Overview
The Scarlet Bison (2.2.0) update will be available for Company of Heroes 3 today at 10am PT and includes new maps, quality of life updates, bug fixes, and multiplayer balance changes. Along with today’s release of the Endure & Defy Battlegroup DLC pack, this update shakes up the game in exciting new ways. We hope Scarlet Bison closes out 2025 with a bang as we gear up for a busy 2026!
Many of the fixes and changes included in today’s patch are thanks to your feedback, so please continue to report any issues to us at help.relic.com.
New Battlegroups
Company of Heroes 3: Endure & Defy is a Battlegroup DLC pack consisting of four Battlegroups for Multiplayer and Co-Op / skirmish vs A.I.
US Forces – Italian Partisan Battlegroup
Deploy daring Partisans to wreak havoc behind the lines. Cunning, deception, and sabotage are how your forces will prevail. Brave Resistance Fighters and Saboteurs will enhance your ground forces, while tunnel networks, resource siphoning, and underground detonations will cause the enemy to collapse from within.
Wehrmacht – Last Stand BattlegroupVictory requires sacrifice. Bolster your line with powerful improvised defenses and embolden your ground forces with a number of extraordinary measures. Repel the Allied advance with the imposing Pantherturm and immobilized vehicles, then demoralize their troops with the Propaganda Tower. Panzerfaust rollouts, improvised barrages, and final battle directives enable victory at any cost.
British Forces – Polish Cavalry BattlegroupSeek revenge with grizzled Polish troops who long for battle, and smash the enemy with devastating heavy weaponry. Elite Polish Lancer Sections lead the line, while Polish-crewed Sherman Fireflies and Land Mattresses demolish enemy positions and armor with frightening efficiency. All Polish units thrive against veteran enemies.
Deutsches Afrikakorps – Kriegsmarine BattlegroupBring the might of the German Navy to bear. Fortify your positions, establish vital supply chains, and then annihilate all in your path with catastrophic fire support. Kriegsmarine infantry provide combat flexibility and engineering prowess. Establish Hardpoints to secure territory and enable supply drops. Stuka Bombers, Fritz Glide-bombs, and Naval salvos will break the enemy upon your shores.
General
Maps
New Maps added to all modes
Bologna – (1vs1)
Community mapmaker Brian makes his debut in this wonderfully realized urban battlefield. Controlling each plaza and securing your flanks are key to survival in Bologna.
“We are losing ground everywhere. The earth feels heavier beneath my boots now than it did just days ago. This once-beautiful city is our last stand in this cursed campaign. Orders from the high command are clear: hold the city at all costs. But what "costs" are they prepared to pay?”
Sightlines are key in this bombed, urban landscape. Maintain control of plaza and courtyard alike, and prepare for flanking attacks between ruins.
Wadi Darnah – (2vs2)
Community mapmaker TheSphinx made serious waves with this new North Africa map. Beautifully designed and expertly crafted, this map was well-deserving of the first place prize in GBPirate’s latest map making competition.
In the barren regions of North Africa - where only sand, stone and the most stubborn of foliage persist – water has become the most valuable resource.
Settlements and armies alike, since the Ancient Romans, have clung to any source they can, often in the form of Wadis, which run through shallow gorges and avoid the baking heat of the sun.
Oliveto Citra – (4vs4)
Community mapmaker DutchToast makes a return with another vast 4vs4 map. Oliveto Citra features distinct lanes of hedgerows and critical areas for our players to battle over.
The Germans have dug in a central defensive line, cutting off access to the main road in an attempt to secure the local logging operations for the war effort – a scar across the countryside.
Once secured, the allies can push through to San Angelo and then onto Monte Cassino.
