Company of Heroes 3 launches on February 22 next year. There’s a turn-based campaign in Italy, an RTS-only operation in North Africa, and a multiplayer mode. Relic’s got one more treat, thanks to the community: mods. Company of Heroes 3’s modding tools weren’t a surprise; Relic’s games have always inspired modding communities. When a game launches with mod support, you still have to wait for modders to play with it. That shouldn’t be a problem.
Since the beginning, Relic has been working with modders and map makers. They’ve been giving us feedback and ideas for years. The rest of us should be able to download them right from the start since some modders already have access to the tools. “We’re going to have some mods made by the community council,” says executive producer David Littman. “And the idea is to have them at launch.” The mod page works through Steam Workshop, so players can get some mods right away. That’s the goal. I can’t say for sure, because stuff happens. But yeah, we’re getting them in the editor before we ship..”
Modders will use the Essence Engine editor that Relic already uses. Littman says they’re powerful. They won’t get all the tools on day one. Relic wants to eventually let modders make entirely new campaigns and big overhauls, so expect maps, modes, and tuning packs at first. If you’ve been craving more Dawn of War, Company of Heroes 3 might have it. Custom games will be able to use mods, but Littman says that, if a custom map is really popular, it may end up in the regular multiplayer map pool, just like Company of Heroes 2.
