Creative Assembly’s Total War: Warhammer 40,000 appears set to substantially change the series’ traditional combat model, particularly its handling of ranged units. A developer livestream showing an Imperium-versus-Orks battle suggested a more fluid, autonomous style of warfare, drawing comparisons with faster real-time strategy games such as Dawn of War.

Units can use multiple weapons according to circumstances, with soldiers switching to close-range firearms during melee and vehicles selecting suitable armaments for targets. New mechanics include sweeping fire, suppression, individual line-of-sight and ammunition tracking, firing while moving, directional defence when surrounded, and priority targeting through a Sentry feature. Cover and destruction will also be central: players can exploit elevated positions, create craters and collapse buildings onto enemy forces.