On the damage behaviour in dual-phase DP800 steel deformed in single and combined strain paths

•We show that when deformation first proceeds under a negative stress triaxiality and then, due to a strain path change, under positive triaxiality, damage formation is reduced owing to a favourable effect of strain hardening on inhibiting void nucleation and growth.•We also show that when deformation proceeds under positive triaxiality during the first and the second strain path, damage formation is promoted, despite strain hardening, because the number of voids is already high after the first strain path.•In strain paths where deformation under positive triaxiality is followed by deformation under negative triaxiality, the damage parameters show a decrease that is likely related to a reduction of ductile damage by void closure due to negative hydrostatic pressure.•Changing the loading direction between the first and second strain path decreases the rate of damage formation, as compared to a fixed loading direction during both strain paths.