Update 2.9.0 retunes Dawn of War — Definitive Edition factions and ranked play

On 24 June 2026, Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War — Definitive Edition received a large patch. Relic’s official notes call it update 2.9.0 and carry on the course set by 2.8.0: balance, automatic matchmaking, and the late stage of a match. The write-up is on Steam.

Ranked matchmaking now looks harder for forbidden modifications. The limits cover removing the fog of war, an overly wide camera, and turning atmospheric effects off. A block starts at 48 hours and can become permanent. Custom matches and modded games are left alone.

The Eldar lose early tempo: Rangers and Dark Reapers are weaker, and vehicle mobility was shifted as well. Dark Eldar squads give up some early damage and staying power, while new tier-three research arrives for the end of a match.

Chaos is a mix. The Daemon Prince hits heavy vehicles and monsters harder late and regenerates better. The Defiler loses damage and control effects, though its wider area of effect stays. Chaos Space Marines and several support upgrades were adjusted too. The Imperial Guard received bug fixes and targeted help for Guardsmen, the Ogryn, and Kasrkin, and the weapon and command-squad research tracks were rebuilt after numbers in earlier versions stopped lining up.

Necrons gain new late-game scaling. Orks see changes to the economy and to how fast infantry deploys. The Sisters of Battle have a reworked Faith resource and less early pressure. The Tau get a fix for a critical missile-weapon error and vehicle tuning. Control-group selection was rebuilt, the camera is steadier, modding is broader, and the interface was cleaned up, with extra attention to performance and to how player modifications behave.