opponent was Hard AI Orks. The source also explicitly states that the players used Space Marines, which matters because it ties the outcome to a specific faction matchup.

No release date for Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War 4 is mentioned in the provided information. It is also unclear whether the difficulty shown is representative of the final game or whether this was a deliberately tough showcase build. The source gives no technical build details, no patch number, and no confirmation of any balance settings beyond the Victory Points increase in the second match.

The fact report leaves open what changes, if any, were made besides the Victory Points between the two games. That means the article can only confirm that at least one rule change was made, not what effect it had on the rest of the match structure. It is also not confirmed whether the two developers used exactly the same setup in both matches or whether any other choices were adjusted in between.

The core of the publication therefore remains a straightforward gameplay demonstration from King Art Games via IGN. The combination of Jan Theysen, Elliott Verbiest, Space Marines, Hard AI Orks, and a 2v2 Team Skirmish PvE forms the full source-backed basis of the story. Everything beyond that, such as release planning, final balance, or whether the AI difficulty reflects the eventual standard, remains unanswered in the provided information.

Sources

The facts in this article are based on the IGN gameplay description of Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War 4 featuring Jan Theysen and Elliott Verbiest.