THQ and Relic Entertainment Unearth Second Dawn of War Expansion Title: Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Dark Crusade (thanks Frans) is the official announcement of Relic's upcoming Dawn of War expansion that was recently revealed via an E3 exhibitor's list (story). Word is to expect the add-on this fall:

AGOURA HILLS, Calif., May 1 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- THQ Inc. (Nasdaq: THQI - News) and internal development studio Relic Entertainment today announced that the second expansion pack in the Dawn of War franchise, Warhammer® 40,000(TM): Dawn of War -- Dark Crusade(TM), is currently in development. The game will feature two new playable races, the Tau Empire and the Necrons, bringing the number of totally unique races to an unprecedented seven. The game is expected to release in fall 2006.

In addition to the two new playable races, Dark Crusade will feature an all-new single player campaign centering on the conquest of a "meta-map," with each territory captured giving tangible rewards to the occupying force. A greatly expanded multiplayer component and a completely unique economy model for the Necrons will present gamers with the most compelling Dawn of War game to-date.

"With Dark Crusade we have taken a very different and exciting route with the single player game, allowing the player to conquer the globe as any of the seven unique playable races," said Ron Moravek, vice president THQ, general manager Relic Entertainment. "The Dawn of War franchise has become synonymous with innovation and attention to detail and we have drawn on the extensive knowledge base that Games Workshop's exhaustive universe provides us with to bring classic Tau and Necron combatants to the battlefield on Kronos."

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War -- Dark Crusade is set in Games Workshop's Warhammer 40,000 universe, where armies of futuristic warriors, fighting machines and hordes of implacable aliens wage constant war. For more information on Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War -- Dark Crusade, please visit www.dawnofwargame.com, or come and see the game at this year's E3 show in L.A. on the THQ stand #1324.