Update 2.5.0 Deep Dive

Summary of “Update 2.5.0 Deep Dive” (Company of Heroes 3)

1) Overview and release timing

• The video previews Update 2.5.0 for Company of Heroes 3, releasing July 29.
• It also notes the parallel launch of Company of Heroes 3: Final Stand (a standalone experience), though the deep dive focuses mostly on 2.5.
• The dev team says multiplayer balance will get a more in-depth session on release day via a live “balance team” fireside chat.

2) New maps in Update 2.5

A) Official map: “Butcher and Bolt” (1v1)

• Designed by: senior designer Will Ward, collaborating with community mapper Sphinx.
• Theme/inspiration: North African desert warfare—British SAS/Long Range Desert Group style raids targeting German positions and supply/concepts behind the lines. Built around a desert convoy raid.
• Competitive intent
  • Encourages smaller scale for better faction parity and stronger early-game play, including reducing disadvantages for factions that struggle with early capping on larger maps.
  • Layout: HQs sit on the flat edges of a rectangle but oriented widthways, making it wider than some existing 1v1 maps while keeping the same overall length as “Fammville.”
  • Desert rock formations create line-of-sight breaks, encouraging cat-and-mouse movement.
  • Cover tuning:
    • Less light cover overall (fewer trees/bushes).
    • Better, longer-lasting rock cover.
    • Mentions vehicle wrecks receiving health improvements.
• How it plays
  • The map’s width supports light vehicle roaming along the outskirts.
  • Players can take varied strategies, but the structure encourages aggressive central cutoffs: pushing directly to the center creates pressure to defend central space while still harvesting outlying resources.
  • Two minor settlements on the outskirts:
    • A small village and a military outpost with tall walls and holes.
    • Enable ambush setups, and make mines particularly deadly due to predictable routes.
    • Controlling these areas changes how the map is contested.

B) Community map: “Across the Savio” (remake)

• A remake of “Across the Rhine” from Company of Heroes 2, adapted to CoH3 systems.
• Collaboration: Dutch Toast and Viceroy (with Relic supporting tweaks).
• Key changes from the original
  • Retains the familiar flow, but redesigns territory/victory mechanics to match CoH3’s resource system.
  • Adds some victory points that include territory sectors (uncommon on most CoH3 maps; “Langres” is cited as a similar example).
  • Visual theme: grimy nighttime look, emphasizing Dutch Toast’s “mud” style, with praised details like moonlight glinting off weapon barrels.
• How it plays (for 3v3)
  • Essentially described as a three-lane map.
  • Each vertical layer creates a “separate lane” feel (south lowlands, middle bunker layer, top farming area) while still allowing lateral movement via hedges/groves and sneak-through flanking angles.
  • Intended to be slightly smaller than the CoH2 version due to engine constraints, but still aimed to be strong for 3v3.

Community mappers’ note (quoted in-video)

• Dutch Toast and Viceroy say Across the Rhine became a favorite 3v3 map in the CoH2 British Forces DLC, and they’re glad Relic considered their CoH3 remake worthy.

3) Additional map-pool adjustments / quality-of-life changes

• Players are invited to submit map feedback on the official Discord.
• Patch notes highlighted:
  • Removal of exploding red barrels from Piecé Central, attributed to barrels being misplaced and/or causing tank deaths.
  • Discussion suggests potentially adding them back universally; a dev jokes that players “skipped the learning” that red barrels explode.
  • Redesign of Castella Dean Nebia (a 4v4 map): a strategic point cutoff was considered too aggressive/easy to access from base, so the north strategic sector was pulled back to reduce over-focus on those four points.
  • Smaller tweaks:
    • Rocks adjusted for correct cover behavior.
    • Some rocks unintentionally exploding when hit.

4) Lobby redesign and UX improvements

A “John” segment covers a new lobby UI:

• Match settings and map layout are made more visually central.
• Battle group selection is redesigned for faster, clearer access:
  • Players choose battle groups for their faction using a single drop-down menu.
  • Adds drop-down options for selecting CPU opponent battle groups in custom/AI matches.
  • Allows empty slots so AI can use only specific battle groups (called out as requested QoL).
• Includes a “more info” mode to revert to the older-style battle group view, including access to tech tree visibility.

5) Final Stand cosmetics (exclusive unlock path)

Another “John” segment explains:

• New cosmetic sets coming exclusively through Final Stand (not earnable/unlockable by other means).
• After unlocking via Final Stand, cosmetics can be used in other CoH3 modes (multiplayer, skirmish, custom games, etc.).
• Cosmetics are not paid separately—they’re earned by playing Final Stand.
• Mentions a “preview of all cosmetic sets,” with names shown in subtitles (e.g., “Heat” and “Hallelujah”), though exact context is unclear from the transcript.

6) Multiplayer balance focus in Update 2.5 (core anti-“blobbing” / anti-infantry dominance)

The gameplay balance team (Jason and Darren) frames 2.5 as a system-level patch rather than mostly faction or battle-group tweaking.

Stated goals

• Address the long-growing issue where infantry blobbing / massing becomes too dominant and reduces the payoff of micro and tactics.
• Emphasize that the problem is driven by many knock-on issues (not all intentional), so system changes are needed before other adjustments can be made safely.
• Note vehicle massing is also problematic (especially in team games), but 2.5 addresses vehicles less directly, with more planned work later (including 3.0).

