Dawn of War 2 Expansion 'Chaos Rising' Announced (Updated with Screenshots)

The Chaos Space Marines are coming to Relic's Warhammer 40,000 RTS-RPG hybrid Dawn of War 2 in a standalone expansion titled 'Chaos Rising,' THQ announced today.

Back in black.

Twenty missions once again star the Blood Ravens, continuing from a savegame or starting with a kitted-out squad. The level cap is raised to thirty and new wargear can be found, including powerful Chaos-tainted items with the risk of "dreadful consequences".

Chaos Space Marines will be playable in multiplayer, and each faction will pick up a new unit. New maps and "a suite of innovative multiplayer options" are also promised.

"You return to sub sector Aurelia where a long lost frozen ice planet has reappeared from the Warp, bringing with it new secrets to uncover and foes to face," explains a THQ description. "Purge the chaos filth and hold the chapter together as traitorous forces work from within to try bring down the Blood Ravens... Will you remain steadfast to the Emperor or risk heresy to gain new dark and destructive powers?"

"Dawn of War II took intimate brutality to another level and introduced RPG-RTS hybrid gameplay," said Relic general manager Jonathan Dowdeswell in a press statement. "The epic struggle between Space Marines and the forces of Chaos lets us take those two game-play elements and create an even more intense experience - this time, the battle is personal."

Warhammer 40000: Dawn of War 2 - Chaos Rising hits PC in Spring 2010. The base Dawn of War 2 is due to receive a co-op survival mode titled 'The Last Stand' in October.