If you may forgive me for a moment, this time last week I got all of three press releases. Yet on Thursday, “Nah, here are twenty-seven of the things for every game ever announced.” Indeed, men used to go to war (the topic for the day), but it is slightly difficult to get news this early in the week when all the press releases are shuffled to Thursday, when I am busy and can’t talk about Company of Heroes – Definitive Edition. Announced, as you guessed, on Thursday by Relic Entertainment, the World War II RTS released in 2006 is getting a quality-of-life upgrade in a Definitive Edition releasing next year.

“Relic Entertainment just released a new Company of Heroes – Definitive Edition trailer celebrating the 20th anniversary of one of the most acclaimed strategy games of all time. Company of Heroes – Definitive Edition launches on PC via Steam early next year,” notes the press release. “Released twenty years ago this week, Company of Heroes redefined the RTS genre through its cinematic World War II storytelling, squad-based tactics, destructible battlefields, and immersive presentation. Widely regarded as one of the greatest real-time strategy games ever made, its influence continues to be felt across the genre today.

The Legacy Trailer celebrates 20 years of Company of Heroes by revisiting iconic moments from the original game, while also outlining the enhancements coming in Company of Heroes – Definitive Edition.” The trailer itself isn’t too long, under 120 seconds, and shot like the opening sequence of a Band of Brothers episode. Though I will say, the fella 70 seconds in playing Bagpipes, a possible reference to Bill Millin, perhaps? Well, it is from the “Bourguébus: Marching Onward” mission from the Opposing Fronts expansion; there is a chance it could have been a reference.

Speaking of Company of Heroes – Definitive Edition, the press release notes: “Developed in partnership with Blackbird Interactive, Company of Heroes – Definitive Edition preserves the gameplay, storytelling, and atmosphere that made the original a classic while introducing modern improvements designed for today’s PC players.

The Definitive Edition includes the original Company of Heroes, along with the Opposing Fronts and Tales of Valor expansions. Built on a fully upgraded 64-bit platform, it supports modern PC systems while preserving compatibility with a 20-year history of community-created content and mods.

Players can look forward to faithfully enhanced visuals, including improved lighting, shadows, water, and reflections, enhanced textures across units and environments, improved rendering features, and increased draw distance for greater battlefield immersion. Additional enhancements include improved AI, a modernized user interface, grid key support, quality-of-life improvements, and optimization for widescreen and ultrawide displays.

The release will include all four factions, three full-length campaigns, three single-player stories, and more than 50 skirmish and multiplayer maps, delivering the complete Company of Heroes experience in a single package.

The anniversary celebration also serves as an opportunity to recognize and thank the passionate community that has supported Company of Heroes for two decades. Relic extends its gratitude to the players, modders, content creators, community leaders, and early play-testers whose dedication and feedback have helped the franchise thrive for twenty years.”

Not to try to be gauche about it, but I am loving this current run of reviving or maintaining older strategy games like Company of Heroes or Heroes of Might and Magic III. Someone older than Jesus’ first pair of sandals might have an issue with this, but there are some classic RTS and general strategy titles that hold up to established fans but falter with modern or younger fans of the series. You can look at this cynically too, saying it is easy money, but it is “easy money” that’s going to help the series long-term, especially with modding support.

Of course, we don’t have a set date yet for the release of Company of Heroes – Definitive Edition, but you can wishlist it now on PC via Steam. We also know the launch price, however, and for a re-release it is priced fairly, as the press release notes: “US $29.99, £23.99 GBP, and €28.99 EUR, with a 30% discount for existing Company of Heroes Steam owners.“ I’m excited to see more of this upgraded version of Company of Heroes and wonder if something similar will eventually happen with Company of Heroes 2 in the future.

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