Company of Heroes 3: Major Update 3.0 featuring five new maps, improved AI and new effects

To mark the series’ 20th anniversary, Company of Heroes 3 is receiving a major 3.0 update featuring new weather effects, improved sound, smarter AI and five maps. Final Stand is also getting a significant boost.

Relic Entertainment has released the biggest update to date for Company of Heroes 3 on Steam. Update 3.0 primarily overhauls the visuals, sound, AI, balance, maps and the campaign.

In this real-time strategy game, you take command of infantry and tanks during the Second World War and fight your way through the Mediterranean region, for example in the dynamic Italian campaign.

Snow, rain and more oomph

Snow and rain now fall realistically across the battlefields, with the ground becoming dynamically wet as a result. Fog, smoke and lighting have been revamped, and there are new industrial, winter and autumn environments. Weapons, impacts, explosions and shattering vehicles sound significantly more powerful. The soundtrack features classics from the spin-off series Company of Heroes and Company of Heroes 2.

New maps, smarter AI

Five new maps expand the game, four of which are available for all modes and one specifically for skirmishes and co-op against the AI: Ancona Railyard, Vire River Valley, Foggia Airfield, Turin Steelworks and Mammut Radar Station. Langres Winter, Mignano Summit and Rapido River Crossing have been thoroughly revamped. The AI assesses combat situations more realistically, makes better building decisions and is better at knowing when to retreat. And the Italy campaign has received fixes; the map is clearer and a refreshed visual style makes your holiday in Italy more enjoyable.

There are four premium sets included as well: Climb to Glory (US Armed Forces), Edelweiss (Wehrmacht), Bloody Baltic (British) and Cold Snap (Afrika Korps).

Final Stand steps it up a notch

The standalone spin-off Company of Heroes 3: Final Stand also benefits from the new features: alongside the graphical and audio improvements, up to three players will be able to play together in co-op mode. The new Battleground, Dam Busters, features weather conditions that affect your units’ visibility and range. New enemies, abilities and passive technologies have also been added.