THQ has announced that the awaited first expansion pack for Warhammer 40.000: Dawn of War, Winter Assault, has shipped to retail outlets in North America. Here you have the press release:

Dawn of War: Winter Assault features the Imperial Guard, an all-new race with which to dominate your opponents. In addition, new units are included for all four original races providing the ultimate combat experience. Players can choose to battle through an all-new, single-player campaign or wage war online against their friends with strategically enhanced multiplayer gameplay in 20 new maps.

Building on the momentum from 2004's RTS Game of the Year, the Dawn of War: Game of the Year edition features eight new multiplayer maps, a collectible concept art book detailing the new units in Dawn of War: Winter Assault and a $5 rebate off the purchase of the expansion pack.

"Our goal with Dawn of War was to bring a new level of action to the genre," said Ron Moravek, general manager of Relic Entertainment. "Winter Assault builds on that goal by immersing players in a deeper strategic experience with new units for single player campaigns and a new race, The Imperial Guard, adding another layer of tactics to the multiplayer arena."

Both Dawn of War games are based on the world of Warhammer 40,000 -- the dark, futuristic, fantasy universe from Games Workshop (LSE: GAW - News) traveled by millions worldwide. Dawn of War: Winter Assault will ship with an exclusive collectible card for the Sabretooth Games Dark Millennium: The Warhammer 40,000 Collectible Card Game featuring an Eldar Farseer fighting an Ork Warlord. For more information on Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War and Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War: Winter Assault, please visit www.dawnofwargame.com.