Powderkeg – (4vs4)
Surrounded by groves, vineyards, and long outer approaches ideal for wide rotations, Powderkeg combines a compact urban center with expansive outer farmland. With multiple approaches into and around the center, teams have plenty of room to dictate where the fight happens
"Freedom is like air: you realize how precious it is once you start running out of it." – Piero Calamandrei
The Armistice of Cassibile arguably marked the most dangerous turn of events for Italian Partisans. Fathers, brothers and sons that were destined to return home to their families after Italy's surrender were instead press-ganged into service or servitude under the Wehrmacht. Italy was not free - it was held hostage. Over 70,000 Partisans, ex-soldiers and civilians were killed in combat or reprisals - a harrowing toll for a nation under occupation by its former ally.
Map Quality Of Life Improvements
We have multiple bug fixes and improvements across our Multiplayer Maps, Thanks as always to feedback on the Official Discord. Please be sure to leave comments in the map-feedback section if you have any additional map feedback or issues for future updates.
(8) Monte Cavo - Updated the Eastern entrance to the central compound, enabling better access for ultra-light vehicles. Our recent changes to ultra lights made one entrance impassible to them unintentionally. We have also added additional locations for off-map units to enter behind the player HQs. Previously they were forced to enter via the road in the HQ areas
Resize Investigation
As part of our ongoing balance and quality of life improvements to the map pool, an investigation was started into some of our most heavily downvoted maps. Among them, it was determined that some feel too large for the number of players they were originally made for. After some experimentation it was determined that three maps in particular were suitable for adding additional players.
The above maps feature larger HQ areas and some minor adjustments to their territory layouts to accommodate the increased player counts.
The original maps, (2) Semois, (2) Djebel Pass and (4) Road to Primosole will all remain available in their respective game modes for now.
General Gameplay
Core Mechanics
Vehicle Loading & Tank Riding
Tank riding and infantry loading have been overhauled to improve responsiveness and coordination between squads and vehicles.
Reinforcement & Garrison Improvements
Units inside holds are now easier and safer to use.
Infantry can now reinforce while inside buildings, halftracks, and other holds if a reinforce source is nearby, opening more tactical options for mobile or fortified play
Vehicle Pathfinding & Collision
Vehicle movement has been adjusted to create cleaner, more predictable interactions on the battlefield.
Campaign
A.I.
We did some focused playtesting and iteration vs the A.I. for this update. We noticed a number of critical issues that were making it less satisfying to play with and against. The following changes should improve the experience of playing with the A.I., though don't expect it to take the top spot on the leaderboard just yet. The A.I. will have some new clever behaviors and a more verbose set of tools at it's disposal.
Added new flanking behavior for infantry and light vehicle units when engaging with team weapons
A.I. will reposition less in short range encounters. Previously the A.I. units moved around so frequently it reduced their damage-per-second and caused them to lose most engagements
Can now use Indirect Fire Abilities such as Nebelwerfer barrages
More frequently use important anti-vehicle abilities such and Panzershreks
Performance optimized for games with A.I. players
Increased likelihood for placing emplacements to help secure points
A.I. will retreat from engagements less often. Preferring to tough it out in fights that aren't 100% optimal to wait for backup or delay enemy advances
Added new logic to support more intelligent usage of Battlegroup abilities. This will lead to the A.I. using some abilities that they previously would not, or would rarely use, such as saving up for a heavy tank.
Multiplayer Balance
General
Battlegroup Call-In Units
Battlegroups that have 0 CP call-in infantry have too much momentum against standard builds which require a starting building to be established. These Battlegroups can outnumber their opponent or take early map control, allowing them to snowball into the mid-game.
Furthermore, we have noted that certain vehicle-based call-ins have short recharge times, allowing multiple vehicles to be deployed in quick succession.
The following change will delay the arrival of early call-in infantry units and increase the delay between subsequent vehicle call-ins
Generalist Heavy Tanks
Significant changes have been made to obtaining heavy tanks. Currently these units are too effective in small game modes, while in team games, the game often ends before they can arrive.
The changes below allow heavy tanks to arrive sooner when the player techs up, while delaying and increasing the cost to get a single heavy tank without the correct structure.
We have also increased the Veterancy requirements of heavy tanks that levelled up too quickly, and their population has been increased to better reflect their effectiveness, which is better than two standard medium tanks.
