Overview
The Topaz Rhino (2.3.0) Update for Company of Heroes 3 arrives on Tuesday, March 31st, 2026. This update introduces four new multiplayer maps, new Cosmetic Ultimate Sets for each faction, an overhaul of the main menu and in-game store, and much more. For all the details, stay tuned! Full patch notes will be available tomorrow just before the update is released.
New Maps
These four new maps will be available in Multiplayer, Co-op vs A.I., and singleplayer Skirmish.
Égletons - 1vs1
Community map makers DutchToast and FoolishViceroy have lovingly restored this Company of Heroes 1 classic map. Featuring a beautiful urban commune, overlooked by a huge, exposed hilltop, players will be hard-pressed to spread their attention across the entire frontline. This map features a wide variety of gameplay elements, including garrisons, exposed roads and dominating hilltops; flexible strategies will win the day.
Pisa Centrale – 2vs2
The marshalling yard of Pisa was heavily bombed during 1943. Take command of the Allied forces seeking to liberate it on the ground, or the Axis forces vying to defend its ruins. This map features a vast, open railyard with exceptional sight lines, with ruined urban and industrial complexes on either side. Decide where is most valuable and lock it down - your forces will be spread too thin to hold it all.
Sedjenane Marshes – 3vs3
Steaming cork marshes spread as far as the eye can see in this dense, tropical wilderness. Players will be able to cling to the foliage for cover, or risk the industrial complex buried at its heart, but nothing lasts forever; artillery and vehicles will clear the forests away quickly, leaving the marshes as an exposed and dangerous battlefield to contest.
Castello della Nebbia - 4vs4
Our third-place winner from 2025's Map Making Competition has finally arrived! Created by TheSphinx, this vast, autumnal landscape has much to offer: quarries, hilltop ruins, and forests aplenty. With three large areas to fight over, players will need to cover more than just their own lane - teams that can communicate and share the burden will prevail.
New Main Menu, Loadout, Store & Player Profile
A refreshed front-end experience brings updates to the main menu, loadout, store, and player profile. These changes streamline navigation, improve how players manage and preview their content, and introduce a new showcase system that brings units and cosmetics into sharper focus. Together, these updates create a more intuitive and polished experience across the game.
Cosmetics
With the Topaz Rhino update, we’re introducing four new Ultimate Cosmetic Sets – one for each faction. Each set delivers a fully themed roster of unit and vehicle cosmetics, inspired by historical references, bringing distinct visual identities to your forces on the battlefield.
US Forces – Sand and Sky
Inspired by the early deployments of the U.S. Army in North Africa, the Sand and Sky set draws from the 509th Parachute Infantry Regiment – the first American airborne unit deployed during World War II. Featuring rugged equipment and airborne-ready gear, this set reflects troops prepared to strike from above and operate deep behind enemy lines in harsh desert conditions.
Wehrmacht – Hinterhalt Elite
Forged in the later stages of the Italian Campaign, the Hinterhalt Elite set showcases troops shaped by experience and necessity. With ambush camouflage patterns like Hinterhalt and Telo Mimetico, and vehicles reinforced with field-applied modifications, these units are built to endure, conceal, and strike with precision.
British Forces – Desert Defenders
Drawing from British desert operations in North Africa, the Desert Defenders set showcases forces built for mobility and resilience. Featuring the distinctive Caunter camouflage pattern and equipment suited for rapid repositioning, these units are ready to respond wherever pressure mounts and hold the line against advancing threats.
Deutsches Afrikakorps – Stalkers
Designed for stealth and concealment, the Stalkers set equips Deutsches Afrikakorps forces with foliage and natural camouflage to better blend into their surroundings. With branches and leaves integrated into uniforms and vehicles, this set reflects units trained to remain unseen, positioning themselves carefully before striking at the right moment.
Completing Cosmetic Sets
With this update, we’re also shaking up how cosmetic items are bundled. You can find the full breakdown in this blog post here. To summarize, cosmetics will no longer be broken into smaller sets. They will only be available as a full set covering the units in a faction’s base roster, or what we’re calling an Ultimate Set. Additionally, we had several sets that only covered some units in a faction’s roster, such as the Nature’s Vanguard or Sea Blue sets. These sets have now been completed with a full roster of cosmetics.
We also wanted to make sure that when we made these changes, they felt fair to any players that had already acquired these sets or had partially collected a set. Therefore, any player that already owned an “incomplete” set or had at least one, but not all, unit cosmetics for a themed set, will now be granted the full Ultimate Set for that cosmetic theme.
A.I. Improvements
The Topaz Rhino update is also introducing several changes to computer controlled A.I. unit behavior to make them more consistent, believable, and deadly. These changes will affect Campaign Skirmishes, Solo and Co-op vs A.I., and any multiplayer or custom game. The entire list of changes will be covered in the patch notes.
In multiplayer and Co-op matches, the A.I. that takes over from a player is having its difficulty changed from Normal to Hard
Artillery and Anti-Tank Guns will now consistently target more appropriate enemy units and will pull back if they’re under fire and do not have targets
Machine guns will retreat earlier if they do not have valid targets and are actively being flanked – the A.I. in general will be more effective when flanking machine guns and will focus fire on them instead of searching for cover needlessly
Infantry will be more likely to focus fire, avoid grenades, use squad abilities, and be smarter about how they use garrisons
Casemate vehicles will use their abilities more frequently and will be less likely to kite or change targets to avoid inefficient movements
The A.I. is now more likely to recrew dropped team weapons, and they will prioritize doing so with larger squad sizes
Multiplayer Balance Changes
The Topaz Rhino update introduces a range of balance adjustments aimed at improving match pacing, counterplay, and overall game clarity. These changes focus on refining unit roles, reducing early snowball potential, and creating more meaningful tactical decisions throughout each match. Here are a few key highlights.
Global Balance Change Highlights
Anti-air systems have been reworked into a more risk-reward mechanic, requiring players to commit when prioritizing aircraft
Victory Point matches have been extended (though will still be faster than matches in CoH2), increasing overall game length and allowing for more strategic gameplay – this should reduce the impact of snowball and tempo strategies, while improving late game build variety and increasing the chance for comebacks
Heavy anti-tank guns have been weakened, with reduced effectiveness and increased vulnerability
Stealth detection has been improved, making hidden units more consistently identifiable and trackable
Light artillery has been adjusted to reduce reliability and improve counterplay
Resource systems such as salvage and hidden explosives have been rebalanced to better align with risk and reward
Faction Balance Changes
The US Forces receive a mix of cost adjustments, unit tuning, and improved utility across infantry, vehicles, and support options
The British Forces see refinements to artillery, vehicle performance, and command abilities to improve flexibility and late-game impact
The Wehrmacht receives updates to core units, abilities, and doctrine options, focusing on consistency and battlefield effectiveness
The Deutsches Afrikakorps sees adjustments to early-game momentum, economy, and unit performance to better balance power across all phases
A full breakdown of these balance changes will be included in tomorrow’s patch notes, alongside our Balance Fireside Chat, which takes a deeper look at these updates.
The Topaz Rhino (2.3.0) update arrives tomorrow, Tuesday, March 31st, 2026. Rally your forces and join our official Discord to explore the new maps, share strategies, and connect with other players ahead of launch!