Scarlet Bison (2.2.0) Mission Briefing

Overview

The Scarlet Bison (2.2.0) update for Company of Heroes 3 arrives on Thursday, November 27th, 2025. This update includes the Endure & Defy Battlegroup DLC, introducing four new Battlegroups – one for each faction – along with four new maps and additional gameplay improvements. Full details will be available tomorrow morning in the patch notes – stay tuned!

Endure & Defy Battlegroup DLC

Reinforcements are ready to deploy, Commander! The Endure & Defy Battlegroup DLC introduces four new battlegroups to Company of Heroes 3, adding new units, abilities, and strategic options for every faction. Endure & Defy will be available for purchase tomorrow, November 27th, 2025 – wishlist on Steam so you don’t miss it!

[dynamiclink href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/4095900/Company_of_Heroes_3_Endure__Defy/"]

US Forces - Italian Partisan Battlegroup

Deploy daring resistance fighters to disrupt enemy lines through sabotage, deception, and underground infiltration. The Italian Partisan Battlegroup uses tunnel networks and resource-draining abilities to weaken the enemy footholds from within, while mobile Partisan squads strike where they’re least expected.

Wehrmacht - Last Stand Battlegroup

When the front threatens to crumble, the Last Stand Battlegroup gives the Wehrmacht the tools to drag the enemy into a brutal war of attrition. Immobilized armor and Pantherturm turrets lock down critical lanes, while propaganda towers sap enemy morale. From improvised barrages to sudden infantry armaments, this Battlegroup excels when every inch of ground must be held.

British Forces - Polish Cavalry Battlegroup

The Polish Cavalry Battlegroup brings veteran Lancers and hardened crews to the front, delivering overwhelming firepower against entrenched or experienced enemies. With powerful vehicle upgrades and relentless fire support, this Battlegroup rewards decisive strikes and coordinated pressure.

Deutsches Afrikakorps - Kriegsmarine Battlegroup

Forged from the Kriegsmarine’s coastal operations, this Battlegroup turns inland fronts into battlegrounds dominated by fire support and fortified positions. Engineering prowess, aerial precision strikes, and devastating naval salvos combine to grind down enemy positions and secure a steady, unrelenting advance.

New Maps

Bologna - 1vs1

Bologna is a pre-destroyed urban battlefield defined by open plazas, broken streets, and minimal garrisonable cover. Designed by Brian, this map challenges players to make the most of limited protection, leaning on smart heavy machinegun placement and anti-tank coverage to hold vital ground. Flamethrowers, mines, and ambush units excel here, taking advantage of heavy cover and cratered terrain.

Wadi Darnah - 2vs2

Designed by TheSphinx, Wadi Darnah is a three-lane desert map featuring sand-baked central ruins, a shattered village to the southeast, and a lush river pocket to the northwest. Permanent cover and ruin walls create unique engagements, with each lane favoring different tactics. Early light vehicles are especially effective along the river’s edge, where crushable terrain creates openings for deep flanks and cutoffs.

Oliveto Citra - 4vs4

Oliveto Citra is a sprawling 4vs4 map by DutchToast featuring long hedgerows, autumnal terrain, and multiple distinct combat areas. Early fights are tight and contested, but heavy tanks can later break new paths through crushable terrain to shift the flow of battle dramatically. With wide avenues for flanking and room for deep cutoffs, coordinated rotations are essential to maintaining control.

Powderkeg - 4vs4

Surrounded by groves, vineyards, and long outer approaches ideal for wide rotations, Powderkeg combines a compact urban center with expansive outer farmland. Urban lanes favor garrison play and close quarters fighting, while the surrounding fields allow vehicles and flanking squads to move freely. With multiple approaches into and around the center, teams have plenty of room to dictate where the fight happens.