End-game Structures - Tank Depot, Panzer Kompanie, Company Command Post, Panzer Armee Kommand
Wehrmacht Tiger, Pershing, Black Prince, and King Tiger
All Generalist Heavy Tanks - Wehrmacht Tiger, Pershing, Black Prince, King Tiger, Afrikakorps Tiger
Generalist Mediums - Wehrmacht and Afrikakorps Panzer IVs, M4A1 Sherman, Sherman Easy 8, Sherman 76mm, Grant, Panzer III
The veterancy of medium tanks is being changed to be more impactful. Previously, a medium tank with Veterancy struggled to stand out, even once it got to level 3. We have also changed their Veterancy to have a greater emphasis on anti-vehicle performance, rather than anti-infantry power.
Veterancy 1
Veterancy 2
+20% Weapon Penetration
+30% Rotation Rate
Veterancy 3
Crew Shock Critical
The effectiveness of the Crew Shock is being increased, allowing infantry to be more effective at slowing down and weakening enemy tank assaults.
Light and Medium Anti-tank Guns
We are increasing the size of mobile anti-tank gun squads to improve their survivability against explosive weapons and tank shells, while leaving them vulnerable to small-arms fire.
Furthermore, anti-tank guns will be more effective as they gain Veterancy with a focus on increasing offensive power.
Towed Anti-tank Guns – Flak 36, 17-pounder Anti-tank Gun, M5 3-inch Anti-tank Gun
The heavy anti-tank guns had a little too much health per entity when combined with their large squad size. We are reducing their health to make it easier to clear these weapons when not properly supported. Note the M5 crew is having its health increased by 5, as it was previously lower than other heavy anti-tank guns.
All Direct-fire Medium Team Weapons – Anti-tank Guns, Flak Guns
Direct-fire team weapons are too resistant to small arms fire when in the open due to the weapon providing cover. We are removing this, so exposed team weapons are vulnerable to infantry assaults.
Observation Posts
Observation Posts will now increase manpower income when placed on Strategic Points to bring it in-line with all other resource points.
Casualties
The time a casualty remains alive has been increased to give players more opportunities to interact with casualties and allow medics to reach them on larger maps.
Recovery Medics – Triage and Medical Bunkers
Medic counts are being reduced to account for the increased time casualties remain on the field.
Garrison Combat Bonus
It was too easy to kill units inside constructed garrisons – any area of effect weapon was incredibly deadly to the occupants inside, resulting in squads always wanting to be outside the garrison past the early game.
Combined with the change to constructed garrisons not killing their occupants on death, players will now be able to seek shelter in their defensive structures rather than it being safer to stand outside.
Constructable Bunkers, Fighting Positions and Fighting Nests
Light Artillery - Pack Howitzer, heavy Mortar, Le. IG
Smoke Bomb Runs – Airborne and Breakthrough
Sandbags
Grenades and Flamethrowers
US Forces
The US Forces are receiving significant improvements to the Barracks and Motor Pool which have been underperforming. The changes to the faction reduce the volatility of Riflemen openings, while Motor Pool has better shock value and longevity when combined with the changes to anti-tank guns.
Grenade Package
The cost of the Grenade Package is being reduced, giving Barracks play easier access to Frag Grenades, but more importantly, the Sticky Bomb to ward off early vehicles.
Scout Squads and Variants
We are locking Utility Package behind tech to make it harder to negate early machine guns – Scouts are already effective against Heavy Machineguns by spotting them from range, allowing players to avoid or flank them. This change also allows us to push back the camouflaged Heavy Machineguns found in the Terror Battlegroup.
Riflemen Squad
Riflemen damage-per-second is too low at medium and long-range, leading to a binary play pattern of the unit needing to close-in at point-blank or avoid ranged engagements. Their inability to punish units at range or fight defensive battles is also a major weakness in team games where there is less room to maneuver, and armies are consolidated. Furthermore, the squad is weak against ultra-light vehicles when forced to fight at range, making the Barracks vulnerable to early 250s.
