Relic Entertainment has launched the free Company of Heroes 3: 3.0 20th Anniversary update on PC via Steam. The Vancouver studio calls it the biggest update to its World War II real-time strategy (RTS) game since launch.
According to a release dated November 5th 2026, 3.0 overhauls nearly every part of the game — weather, visuals and audio, AI, balance, maps and the Italian campaign — and ships the same day with a major content drop for Company of Heroes 3: Final Stand. The news follows Relic's October date announcement for the patch.
In RTS games, players build forces and command units as the fight plays out in real time. Company of Heroes leans on squad-level tactics: cover, flanking and holding ground matter as much as raw numbers.
Weather, visuals and audio
The update adds snow and rain weather effects, dynamic terrain wetness, stronger atmospheric fog and smoke, and better soldier lighting. Animation work and new industrial, winter and autumn environments round out the visual pass, the release says.
On the audio side, weapon fire, impacts, explosions and vehicle destruction have been reworked. The soundtrack also grows with classic tracks from Company of Heroes and Company of Heroes 2.
AI, campaign and multiplayer maps
Relic says the AI now plays better in the late game and makes smarter retreat choices. Broader balance and gameplay fixes aim to open up more strategies. The Italian dynamic campaign gets its own pass: progression fixes, clearer map readability, refreshed visuals and quality-of-life tweaks.
Five new multiplayer maps join the pool:
- Ancona Railyard
- Vire River Valley
- Foggia Airfield
- Turin Steelworks
- Radarstation Mammut
Every multiplayer map also gets an improvement pass. Langres Winter, Mignano Summit and Rapido River Crossing are called out for the heaviest refreshes.
Four premium cosmetic sets ship with the update: Climb to Glory (US Forces), Edelweiss (Wehrmacht), Bloody Baltic (British Forces) and Cold Snap (Deutsches Afrikakorps).
Final Stand co-op and Dam Busters
Final Stand, Relic's roguelike standalone, picks up the same visual and audio work. Up to three players can now play co-op. A new Battleground, Dam Busters, uses weather that changes battlefield visibility and unit range. The release also lists new enemy units, abilities, passive technologies and balance fixes.
The patch lands in the franchise's 20th anniversary year. Relic also points to the upcoming Company of Heroes: Definitive Edition and to continued support across the series, including the later Operation Torch campaign DLC set for November 25th.
Relic Entertainment, based in Vancouver, develops the Company of Heroes series of World War II RTS games. The studio said players can expect more updates and new content across the franchise as the 20th anniversary continues.
The following was sent as a press release to Inven Global.
