Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War IV - Year 1 Expansion is a pack delivered over time, not a single expansion available in full at launch. Its named contents include the digital soundtrack, Blood Ravens Story Prologue and Aftermath campaign expansion. The broader Year One plan also includes free updates such as new modes, maps and a Mission Editor.
Commander Edition bundles the base game with the Year 1 Expansion. Do not mistake the expansion listing for a standalone copy of the base game, or assume that every planned addition arrives with the November 30 early unlock.
The named contents
| Content | Announced role |
|---|---|
| Digital soundtrack | The game's official digital score |
| Blood Ravens Story Prologue | A narrative campaign set before the war on Kronus |
| Aftermath | A continuation of the main campaign with a new playable faction and new commanders |
| Free updates | Additional modes, map packs, playable commanders and a Mission Editor |
The paid story additions and the free update program serve different purposes. The bundle gives access to its paid contents, while the updates described as free are not a reason to assume a paid edition is mandatory.
Blood Ravens Story Prologue
The prologue follows a Blood Ravens strike force returning to Aurelia before the main conflict on Kronus. Its purpose is to expand the events leading into the base game's story rather than continue the ending.
The announced content includes a prologue narrative campaign and a new commander playable in Last Stand and Crusade. An exact mission count, campaign duration and complete commander ability list are not established here.
If you mainly want more Blood Ravens narrative content, this is the named addition most directly aligned with that interest. Its premise is confirmed; its final pacing and quality have not been assessed through a completed playthrough.
Aftermath campaign expansion
Aftermath continues the main campaign and explores the next stage of the conflict. Its announced package includes a new playable faction across all game modes and new playable commanders.
The faction's identity is not confirmed in the content details. Do not treat an existing Warhammer army, a speculative story interpretation or a faction missing from launch as the answer. A promise of a new faction is narrower than a reveal of which faction it is.
Aftermath's role is also different from the Blood Ravens prologue: one looks beyond the main campaign, while the other explores events before it. If your priority is continuing the story, keep that distinction in mind when comparing the two additions.
Free updates are a separate part of the plan
New modes, map packs, playable commanders and a Mission Editor are planned as free updates. Crusade and new Last Stand or Crusade commander scenarios have also been announced within that plan.
These features remain planned additions until they release. Their announcement is not proof that they are already installed, that the editor is usable now or that every mode is ready at the base game's launch. Nor does the Year One label establish a precise date for each update.
The roadmap separates free additions from premium story content and labels its release windows as subject to change.
The named free additions on the roadmap
The free roadmap identifies four map packs, Crusade mode, the Mission Editor, Lord Ahmnok and Guzcutta. The two named commanders are associated with Last Stand and Crusade. Their inclusion should be kept separate from the new commander listed in the paid Blood Ravens Story Prologue and the new commanders announced for Aftermath.
That separation helps you answer a more useful buying question than whether the roadmap has many features. If your main interest is the Mission Editor or the free map packs, the plan describes those as free additions. If you want the prologue story or Aftermath's new faction, those belong to the premium content.
The roadmap does not provide a complete ability list for Lord Ahmnok or Guzcutta, or enough editor detail to promise particular scripting, publishing or modding capabilities. Use the named feature to identify the relevant update rather than assuming it recreates another game's tools or commander build.
Match the content to how you play
| Your main interest | The relevant announced addition |
|---|---|
| Events before the base campaign | Blood Ravens Story Prologue |
| Continuing the main story | Aftermath |
| Another playable faction | Aftermath; faction identity still unrevealed |
| A conquest mode beyond the authored story | Free Crusade mode |
| Additional battlefields | Free map packs |
| Making and sharing battles | Planned Mission Editor; detailed capabilities still unconfirmed |
| More commander options in Last Stand or Crusade | Named free commanders and the prologue's included commander |
A feature's mode compatibility is distinct from its release timing. For example, the prologue's commander is described for Last Stand and Crusade, but that does not mean the prologue itself is a Last Stand scenario. Similarly, Aftermath's new faction is announced across game modes; its story continuation is only one part of the expansion.
Release timing and purchase limits
The base game is scheduled for December 3, 2026, with Commander Edition early unlock on November 30. Those dates concern access to the base game. They are not a delivery date for all Year One contents.
The current roadmap places additions across 2027 and explicitly says DLC and release windows are subject to change. A precise delivery date for every item is not established. Use the contents above to decide whether the package interests you, then check the current release information for the particular item you want. Do not buy it on the assumption that Aftermath, the prologue and every free update arrive together.
The two premium story additions have been announced for separate purchase as well as inclusion in Commander Edition. Individual prices and a reliable bundle-versus-separate saving are not established. If you already own the base game, check which contents you own before buying another bundle containing it.