Publisher THQ and developer Relic Entertainment have announced a new expansion pack for its popular 2004 strategy game, Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War. The expansion, titled Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Winter Assault, will add an all-new playable race to the original game's set of four, called the Imperial Guard. Both the original game and its expansion are based on hobby company Games Workshop's Warhammer 40,000 tabletop game universe, where space marines wearing power armor do battle with hordes of orks and eldar in a grim and violent far-flung future torn by war.

Relic general manager Ron Moravek states, "The response to Dawn of War has been overwhelming. Combining the enthusiasm we're seeing from the fans with the ability to draw from the seemingly endless, rich content from the Warhammer 40,000 universe made the decision to create an expansion easy. We look forward to building on the Dawn of War franchise with even more visceral combat action throughout both the single and multi-player experiences."

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Winter Assault is scheduled for release in fall of 2005. Stay tuned to GameSpot for more updates on Winter Assault. For more information on the original Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War, consult our previous coverage, including our full review of the game.