To address these issues, we are increasing the damage-per-second of Riflemen at medium and long-range with a focus on rate of fire. These changes will allow Riflemen to trade with infantry in cover battles and ward off early ultra-light vehicles.
M1918 Browning Automatic Rifle
The Browning Automatic Rifle is receiving significant improvements to its long-range firepower. The BAR will still be a weapon focused on short-to-medium range firepower but will allow Riflemen to wear down their opponents from range when closing the distance is not possible.
Captain Retinue
The Captain’s Mark Vehicle was too powerful for a free ability on a cheap unit, as it already gives accuracy, penetration, and reveals the target.
4x4 1/4 ton-Truck
With the changes to Armored Battlegroup, we have room to give the 4x4 improvements in the early game as a combat unit – durability and anti-ultralight performance have been improved with only a minor cost increase.
When combined with the improved Riflemen, the 4x4 offers valuable harassment potential and support against other ultra-lights.
M3 Armored Personnel Carrier
M8 Greyhound Armored Car
To improve the Greyhound's role as an early shock/anti-infantry unit, its cannon’s area of effect damage has been increased.
M24 Chaffee Light Tank
For such a costly unit, the Chaffee has underperformed, relying heavily on the Armored Battlegroup to remain efficient. With the changes to Armored, we are now able to improve the performance of the Chaffee in its vehicle-hunter and support role.
In addition to increased firepower and mobility, we have also introduced a new upgrade/ability, allowing the Chaffee to act as an armored scout, helping it spot for the Motor Pool’s anti-tank guns or reveal gaps in enemy defenses that can be exploited.
M4A1 76mm Conversion
The anti-infantry performance of upgraded Shermans allowed the unit to overshadow specialist vehicles. With the upgrade always being available in the Tank Depot, one could build a critical mass that could tackle all threats.
The upgrade will now only improve anti-armor performance; in exchange the upgrade will see a cost reduction.
Battlegroup Changes
Advanced Infantry Battlegroup
Infantry Assault
Heavy Weapons Battlegroup
M26 Pershing Heavy Tank
The Pershing was too quick on the battlefield, allowing it to easily avoid anti-tank units and chase after opposing armor. We are reducing the unit’s speed and rotation rate while still retaining the unit’s identity as the fastest heavy tank.
Special Operations Battlegroup
Assault Operations
Assault Operation’s bonus was very powerful against infantry but ineffective in the late game where area-of-effect damage is common. We are changing the bonus, allowing Assault Operation to have a greater impact against a variety of foes, while reducing how powerful it is against small-arms fire.
M4A1 Sherman Whizbang
The Whizbang is having its double barrage removed, following a similar system to the Stuka while also having its health lowered, making it easier to destroy when caught out of position.
Armored Battlegroup
The Armored Battlegroup has received a significant revamp of its layout to make choices between various picks and which side of the tree to start with more impactful.
New Battlegroup Layout and Command Point Costs
Field Repairs
Field Repairs has been revamped to give the player greater flexibility in its use and to give Armored Battlegroup the ability to support allies in team games.
M8 Scott SPG
M4A3E8 Sherman Easy Eight
With the Easy 8 becoming an exclusive choice against War Machine, its price is being reduced while its machine guns will no longer be weaker than the standard Sherman to reinforce the unit’s position as one of the strongest medium tanks in the game.
Wehrmacht
Transfer Orders
Transfer Orders has been adjusted to transfer experience between squads, making it easier for Wehrmacht to transition out of Grenadiers, while still retaining a high premium to make transferring a major choice early game.
Kettenkrad Reconnaissance Vehicle
This is a quality-of-life improvement, allowing the Kettenkrad to use any of its abilities or construction options without opening a menu.
Grenadier Squad
Grenadiers are having their long-range damage increased to allow them to better trade at distance and make rushing them more dangerous. Furthermore, their grenade will now be available at the start of the game, allowing them to push enemies out of cover for the MG 42 or provide short-range defense.
