In Company Of Heroes 3, every battle tells a story...what's yours?

Company of Heroes 3 is the ultimate package of action, tactics and strategy. Take charge in the heat of real-time battle, then command as a General guiding the overall campaign where every decision matters. ​

Overwhelm your opponents with new and familiar factions, units, and international Battlegroups. Command ground, air and naval forces and build supply lines to crush enemy advances on the new Dynamic Campaign Map - no two playthroughs are ever alike! Play at your own pace across campaign and skirmish modes before diving into blistering multiplayer action. Discover the untold stories of a stunning Mediterranean theatre, featuring next generation destructible environments, all powered by Relic's proprietary Essence Engine. ​

Company of Heroes 3 delivers the next generation of acclaimed tactical gameplay. Beloved combat mechanics collide with authentic new gameplay features, making for the deepest tactical experience to date. ​

Company of Heroes 3 is receiving its first major update called ‘Operation Sapphire Jackal’ tomorrow!

Operation Sapphire Jackal will offer players daily and weekly Challenges to complete in both Multiplayer and Co-op modes, a wide range of cosmetics and more. Challenges are randomly selected and range from 'Kill 50 vehicles with anti-tank guns' to 'Gain 50 veteran ranks with Wehrmacht infantry', testing even the most seasoned Company of Heroes veterans out there.

Relic’s first major update also includes a significant number of bug fixes, gameplay balance adjustments and quality of life improvements like an all-new voice-over for the Ghurka Infantry, updates to Unique Player Color option for teammate/enemy clarity, audio adjustments and improvements to tooltips and descriptions to better reflect abilities, units, veterancy, and upgrades.

Arriving alongside Operation Sapphire Jackal is the launch of new in-game cosmetics so players can customize their armies and units in both multiplayer and single player modes. Relic will offer a balanced mix of earnable and premium content to ensure that players are free to choose how they wish to engage with post launch content via an in-game store.

Items can be purchased with either War Bonds or Merit. War Bonds are a form of in-game currency that can only be earned by purchasing War Bond packs, while Merit is an earnable in-game currency acquired by completing in-game Challenges. Merit can be used to purchase some, but not all items.  

Operation Sapphire Jackal will launch tomorrow, 28 March at 6:00 PM BST / 10:00 AM PT globally.

Overview 

Our team at Relic is very excited to share the first major update for Company of Heroes 3, which we’ve codenamed Operation Sapphire Jackal. This update includes a significant number of bug fixes, quality of life improvements, gameplay balance adjustments, and all-new features and content.  While part of our team was working on our post-launch hot fixes to address top issues, a lot of us were working in parallel on the content for Operation Sapphire Jackal.

New Content & Systems  

Challenges 

As part of this update, we're introducing Challenges. With Challenges, you will have the opportunity to complete daily and weekly in-game objectives in Multiplayer and Co-op vs A.I. automatch to earn Merit, which can be used to unlock cosmetics for your favorite units. 

For Daily and Weekly Challenges, you can expect new, randomly selected Challenges ranging from 'Kill 50 vehicles with anti-tank guns' to 'Gain 50 veteran ranks with Wehrmacht infantry'.   

Daily Challenges will appear at 5pm PT every day and three new Weekly Challenges will be available each Saturday at 5pm PT. 

Cosmetics 

With this update, we are launching a range of cosmetic options in the store, allowing players to customize their armies in both multiplayer and singleplayer. Some content featured in the store can be purchased with either War Bonds or Merit (earnable with Challenges), or solely with War Bonds – more on these further below.  

One of our goals with the In-Game Store is to ensure there is always a balanced mix of earnable and paid content available so that players can choose how they use the store, and that there is unlockable content available to everyone. This will apply to everything in the store when it launches, and as we move forward.  

The cosmetics available in this update are historically inspired. Check out this sneak peek below for a taste of some of the cool stuff on offer. 

War Bonds are a form of in-game currency that can only be earned by purchasing War Bond packs. War Bonds can be used to purchase any content in the in-game store.  

Changes & Fixes 

This update for Company of Heroes 3 includes hundreds of bugfixes, changes and improvements. You will be able to review the full 1.1.0 patch notes when the update goes live tomorrow.  

