Overview
Our team at Relic is very excited to share the first major update for Company of Heroes 3, which we’ve codenamed Operation Sapphire Jackal. This update includes a significant number of bug fixes, quality of life improvements, gameplay balance adjustments, and all-new features and content. While part of our team was working on our post-launch hot fixes to address top issues, a lot of us were working in parallel on the content for Operation Sapphire Jackal. In addition to all our efforts on this update, you can also check out our recap of the game’s launch to see how we’re working through our players’ feedback and reports.
With so many changes going into this update, our team will be standing by to roll out hot fixes should any major issues come up. Be sure to review some of the exciting changes in Operation Sapphire Jackal below and leave us your feedback after you have a chance to see them in-game. We will be releasing the full patch notes along with the update on March 28th.
Check out this quick summary, then read below for more details.
New Content & Systems
Challenges
As part of this update, we're introducing Challenges. With Challenges, you will have the opportunity to complete daily and weekly in-game objectives in Multiplayer and Co-op vs A.I. automatch to earn Merit, which can be used to unlock cosmetics for your favorite units.
For Daily and Weekly Challenges, you can expect new, randomly selected Challenges ranging from 'Kill 50 vehicles with anti-tank guns' to 'Gain 50 veteran ranks with Wehrmacht infantry'.
Daily Challenges will appear at 5pm PT every day and three new Weekly Challenges will be available each Saturday at 5pm PT.
Cosmetics
With this update, we are launching a range of cosmetic options in the store, allowing players to customize their armies in both multiplayer and singleplayer. Some content featured in the store can be purchased with either War Bonds or Merit (earnable with Challenges), or solely with War Bonds – more on these further below.
One of our goals with the In-Game Store is to ensure there is always a balanced mix of earnable and paid content available so that players can choose how they use the store, and that there is unlockable content available to everyone. This will apply to everything in the store when it launches, and as we move forward.
The cosmetics available in this update are historically inspired. Check out this sneak peek below for a taste of some of the cool stuff on offer.
War Bonds are a form of in-game currency that can only be earned by purchasing War Bond packs. War Bonds can be used to purchase any content in the in-game store.
Changes & Fixes
This update for Company of Heroes 3 includes hundreds of bugfixes, changes and improvements. You will be able to review the full 1.1.0 patch notes when the update goes live tomorrow.
Some highlights include:
- A small update to the Unique Player Color option. Allies will now be cool colors and enemies will be warm colors
- Fixed several icons and portraits with the correct Company of Heroes 3 assets
- All new voiceover for Gurkha Infantry
- Audio adjustments for map pings
- Added an option to enable Exclusive Control Groups. With this option, squads only occupy one control group at a time, like in previous CoH games
- Fixed the Recently Played With list
- Adjusted territory layout on (8) Mignano Gap and made minor adjustments to Strategic and Victory Point locations on (6) Gazala Landing Ground
- Fixed several issues where bridges did not correctly have cover
- Bloom was removed and we fixed blur or “haze” on the maps
- And plenty of more additional changes and fixes for Audio, Art, Animation, UI/UX, and Maps
Gameplay Changes
Though this update does not include what we consider a “full” balance pass, we have made several changes to help shake up multiplayer and co-op. We’ll be keeping an eye on your feedback and matches and will roll out further balance adjustments in a timely fashion.
Here is a quick summary of some of the changes, but for everything else, be sure to review the patch notes when this update rolls out.
We’ve implemented a small set of targeted changes to address US Forces Pathfinders, the Afrikakorps Carro Armato M13/40 tank and Airplane Loiters
- Pathfinders have had their utility and early power toned down
- The M13/40 has also seen some reductions in power
- Loiters have been toned down to be less oppressive
- Vehicles commanded to face in a different direction will turn properly instead of driving in circles
- Many tooltips and descriptions have been updated to better reflect the abilities, units, veterancy, and upgrades for greater clarity and information to the player.
Summary
With new gameplay challenges, unit customization and a host of fixes and changes, the team is looking forward to hearing more from all of you! Operation Sapphire Jackal is the first major update we have planned for CoH3, with many more to come in the months and years ahead.