Today, we are eager to present our Roadmap for Company of Heroes 3 which covers the remainder of 2023. This roadmap graphic will give you an overview of the key updates and features we are targeting for this year.
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Before we jump into talking about the PC base game, let’s touch on the upcoming Expansion for Company of Heroes 3. When Company of Heroes 3 launched on PC, we committed to an Expansion release in 2023. We’re pleased to confirm that work on this content is underway and that we are on track for a release this calendar year. We’re staying tight-lipped on expansion content for now but are excited to share more with you when the time is right.
We want to take a moment to reflect on how the game has evolved since CoH3’s launch. To date we’ve released 3 named updates along with several smaller updates and hot fixes. Our most recent update, Emerald Bear, included additions that were highly requested by our players, such as New Maps, a New Player Profile, Core Gameplay Updates, Improved Pathfinding, and more.
However, we want to acknowledge that at release, CoH3 did not live up to the standards of some of our players. We know there is work to do to get this game to the level that we all expect from this great franchise, but we hope these updates and this roadmap demonstrate our commitment to that objective. We want to extend our thanks to our players for their continued investment, feedback, and patience as we have reorganized our teams and realigned our direction since the launch of the game.
When it comes to the Console Edition of CoH3, we will be porting more updates, fixes, and improvements from the PC version. Our next update will catch the Console Edition up to the 1.1.6 [Brass Leopard] update, which will drop the first week of September. Brass Leopard will feature a new map, gameplay improvements, and audio updates. We’re aiming to share more info about future Console updates soon.
Our next named PC update is Umber Wasp, which we are targeting for an October release. Umber Wasp will feature several gameplay improvements including unit responsiveness, continued unit pathfinding improvements, unit selection, improved map pings, a balance pass, and more. We think players will really notice and enjoy the host of gameplay changes landing with this update.
Umber Wasp will also bring a new 4v4 Map for all modes called Sousse Wetlands and a reworked version of the 1v1 map Pachino Stalemate. It will also include match stats upon quitting a game, new unit cosmetics, and an in-game news system so that we can keep you up to date with all the latest in Company of Heroes 3.
For most updates moving forward, we intend to deliver a targeted follow-up Balance tuning update focused on addressing key areas from the previous named update. Emerald Bear was the first update we delivered within this new structure, which received its tuning update in August.
Our second named update, Steel Shepherd, is planned for December. We are happy to say that Replays along with the Replay Caster HUD will be a part of this update! The ability to view queued commands in Tactical Pause, Live Stats, and other valuable tools will be part of this much-requested feature when it launches.
Steel Shepherd will also feature a new 1v1 map for all modes. Further work is being done to address immersion and gameplay affecting animations, and additional responsiveness improvements are also being worked on for this update. What’s more, based on data and feedback, we understand new players to the franchise have been struggling more than they should with the early sections of the game. To help with that, we’re overhauling our First Time Player Experience with a revamped Tutorial Mission and updates to the Campaign Map, including a reworked tutorial and an improved Supply system. While veteran players may not benefit directly from these changes, we know these updates will be really beneficial for onboarding new players and keeping them with the game.
We hope this Roadmap gives you a good picture of the months ahead and a few things to look forward to. Our team, just like all of you, are huge fans of Company of Heroes, and we want to thank you for your ongoing support and feedback as we continue working on CoH3.
