Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War 4 is not the kind of game whose developers usually lose. But when creative director Jan Theysen and senior game designer Elliott Verbiest stepped in front of the camera for a new gameplay video, they decided to do something unusual: they let the AI win.
The video, posted by King Art Games, shows Theysen and Verbiest facing off against Hard AI Orks in a 2v2 Team Skirmish PvE battle. The two developers have appeared in most of the Dawn of War 4 battlefield report videos so far, but those focused on player-versus-player combat. This time, they went up against the enemy AI on hard mode — and they lost, badly.
First Match Over in Four Minutes
The first match was over in just over four minutes. Theysen and Verbiest declared it a practice round, mere training before the real test. They increased the number of Victory Points needed to extend the length of the match, hoping that would give them a fighting chance.
It did not help. The Orks delivered a sweeping beatdown worthy of a Waaagh!, overwhelming the Space Marines wave after wave despite auto reinforce of their units being turned on. Starved of resources and behind in Victory Points, Theysen and Verbiest had no way to generate a response army to fight back when the Orks pushed toward their base.
“I think I have to have a stern word with our coders about the hard mode difficulty,” Theysen joked as he realized the Space Marines were done for. “I mean it’s supposed to be hard but also the boss is supposed to win!”
Second Match Lasts Thirteen Minutes
The second match lasted 13 minutes, which is a lot better than the first. But it still ended in defeat, and Theysen hit the surrender button before the Orks delivered the final blow.
“This might be the second loss in a row which tells you two things,” he said. “First of all, we are not that good at our own game. And also the AI is pretty strong.”
“This is a surrender. It was an honor playing with you, but we didn’t make it. Maybe next time. See you soon. Bye.”
Verbiest added his own note of confidence. “I have no doubt that players will come back to us within like a few weeks of launch and tell us, ‘Actually we’ve managed to beat this within two days.'”
What the Video Shows
The video is a first look at two-player co-op against the enemy AI. It also shows how confident the developers are in the game itself. They could have thrown that gameplay out and recorded a new match on normal difficulty, or tried hard AI again until they secured a win. Instead, they chose to show what Dawn of War 4 looks like as it stands today — warts and all.
Fans have responded well to the video. One commenter wrote, “Pretty cool that you guys showed the defeat and how hard the AI can be. Quite interesting!” Another, clearly familiar with the way Orks work, offered: “I will never do hard in a Warhammer game Orks just nuke you.”
The Date You Need
Dawn of War 4 hits PC on December 3, 2026.
| Event | Time |
|---|---|
| First match | Under 4 minutes |
| Second match | 13 minutes |
| Launch | December 3, 2026 |
The Honest Loss
Theysen and Verbiest could have polished the video to perfection. Instead, they showed the game as it is — difficult, demanding, and unforgiving. That honesty is rare in marketing, and it reads as genuine confidence in the product.
The video is a reminder that hard modes exist to be beaten, but that beating them takes skill, patience, and often a lot of practice. Theysen’s joke about having a stern word with the coders is a light-hearted way of acknowledging that the AI is doing exactly what it should.
The developers know they are not that good at their own game. That admission is refreshing. Most teams hide their struggles behind polished footage. These two put their failures on screen and laughed about it.
The video ends with Theysen’s surrender and a farewell. It was an honorable match, but it was not enough. The Orks won both times, and the developers walked away with their dignity intact — and with a promise that players will return soon to tell them they found a way through.
For anyone who has ever struggled against a hard-mode AI, this video is a comfort.
See the video the story is built around at IGN.
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