Dawn of War 2’s The Last Stand mode is still the best co-op MOBA that never was
PC Gamer reflects on Dawn of War 2’s The Last Stand mode, examining its enduring legacy as one of gaming’s most underrated cooperative experiences. The article explores the mode’s appeal for casual and hardcore players alike, highlighting how it addresses a fundamental problem with traditional competitive matchmaking: accommodating groups with widely varying skill levels.
The piece analyzes the limitations of typical RTS comp stomp gameplay against AI opponents, noting that artificial intelligence often fails to provide compelling opposition—either performing inadequately and becoming trivial, or exploiting cheap mechanics to compensate for lack of genuine strategy. In contrast, The Last Stand mode reportedly overcomes these shortcomings by offering a structured cooperative challenge that engages both types of players.
The article positions The Last Stand as an unfulfilled potential in game design: a co-op MOBA-inspired experience that predated many modern cooperative games but never spawned a spiritual successor or full revival. This retrospective suggests the mode represents a missed opportunity in the gaming industry, particularly given the subsequent popularity of similar cooperative and MOBA-influenced titles that lacked the focused execution of Relic Entertainment’s original design.