Chaos Rising

Chaos Rising is the 2010 expansion to Dawn of War 2, set a year later in Sub-Sector Aurelia, where the Blood Ravens fight the Black Legion and traitors in their own Chapter while their squads slowly fall to Chaos. It also introduced Jonah Orion, a Commander in Dawn of War 4.

0:19 Chaos Rising is the first expansion to Dawn of War 2, released on Mar 10, 2010 with a Metascore of 84. It returns to Sub-Sector Aurelia, where a long-lost ice planet has reappeared from the Warp, and sets the Blood Ravens against the Black Legion and traitors inside their own Chapter. It matters to Dawn of War 4 for one name: it is the earliest appearance found for the Librarian Jonah Orion. The clip is the launch trailer, with battles in the snow.

Quick facts

Released	Mar 10, 2010 (Steam lists Mar 11)
Developer and publisher	Relic, THQ
Metascore	84 from 50 critics
Metacritic user score	8.1
Setting	Sub-Sector Aurelia, a year after Dawn of War 2
Campaign	15 new missions
Level cap	Raised from 20 to 30
Sold today	Only inside the Dawn of War 2 Anniversary Edition

Sources: Metacritic, Steam, bit-tech.

Aurelia and the campaign

The story is set a year after Dawn of War 2 and adds 15 missions to the same squad-based play. bit-tech singled out a mission on a Tyranid-infested Space Hulk as a highlight. The new squad member is Jonah, a Librarian who works alone, casting spells and buffing allies.

Corruption

The expansion's theme is the Chapter going bad from within. As bit-tech describes it, your squads "slowly succumb to the influence of Chaos." The sources used here do not set out the rules behind that, such as what raises corruption or what it changes in a squad, so this page gives none.

Multiplayer and Last Stand

Chaos Rising adds Chaos Space Marines as a multiplayer race and new units for the Space Marines, Orks, Eldar and Tyranids. Last Stand gains two heroes, a Chaos Sorcerer and a Tyranid Hive Tyrant.

Reception

Critics rated it about level with the base game: 84 against 85, while players rated it higher, 8.1 against 7.6. IGN, at 85, said "the new Chaos Marines content is fantastic."

Jonah Orion in Dawn of War 4

3:25 The Librarian returns as "Chief Librarian Jonah Orion," voiced by Aaron Neil, and he is a Blood Ravens Commander whose psychic powers sow chaos among enemy troops. KING Art says both he and Cyrus return, but has not explained how they fit the story's 200-year gap after Dark Crusade. See Blood Ravens. The clip is KING Art's Oct 2026 Space Marines trailer.

Frequently asked questions

When did Dawn of War 2: Chaos Rising come out? Metacritic gives Mar 10, 2010 for Chaos Rising, and Steam lists Mar 11.

How can you buy Dawn of War 2: Chaos Rising today? Chaos Rising's own Steam page shows no price. It comes with the Dawn of War 2 Anniversary Edition.

Is Chaos Rising connected to Dawn of War 4? Only loosely: Chaos Rising introduced the Librarian Jonah, who returns in Dawn of War 4, but KING Art's Jan Theysen says the second and third games are not a big part of the new story.