Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War 4 was unveiled at Gamescom 2025, captivating fans with its return to the franchise’s classic style. However, a significant absence has been noted by the community: Gabriel Angelos, the legendary Chapter Master of the Blood Ravens and mainstay protagonist of the original Dawn of War series, will not appear in the upcoming title.

This creative decision, confirmed by Jan Theysen, the game’s creative director and co-founder of King Art Games, reflects a deliberate move away from what the developers consider an "overpowered" character dynamic. "We don't want Gabriel Angelos in the game," Theysen explained. "For us, he felt a little bit overpowered. It's a little bit weird to have either this slightly overpowered character from the beginning of the game, which is a little bit off, or you have to do, ‘Oh, well, he lost his memory and he lost all his power,’ which is also a weird trope."

Gabriel Angelos's journey through the trilogy saw him evolve from a Space Marine Captain to the formidable Chapter Master wielding the iconic warhammer God-Splitter. His prominent role in previous titles made his removal a surprising, yet thoughtful pivot towards restoring balance and a more traditional real-time strategy (RTS) experience that fans appreciate.

Dawn of War 4 aims to bring back more "normal" heroes, as Theysen puts it. Returning characters include Scout Sergeant Cyrus and Chief Librarian Jonah Orion, both of whom are presented with power levels closer to typical units rather than overwhelming heroes. These characters have been redesigned as Primaris Space Marines, reflecting the latest Warhammer 40,000 lore developments. This shift suggests a more grounded gameplay style, moving away from the MOBA-like hero traits that were unpopular in Dawn of War 3.

The game will feature over 10 playable Commanders across four factions, and while it remains to be seen which other Blood Ravens characters will join Cyrus and Jonah, the deliberate omission of Angelos is likely to shape a more balanced competitive environment.

Additionally, King Art Games has taken over development from Relic Entertainment, signaling a new creative chapter for the series. The studio has also chosen to return the game’s setting to the Dark Crusade era, although notably, the Chaos faction will be absent from the roster this time.

This approach underlines a broader industry trend of developers listening closely to community feedback to refine gameplay and character designs. By scaling back on hyperpowered heroes, Dawn of War 4 seems poised to recapture the strategic roots that originally defined the series while appealing to both longtime fans and new players.

As the PC gaming community eagerly anticipates the release, industry observers note that such balanced game design aligns well with current player expectations for fairness and tactical depth in competitive multiplayer experiences.

For more insights on the development of Dawn of War 4, including detailed interviews with King Art Games’ team, readers can explore IGN’s feature coverage and PC Gamer’s in-depth reports released following the Gamescom announcement.