Map Variants

Some of the maps in Company of Heroes 3 never quite felt right in their respective size categories. Though on paper, some maps may seem like the perfect size for a 1vs1 or 2vs2, only once they’re released can we see they might be too large, or too small. In Scarlet Bison, we will be adding 3 existing maps into new size categories. They will feature expanded HQ areas and slightly adjusted territory layouts, but will otherwise function in the exact same way. The original maps will remain in their categories, with the addition of these new variants:

• Semois - conversion to 2vs2

• Djebel Pass - conversion to 2vs2

• Road to Primosole - conversion to 3vs3

Gameplay Improvements

The Scarlet Bison update includes several quality-of-life upgrades, system refinements, and map fixes aimed at making moment-to-moment gameplay smoother, more responsive, and more tactically rewarding. Here’s a look at some of the notable changes:

Core Improvements

Tank Riding & Vehicle Overhaul

• Vehicles now keep moving while loading infantry for smoother pushes

• Disembarking squads follow attack-move orders automatically

Reinforcement & Garrison Improvement

• Units inside buildings, halftracks, and other holds can now reinforce if a source is nearby

• Losing constructed garrisons no longer kills their occupants

• Engineers automatically ungarrison to repair when ordered

Vehicle Pathfinding & Collision

• Opposing vehicles no longer phase through each other

• Allied vehicles can still soft-pass to prevent traffic jams

Campaign Improvements

• Multiple mission-specific bugs have been addressed, including softlocks, incorrect icons, misplaced abilities, and loyalty system inconsistencies

• Company command card issues, artillery hotkey placements, and reinforcement problems were fixed to improve campaign flow

Map Quality of Life Improvements

• Widespread cleanup to cover, blockers, vineyards, pathing, and cliff interactions across multiple multiplayer maps

• Road to Primosole received major territory layout improvements to center resource control

• New loading screens now highlight this update's new units and maps

For a closer look at everything coming in the 2.2.0 update, including the new Battlegroups, maps, gameplay improvements, and developer insights, watch our full Scarlet Bison Deep Dive below:

Multiplayer Balance Changes

The Scarlet Bison update brings faction-wide tuning, tech tree adjustments, and systemic refinements aimed at improving competitive play and long-term strategic variety. Here are a few of the key highlights:

Global Balance Change Highlights

• Early Battlegroup call-ins have been rebalanced with new cooldown and timing adjustments to reduce early snowball potential

• Heavy tank tech has been reworked - proper teching will now speed up access and reduce costs, while unteched call-in heavy tanks arrive later at a steeper price

• Medium tanks receive a full Veterancy pass, giving them more impactful anti-vehicle bonuses as they level up

• Anti-tank gun crews are now larger but more vulnerable to small-arms fire, while team weapons no longer benefit from unintended free light cover

• Casualty timers, garrison durability, and light artillery ranges have been improved for better mid-to-late game flow

Faction Balance Changes

• The US Forces received major Barracks and Motor Pool improvements, Riflemen mid and long-range performance upgrades, BAR buffs, and vehicle tuning across the Greyhound, Chaffee, and 4x4

• The British Forces see Infantry Section improvements, Stuart tuning, Churchill/Matilda XP adjustments, Humber changes, and multiple Battlegroup updates

• The Wehrmacht sees improved Grenadiers, MG42 tuning, Transfer Orders adjustments, and several Battlegroup ability refinements

• The Deutsches Akrikakorps undergoes a large rework with a full overhaul of the Armory system, Combined Arms changes, infantry tuning, vehicle adjustments, and rebalanced abilities across multiple Battlegroups

A full breakdown of these balance changes will be included in tomorrow’s patch notes; For now, learn more in our Balance Fireside chat below:

You can also watch all three of our new Battlegroup Showdowns, showcasing each of the four Battlegroups: a 1vs1 matchup between the Italian Partisan and Last Stand Battlegroups, a second 1vs1 featuring the Polish Cavalry vs Kriegsmarine, and a 2vs2 matchup where the Allied Battlegroups team up against their Axis rivals.

Check them out below!

The Scarlet Bison (2.2.0) update drops Thursday, November 27th, 2025. Jump into our official Discord to break down the new Battlegroups, compare strategies, and connect with other players!