Our team wants to share a preview of potential multiplayer balance changes for Company of Heroes 3 on PC. Often with balance patches, things get tighter over time, and then new content will cause turbulence. We’d like to address this turbulence with a hot fix coming soon! As always, this hot fix will address some technical issues, however, we also want to get a jump on multiplayer balance feedback. This is why we’re sharing this with you today. We would like to get some feedback from you about our current planned direction.
This first set of changes is on target for our next hot fix (1.6.1), with additional changes planned for subsequent hot fixes and updates as necessary (release dates to be determined).
Please review the below changes and let us know what you think. Your feedback will help us determine if we should proceed with these changes as planned (with or without minor adjustments), or if we need to address larger concerns in our next hot fix or update.
Are there any critical changes you’d like to see added to an upcoming balance hot fix or update? Is there anything on this list that you think might cause issues? Please provide us with all your feedback! Keep in mind, that these changes are planned for a hot fix, so it is not targeting large sweeping changes. There are still longer-term initiatives we are working on when it comes to gameplay and multiplayer balance.
- The CoH3 Design Team
Planned Changes
Grenadier Squad – In general we feel the buffs given to this unit were a bit too much, especially with the power spike timing of their assault package. As such, we are reverting the cost change from 1.6.0 and standardizing the upgrade timing to match other units more closely.
• Assault Package munition cost increased from 45 to 50
• Assault Package research time increased from 20 to 30 seconds
Infanterie Kompanie Officer Quarters – Cost of this is increasing to account for the increased power level it provides to Grenadiers.
• Fuel cost increased from 25 to 40 fuel
Breakthrough – This battlegroup has been performing a bit too well and we’ve identified this ability as one of the most egregious ones.
• Duration reduced from 90 to 60
Afrikakorps Tiger Deployment Call-In – We love that this unit is seeing more play! However, it’s appearing a bit too quickly on the battlefield and doesn’t allow enough time for the proper counterplay. We’re increasing the cost to make this unit a bit less cost effective and makeg teching straight for it more risky.
• Fuel cost increased from 180 to 220
Panzerjeager Squad – We wanted this unit to function similarly to other units in this role like the British Anti-Tank (AT) rifles.
• Panzerbuchse AT Rifle now deals 50% less damage to buildings; except bunkers.
• Panzerbuchse AT Rifle deals 75% less damage to destructible ambient objects.
Improved M9 Bazookas Rockets – As this tech is intended to have lower impact than the BARs, we wanted a cost that’s closer to the intended power level of this technology.
• Fuel cost reduced from 40 to 30
Australian Light Infantry – The Australian Light Infantry are having their short and mid-range power increased to better reflect their early-game role as aggressive, anti-infantry combatants.
• Accuracy increased from 65/55/35 to 72/61/35 (short/medium/far).
Archer Tank Destroyer – For this unit to hit the field in time to counter big tanks, we’re slightly reducing the Command Point cost.
• Reduce command point cost from 7 to 6
Bofors Emplacement – As it’s pretty expensive and immobile, we wanted to give the Bofors some more presence on the map and increase its general effectiveness versus infantry.
• Health increased from 600 to 720
• Reload time sped up from 4 to 3 seconds
• Area of effect increased from 1 to 2.5
• Area of effect far damage increased from 0.25 to 0.4
• Area of effect distance increased from 0.5/0.75/1 to 0.5/1.25/2
• Area of effect penetration increased from 1 to 5
• Angle scatter increased from 2 to 3
• Angle scatter max increased from 2 to 4