MG 42 Team
Jager Squad
Changes regarding the removal of camouflage stripped a considerable amount of their power and has made the unit a little lackluster for an advanced infantry unit. To compensate for those prior changes, health is being restored back to its original value.
Battlegroup Changes
Luftwaffe Battlegroup
Luftwaffe Relay
Terror Battlegroup
Camouflaged Machine Guns
We are pushing back the timing of this Battlegroup ability as it could be oppressive to fight against and to create greater competition with its alternative, Heavy Gunnery.
No Quarter
Jericho Trumpets
While the Jericho debuff could be powerful, it competed with Propaganda Leaflet Drop as both abilities are anti-infantry based. To keep the ability’s cost high to prevent spam, we are giving Jericho Trumpets additional utility, providing the Wehrmacht Battlegroup roster with much needed reconnaissance.
Breakthrough Battlegroup
2.5 Tonne Utility Truck
The truck has been adjusted to now reward the player for using them on larger resource points with even greater rewards if they are used on Victory points.
Coastal Battlegroup
Artillery Overwatch Abilities
The following change is being made to make this artillery ineffective at destroying the bunkers that call it in. Previously, an opponent could use a fast unit to draw attention of the overwatch, so it lands on bunkers and destroys them.
Artillery Officer
We are making changes to the Artillery Officer’s overwatch ability to make subsequent barrages faster. The long delay between barrages made the ability ineffective at punishing enemies that remained in the zone for a prolonged period.
British Forces
Infantry Section
The Boys anti-tank rifle is having its anti-infantry performance increased to make the weapon less detrimental to the squad at later stages of the game. Do note, that the Boys Anti-Tank Rifle is still weaker than the standard rifles used by the Infantry Section.
M3 Stuart Light Tank
To reduce how quickly Stuarts can be massed, fuel costs have been adjusted, making each individual vehicle more expensive, but the initial unlock cheaper.
Churchill IV Heavy Tank and Matilda Heavy Tank
The role of the Churchill and Matilda is to absorb enemy-fire, however, this results in them giving considerable amounts of experience to anti-tank units, diminishing their breakthrough role as they indirectly make the enemy stronger.
The amount of experience they give will be lowered to reinforce their role as a durable frontline unit with only modest firepower.
Humber Armored Car
The Humber is seeing a slight nerf to its cost and build-time to delay its arrival onto the battlefield.
Battlegroup Changes
Air and Sea Battlegroup
Commando Support Section
Naval Blockade
Naval Blockade has been revamped to allow a player to temporarily lock enemies out of a single territory point, allowing more time to stall out a capture and bring reinforcements to intercept.
British Armoured Battlegroup
Crusader AA Medium Tank
Indian Artillery Battlegroup
War Cry
War Cry has been adjusted to be a short, but powerful combat boost that is cheap to use to better reflect its position as an early ability choice in the Battlegroup. Recharge time has been increased to make it critical for players to use this ability at the correct moment.
Gurkha Rifles Section
Gurkhas anti-infantry firepower is being increased to better reflect their role as a dedicated specialist unit. Because they compete with the versatile Infantry Section and the timing of friendly and hostile light vehicles, they struggle to compete with such options that would justify their cost-to-effectiveness.
ML 4.2 Inch Heavy Mortar Team
Australian Defense Battlegroup
Australian Light Infantry Section
Hold the Line
Over Repair
Over Repair is having its set-up time increased significantly, requiring players to have more down-time before the benefits are applied.
Canadian Shock Battlegroup
Canadian Shock Section
Canadians are having their medium and short-range damage increased. For an expensive infantry unit that lacks anti-infantry upgrades, the unit relied too much on their grenade to deal damage.
Deutsches Afrikakorps
Major adjustments have been made to core systems of the Afrikakorps to address major issues the faction has including:
Reworked Afrikakorps Armory Upgrades
The previous Armory system allowed too much power in prolonged team games and lacked internal competition between choices. To resolve this issue, we have reworked how the Armory functions.
