THQ has announced the development of Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Dark Crusade, the game's second expansion.

The expansion will include two new playable races, the Tau Empire and the Necrons, bringing the game's total up to seven races at the player's disposal. Together with the new races will be an all-new single-player campaign centering on the conquest of a "meta-map", with each gained territory offering a reward to those who occupy it. Also expect an expanded multiplayer element and a unique economy model for the Necrons.

"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 scheduled for release for the PC in the autumn.