Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II is just around the corner, but if you"re itching to get a preview of Relic"s latest RTS before it lands on store shelves February 19, then you might want to check out the newly-opened public beta. No longer exclusive to owners of Dawn of War: Soulstorm, the multiplayer beta for Dawn of War II is now available to anyone with access to Steam or the Games for Windows Live Marketplace.

Featuring five multiplayer maps and all four of the races from the final game -- including Orks, Space Marines, Eldar, and Tyranids -- the beta looks like it should offer plenty of content for those of us who are just dying to find out what this Space Ork business is all about. Check it out for yourselves, and be sure to let us know if you like the direction the Dawn of War series is headed.