Three Space Marines in heavy Terminator armour with red eye lenses advance through orange smoke and sparks in Dawn of War IV

Early access

Dawn of War 4 Early Access: How to Play on November 30

Dawn of War 4 early access starts on November 30, 2026 for players who buy the Commander Edition: its 3-Day Early Unlock opens the game three days before the December 3, 2026 launch. On the US Steam store that edition is $80.99 as a pre-order. The Standard Edition starts on December 3, 2026.

Last updated October 31, 2026Game version: Pre-launch (official info, October 2026)

Early access at a glance

Starts	Monday, November 30, 2026
Full launch	Thursday, December 3, 2026
Who plays early	Commander Edition owners
Price (US Steam)	$89.99, or $80.99 with the pre-order discount until December 3, 2026
Name on Steam	Advance Access, starting Nov 30
Platform	PC, on Steam

Countdown

Loading the countdown for your time zone…

--days

--hours

--minutes

--seconds

What	Date	Unlock time (PC, Steam)
Commander Edition 3-Day Early UnlockPlayers with the Commander Edition	Mon, Nov 30, 2026	Hour to come
Full launchEveryone who owns Dawn of War IV (Standard or Commander Edition)	Thu, Dec 3, 2026	Hour to come

How to play Dawn of War 4 early

Open the Dawn of War IV page on Steam and find the box called Pre-Purchase Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War IV Commander Edition. It carries the label “Advance Access, Starts Nov 30”.
Buy it before launch to get the 10% pre-order price, $80.99 instead of $89.99 on the US store. The package holds the base game and the Year 1 Expansion.
On November 30, 2026 the game unlocks in your Steam library. Steam games usually unlock at the same moment worldwide, so the hour will be the same for everyone once Deep Silver sets it.

Everything else that comes with the Commander Edition, the Blood Ravens Story Prologue, the Aftermath expansion with a new faction and the soundtrack, is listed side by side with the Standard Edition on our Dawn of War 4 Commander vs Standard Edition page.

Is Dawn of War 4 an Early Access game?

No. On Steam, Early Access means buying a game while it is still being made. Dawn of War IV is not sold that way: it has one full release date, December 3, 2026, for everyone. When players say “Dawn of War 4 early access” they mean the Commander Edition's three early days, which Steam lists as Advance Access.

Already pre-ordered the Standard Edition?

The early unlock is not sold as an add-on on Steam today. The Year 1 Expansion, the part of the Commander Edition that the Standard Edition lacks, has its own Steam page, but it is not on sale by itself. To play from November 30, 2026, refund the Standard pre-purchase and buy the Commander Edition. Steam's refund rules allow a refund at any time before release for a pre-purchased game you cannot play yet. Once the early days begin, the normal limit applies: playtime counts toward the two-hour refund limit, and the 14-day period starts on the release date.

Before you play

Check what Steam lists for your PC on the Dawn of War 4 system requirements page. If you are still choosing an army for the first evening, the Dawn of War 4 factions page compares all four and says which one to start with. The full launch countdown, with the date history since the delay, is on the Dawn of War 4 release date page.

Questions

Will Dawn of War 4 have early access?

Yes, for Commander Edition owners. Its 3-Day Early Unlock lets you play from November 30, 2026, three days before the launch on December 3, 2026. Steam calls this Advance Access. It is not a Steam Early Access release of an unfinished game.

When does Dawn of War 4 early access start?

On Monday, November 30, 2026. The day is set on the official website and on Steam; the unlock hour comes later, and the countdown on this page switches to a live clock as soon as it is official.

How do I get early access to Dawn of War 4?

Pre-purchase the Commander Edition on Steam. On the US store it costs $89.99, or $80.99 with the 10% pre-order discount that runs until December 3, 2026. The game then unlocks in your Steam library on November 30, 2026.

Does the Standard Edition get early access?

No. The Standard Edition ($59.99, $53.99 as a pre-order) unlocks on December 3, 2026 for everyone. The three early days come only with the Commander Edition.

Can I upgrade from the Standard Edition to get early access?

Not with a separate upgrade on Steam today: the early unlock is sold only as part of the Commander Edition package, and the Year 1 Expansion that makes up the difference is not on sale by itself. What you can do is refund the Standard pre-purchase, which Steam allows at any time before release for a game you cannot play yet, and pre-purchase the Commander Edition instead.

Can I refund the Commander Edition after playing early?

Under Steam’s refund rules, playtime during Advance Access counts toward the usual two-hour limit, and the 14-day period starts on the release date. So you can still ask for a refund after a short try, but not after a long weekend of play.

Sources

Checked against the official posts on October 31, 2026. Until we have checked a page in the game itself, it follows the developer's own description; we update it as details are confirmed in play.