Dawn of War breaking again for Relic

Warhammer isn't just about Orcs and Elves; the venerable Games Workshop franchise also has a serious sci-fi side to it with Warhammer 40,000.

The brutal 40K universe has been brought to PCs and consoles numerous times over the years, but it wasn't until Relic took the reins of Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War that the PC games really began to do its tabletop predecessors justice.

THQ today announced that four years and three expansions later, it's readying a sequel. Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II is being developed by Relic, for release on PC only in spring 2009. The game will, according to THQ, feature "intense action and visceral combat through a non-linear single player experience and a fully co-operative multiplayer campaign."

The publisher also let slip news that will please fans of the original; those people who purchased the most recent expansion pack to Dawn of War--Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War: Soulstorm--will receive invites for the multiplayer beta testing of the sequel. THQ's statement also said that more information about Dawn of War II will be released tomorrow.