After Warhammer 40,000 Fans Complained About the Removal of a Space Marine Scream From Dawn of War's Beloved Intro Cinematic, the Developer of the Upcoming Definitive Edition Restored It and Re–Released the Trailer

The Space Marine scream is back! Back where it belongs, according to many Warhammer 40,000 fans who mourned its removal from Dawn of War’s iconic intro cinematic when the updated version launched to promote the upcoming Definitive Edition.

Deep breath… last month, developer Relic Entertainment released an "enhanced" version of Dawn of War’s intro cinematic alongside the August 14 release date announcement for the Definitive Edition. The video below replaces parts of the original audio with dialogue from the 2004 Dawn of War real-time strategy game. The most notable change? The removal of an “iconic” — at least to Warhammer 40,000 fans — guttural scream delivered by the Space Marine leading the Blood Ravens into battle against the monstrous Orks.

In its place came the battlecry of Gabriel Angelos, Chapter Master of the Blood Ravens, as heard in Dawn of War gameplay. But here’s the catch: it’s not even Gabriel Angelos screaming in the trailer — it’s a Blood Raven sergeant. And fans quickly pointed out that the new dialogue paled in comparison to the raw, heroic scream it replaced.

Further changes irked the community. Some felt the Dreadnought’s dramatic entrance was undermined by added voice lines that drowned out the thunderous roar of its Assault Cannon as it unleashed hell on the enemy lines. New Ork lines were added too.

I reached out to Relic for comment — and they acknowledged the backlash, admitting the changes had caught them off guard, while hinting at a fix.

That fix has now arrived: a revised version of the enhanced intro cinematic, with the original audio fully restored. Yes, that Space Marine scream is back — ready to send shivers through the ranks of the confused Orks across the ridge.

Check out the new video below:

As a Dawn of War fan, it’s deeply satisfying to see the intro cinematic return to its roots — and look the part. As I mentioned last month, the original trailer had a uniquely gritty aesthetic: its visuals, its sound, its old-school tone. It evokes memories of PC gaming’s golden RTS era, when the Astra Militarum were still called the Imperial Guard, and Warhammer 40,000 superfan Henry Cavill had just wrapped filming on Hellraiser: Hellworld. The original version rekindles the feeling of hazy summer days spent crushing Heretics, while my flatmate frantically tried to outwit my assaults. The new, “improved” cinematic felt too polished.

I interviewed design director Philippe Boulle back in May when the Definitive Edition was announced, and we couldn’t stop gushing about Dawn of War’s intro cinematic. Here’s why it’s so powerful, according to Boulle:

“It was an amazing achievement at the time in terms of fidelity. We hadn’t seen anything like it for 40K back then — it grabbed you by the collar and screamed, ‘Hey, this is awesome. Pay attention.’ And it’s staying in the game, playing in stunning 4K.

“What blows me away when I revisit it is how strong the directing still is. That’s the underrated secret. The rendering was phenomenal for its time, but what truly holds up is the pacing, the drama, the climax — that guy sprinting up the hill, getting shot, planting the flag, and the drop pods crashing down… it just works. It didn’t need fixing. It was, and still is, ‘Oh yeah, that’s the stuff.’”