Company of Heroes 3 gets a standalone spin-off
Very good World War RTS Company of Heroes 3 is getting a standalone wave defence roguelite spin-off, Company of Heroes 3: Final Stand, in which you have to outlast 12 rounds of attackers while steadily expanding and upgrading a custom battlegroup. It's pitched as a snackable, newbie-friendly version of the big-bellied strategy sim Katharine Castle (RPS in peace) described as "World War II on its summer holiday". It's out in July, supports two-player co-op, and LOOK OUT, MEN, WE HAVE TRAILER INCOMING.
Developers Relic have dabbled with such turtlish titbits before in the shape of Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War 2's The Last Stand mode, which they carved out and sold separately for $10 back in 2011. They're asking $30 for Final Stand (with a 20% discount for owners of COH3) which isn't especially bite-sized, even allowing for our presently inflated economic hellscape. But on paper, it looks like you get reasonable bang for your buckaroos. There are four factions - US Forces, Wehrmacht, British Forces, or Deutsches Afrikakorps – and eight difficulty settings. You'll go up against 36 boss units and contend with 18 possible "dynamic" events on five battlegrounds.
"After each wave, you will choose between randomized units or abilities that persist for the duration of the run, ensuring that no two playthroughs feel the same," the Steam page promises. "Between runs you will unlock persistent upgrades like powerful perks and unique abilities across faction-specific progression trees. These upgrades meaningfully change how each faction plays, encouraging experimentation, long-term mastery, and repeat play at higher difficulty levels. This all combines into an experience that’s easy to jump into, and with meaningful depth."
Relic were sold off by Sega in 2024, and are very much mining their old achievements, these days. Their other projects include a Definitive Edition of the original Company of Heroes, which follows a well-received Definitive Edition of the original Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War. Oh, and Earth vs Mars, a turn-based B-movie affair that also appears to have found its people, going by Steam user reviews. In February last year, CEO Justin Dowdeswell promised a mixture of revival projects, big new games, and smaller, nippier productions. What would you have them develop next?