7) Key multiplayer system changes explained

A) Small Arms weapon priority (focus-fire behavior restored)

• Problem (previous behavior):
  • Infantry squad damage spread could reduce counterplay: squad models might shoot different far-apart targets (including back models), slowing kills and making it harder to bleed blobs effectively.
• Fix:
  • Infantry models prioritize the closest target, generally favoring targets in front rather than random back-of-formation picks.
• Expected effect:
  • More consistent focus fire → faster infantry model loss when exposed.
  • Cover becomes more rewarding, and being in the open becomes riskier.

B) Cover effectiveness adjustments for weapons (especially automatics/LMGs)

• Reduce “bonuses vs cover” on many weapons (with scope rifles suggested as a likely last holdout).
• Combined with penetration changes, the goal is to prevent LMG/automatic weapons from over-funneling damage into back-of-formation units via cover-related rules.
• Overall intent: cover should mitigate damage more consistently, and fights should feel more decisive.

C) Suppression system changed (suppressed units recover more slowly if kept under fire)

• Reintroduces an older suppression style familiar from CoH2.
• Previous:
  • Units stayed suppressed mainly if suppressed by certain sources; after ~10 seconds without suppression fire, recovery was quick.
• Now:
  • If the unit remains in combat and continues being shot at, it stays suppressed, blocking rapid recovery.
  • Any incoming fire counts toward maintaining suppression (not only suppression weapons).
  • Exception: if the unit goes into garrison, suppression recovery remains fast.
• Expected effect:
  • Better tactical suppression play: suppress → swap targets → keep the unit suppressed by continuing pressure (e.g., engineers in combat, mortars, tank guns, artillery).

D) Heavy machine gun penetration buff vs early light vehicles

• In team games, heavy MGs struggled versus early ultralight/fast vehicles (e.g., Dingo 4x4, 250, as transcribed).
• Change: heavy MGs gain more penetration so early light vehicles take significant damage if they remain in arc.
• Expected effect:
  • Improves the viability of MG builds.
  • Makes flanking attempts more punishing.

E) Direct-fire weapon cover calculation changes (autocannons/certain direct fire)

• Previously:
  • Cover mitigation depended on whether shells exploded “in front or behind” cover (CoH3 behavior partially reverting toward an older CoH2-like approach).
• Now:
  • Cover mitigation depends on relative spacing between cover and shooter, rather than only explosion location.
• Expected effect:
  • Units using green cover should receive more reliable mitigation even when direct fire visually connects “behind” cover.
  • Grenades maintain distinct behavior; arcing/arc-like weapons described can still deal full damage under certain conditions.

F) Cover durability increases

• The patch increases health/durability of many map objects:
  • World objects last longer (not just light cover).
  • Fences/crates that previously disappeared quickly should persist longer during infantry fights.
  • Trucks and other destructible cover items should stop dying after only a single engagement.
• Expected effect:
  • Cover remains meaningful longer and reduces situations where players are forced into open combat due to no intact cover reaching.

G) Light vehicle “medium crush” removed

• With increased cover durability, the patch removes medium crush from almost all light vehicles (except via special means mentioned like grinding advance / siege breakers).
• Rationale:
  • Prevents light vehicles from flattening maps and destroying positional gameplay, especially in modes with many vehicles.
  • Keeps green cover relevant through midgame before medium vehicles arrive.
• Expected effect:
  • Light vehicles require more careful driving; players adapt over a few matches.
  • Team modes like 2v2 likely benefit most.

H) Paratropping change: you can now shoot units while dropping

• Paratropped units can now be targeted during deployment (paratroopers/commandos/other dropping units).
• This enables interception of:
  • Dropped infantry units.
  • Airborne ordnance like the “butterfly bomb” mentioned in the transcript.
• Design intent:
  • Adds risk/reward: landing zones are more vulnerable unless guarded.
  • Players can intercept drops before units land.
• Additional note:
  • Changes how abilities with satchel timing/cooldowns are balanced, since dropping onto artillery placements is now more dangerous.

I) Formation tightening

• Minor UX/gameplay fixes:
  • Front-most model selection made consistent to avoid odd control/selection behavior.
  • Squad formations slightly tightened so AoE clipping affects the intended number of models more consistently.
• Intent:
  • Preserve cover differentiation vs AoE while improving consistency in model interactions.

8) Why “negative cover” wasn’t reintroduced (community idea addressed)

• When asked about “negative cover,” Will explains:
  • It might only apply to specific map zones, and could accidentally reward blobbing during retreats/crossings.
  • Implementing it more broadly is map-heavy (requires painting/retuning all maps) and could affect faction/map balance widely.
  • Even if community ideas are good, knock-on effects are common; limited time/resources restrict how much system complexity can be added per patch.
  • Some proposed changes also didn’t make release due to private test feedback and timing.

9) Future outlook

• The team positions 2.5 as a first step leading into further work for Update 3.0 later in the year.
• Ongoing emphasis:
  • Continued attention to infantry tactics.
  • More vehicle-related blobbing concerns.
• Private playtesting was “pretty positive,” though not every proposed change made it to release.

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Presenters / contributors (as named in the subtitles)

• Will Ward (Senior Designer)
• John (presenter for lobby redesign and Final Stand cosmetics; appears as “John” multiple times)
• Jason (Gameplay balance team; Senior Designer)
• Darren (Gameplay balance team; Balance Designer)
• Sphinx (community mapper collaborator for “Butcher and Bolt”)
• Dutch Toast (community mapper; collaborator for “Across the Savio”)
• Viceroy (community mapper; collaborator for “Across the Savio”)
• Company of Heroes dev/balance team (referenced as a group, with the individuals above named explicitly)