Now players will have exclusive choices between each tier of Armory Upgrade, requiring them to decide what aspects of their army will be improved. This allows us to keep upgrades powerful but also limits how many bonuses can be stacked and creates greater opportunity cost in both choice and resources.
General Change to Armory
Armory Upgrades Cost
Level 1 Upgrades
Level 2 Upgrades
Level 3 Upgrades
Combined Arms
The Afrikakorps’ infantry was too powerful when working alongside vehicles, but were cost ineffective when operating outside Combined Arms range, forcing the faction to remain grouped up for maximum combat effectiveness.
We have reworked Combined Arms for infantry, moving their offensive bonuses directly into their base stats, allowing them to fight small skirmishes more effectively. The defensive bonuses for both variants of the ability have been removed to increase the importance of cover over having a vehicle nearby.
Combined Arms now changed to the following effects:
Afrikakorps Infantry have received offensive buffs in compensation
Panzergrenadier Squads
The Panzergrenadiers are receiving a boost to their Veterancy 3 to improve their late-game performance.
Panzerpioneer Squad
Panzerpioneers are having their capture speed reduced to place more emphasis on Panzergrenadiers and the Kradschutzen to capture the map. Panzerpioneers having the increased capture speed allowed the Afrikakorps to snowball too quickly and search for engagements with the 250 before the opposition was ready.
Kradschutzen Motorcycle Team
We are reducing the power of Tracer Marking which allowed a supported Kradschutzen to deal incredible amounts of damage with supporting infantry in the early game.
250 Light Carrier
Adjustments to the 250 have been made to make it easier to push back in the early-gameand more vulnerable to flank attacks, in exchange for a cheaper cost. Its veterancy healing ability has also been made less efficient and moved in-line with other healing abilities as it could allow the Afrikakorps to maintain the pressure with full health infantry squads with minimal downtime.
Panzerjager Squad
The camouflage of the Panzerjager is being delayed, allowing opposing light vehicles to have more freedom in choosing their engagements, without always having to worry about hidden anti-tank units. In return, the Tear Gas Round duration has increased, giving the player more time to punish units that have been hit.
Assault Grenadier Squad
Assault Grenadiers could be oppressive in the early game with their Assault Disembark ability, allowing them to defeat multiple squads and give the faction strong momentum. However, the unit scaled poorly and took a long time to gain Veterancy for a dedicated close-quarters-combat unit.
In addition to the Combined Arms change, Assault Disembark is being locked behind Veterancy, but the unit will now scale faster and deal significantly more damage once it has reached Veterancy 3.
Panzer III Medium Tank
With Armory upgrades becoming exclusive choices, the Panzer III is receiving a small health increase to give it increased staying power as players may not opt-in for any health upgrades. This also reduces the unit’s reliance on Armory upgrades to be effective.
Battlegroup Changes
Armored Support
Flammpanzer III Medium Tank
Italian Combined Arms
Bersagileri Squad
This change reduces some of the impact of the call-in changes for subsequent squads as the Bersagileri, while effective at gaining map control and swarming the enemy before they have enough units to respond, have weak combat stats for their cost.
Italian Infantry
New Battlegroup Layout
Sound the Alarm
L6/40 Light Tank
The following change reduces the impact an early L6 has where it can run down and destroy early game infantry squads while the Afrikakorps player did not need to invest into tech for such a powerful anti-infantry unit.
Panzerjaeger Kommand
Defensive Positions
With the change to Combined Arms, Defensive Positions has been adjusted to allow the Afrikakorps to play a heavier infantry composition that can quickly move around their territory without the support of vehicles.
Early Warning
The change to recharge time allows a Panzerjager player to establish more zones that they have vision over.
Butterfly Bomb Drop
To reduce the frustration players have with this ability which could be dropped on retreat paths, Butterfly Bombs will now require vision like traditional off-map abilities. In return, we are reducing its cost to make it affordable to set up conventional minefields.
Crew Shock Tactics
Anti-Tank Overwatch
Audio
Art & VFX
UI/UX
Localization
Stability
Bug Fixes
