Warhammer 40k Dawn of War 4 developer might have just leaked a Primarch

I've been eagerly eating up any Warhammer 40k Dawn of War 4 news since the game was announced. The developers are saying all the right things in interviews, it plays like a modernized version of the original, and it looks phenomenal. With all the new battle animations and updated units, this is already shaping up to be one of the best Warhammer 40k games from an aesthetic perspective. However, a new interview with German media has revealed some interesting details, including a file in the game named after a certain Primarch.

The video was run on German channel Buten un Binnen, known as Radio Bremen. While I'm not sure what the developers were saying in the interview, I know what I can see on the screen. First up is a Dark Angels Repulsor Executioner, complete with baroque iconography and that iconic shade of green.

We all know that the Blood Ravens are the protagonists of Dawn of War 4, as with the three previous entries. The developers have confirmed as much, our Dawn of War 4 preview set me to play as them, and their named characters return to the fray. But this is more than just a recolored paintjob for multiplayer. This has bespoke decorations and assets, which suggests the Dark Angels will be joining the single-player campaign.

Could this be a hint to the Blood Ravens' mysterious origins? Or are the Dark Angels just passing through on their hunt for the Fallen? Whatever the case, there are yet more hints as to guest appearances in the close-up shots of the video package.

In a shot of a computer screen seen while a developer is talking about bringing the Repulsor Executioner to life, you can see some of the file names listed alongside a graph. Four files feature the phrase 'ulsorexec,' presumably referring to the vehicle. Three more, however, are named 'TheLion.' While we don't have the full context, nor even the full file names, The Lion is the nickname for the Dark Angels Primarch, Lion el'Jonson.

Don't get too excited, though, Dark Angels players. While this may look like the Emperor's son could be taking to the battlefield, programmers familiar with the system say that it's more likely that these are the names for parts of the Repulsor itself. Perhaps there's a lion sigil on the hull, or the venerable executioner cannon itself is worthy of the title?

Do you think the Lion will make his entrance on our screens in Dawn of War 4? I'm pretty sure it would be the first appearance of a loyalist Primarch in a 40k videogame, ever. We've had Chapter Masters and named characters, but the closest we've come to a Primarch is Gulliman's barge in Battlefleet Gothic 2.

If you can't wait for Dawn of War 4, check out some of our picks for the best Warhammer games instead. If that doesn't suit, the best strategy games will always have your back, even when your Chapter splits in twain.

Have strong thoughts on the Lion? Let us know in our community Discord server, where readers and staff lament the passing of Ferrus Manus with a daily mourning ritual.