Some highlights include: 

• A small update to the Unique Player Color option. Allies will now be cool colors and enemies will be warm colors 
• Fixed several icons and portraits with the correct Company of Heroes 3 assets 
• All new voiceover for Gurkha Infantry 
• Audio adjustments for map pings 
• Added an option to enable Exclusive Control Groups. With this option, squads only occupy one control group at a time, like in previous CoH games 
• Fixed the Recently Played With list 
• Adjusted territory layout on (8) Mignano Gap and made minor adjustments to Strategic and Victory Point locations on (6) Gazala Landing Ground 
• Fixed several issues where bridges did not correctly have cover 
• Bloom was removed and we fixed blur or “haze” on the maps 
• And plenty of more additional changes and fixes for Audio, Art, Animation, UI/UX, and Maps 

Gameplay Changes 

Though this update does not include what we consider a “full” balance pass, we have made several changes to help shake up multiplayer and co-op. We’ll be keeping an eye on your feedback and matches and will roll out further balance adjustments in a timely fashion. 

Here is a quick summary of some of the changes, but for everything else, be sure to review the patch notes when this update rolls out. 

• We’ve implemented a small set of targeted changes to address US Forces Pathfinders, the Afrikakorps Carro Armato M13/40 tank and Airplane Loiters 
  • Pathfinders have had their utility and early power toned down 
  • The M13/40 has also seen some reductions in power 
  • Loiters have been toned down to be less oppressive
• Vehicles commanded to face in a different direction will turn properly instead of driving in circles 
• Many tooltips and descriptions have been updated to better reflect the abilities, units, veterancy, and upgrades for greater clarity and information to the player.

Summary 

With new gameplay challenges, unit customization and a host of fixes and changes, the team is looking forward to hearing more from all of you! Operation Sapphire Jackal is the first major update we have planned for CoH3, with many more to come in the months and years ahead. 

Make use of daring flanking moves to expose enemy side armor, experience all new infantry breaching mechanics allowing you to flush enemy units from their garrisons, and master elevation to enhance your line of sight and gain the upper hand.

Welcome to the Mediterranean - a breathtaking new theatre filled with untold stories of war. Engage ferocious enemy forces across Italian mountain passes, breathtaking coastal vistas and the sweeping deserts of N Africa. Stunning visuals deliver authentic and highly diverse environments designed to keep you on your toes. ​

Mountainous maps will require uniquely different strategies from coastal towns, with verticality now greatly affecting units’ line of sight (True Sight). Desert plains will call for careful reconnaissance and daring armored maneuvers. On this new frontline, intelligence trumps speed and clever use of local terrain will let you bewilder your opponents and rout them from the field.

Experience the biggest single player campaign in franchise history. The new Dynamic Campaign Map delivers full ‘sandbox-style’ gameplay, allowing players to command the overall war effort and experience an unprecedented level of strategic choice. ​

Establish vital supply lines before deploying rear guard defenses to secure your advance. Launch air and naval strikes to weaken and scatter enemy forces or liberate a nearby town to develop a Partisan spy network. Choose your forces and upgrade your veteran companies to match your playstyle. Meanwhile, the optional Full Tactical Pause feature allows players total control over the pacing of single-player action. Plan your attacks, then effortlessly queue up lethal precision plays that will give you the edge in battle.

Company of Heroes 3 promises to delight even the most ardent WW2 enthusiasts thanks to the largest number of launch factions in the series to date. ​

New army customization mechanics will allow you to call in the help of a varied cast of specialist units. Take up the fight with new elite squads including the American-Canadian Special Service Forces, the revered Gurkhas from the Commonwealth and many more. ​

From devastating tank destroyers to clandestine recon vehicles, Company of Heroes 3 features the largest roster in the series to date. The super light Weasel, the armor sniping Nashorn, and the Chaffee Light Tank are just a few of the units making their debut. Also, let's not forget revamped classics like the M3 Recovery Vehicle Halftrack, which can now be used to repair and steal abandoned enemy vehicles!

Feel the blistering impact of every mortar shell and naval bombardment with Relic's state-of-the-art Essence Engine. In Company of Heroes 3, every location becomes a fully destructible sandbox, opening up limitless tactical gameplay options for you or your enemy to exploit. ​

Bring fortified buildings crashing down onto enemy squads, then witness enhanced destruction mechanics at play as soldiers exploit fresh ruins as dynamic cover. Stunning new rendering and particle FX technology depicts fire, sand and smoke like never before. Brilliant new soldier animations combine with enhanced A.I, delivering realistic squad reactions to the battlefield. Optimized for DirectX 12 and multi-core CPUs, Relic's new engine technology will deliver cinematic action to rival any Hollywood blockbuster.

Company Of Heroes 3 is available for PC, and is coming to PS5 and Xbox Series X|S later in 2023.