Company Of Heroes 2 Confirmed With First Screenshot

Today THQ formally announced Company of Heroes 2 for an early 2013 release on the PC. They've also provided some additional details on the real-time strategy game, which was outed last week by a PC gaming mag.

CoH2 will return players to World War II. However, this game focused on the Eastern Front rather than the Western. Players take on the role of the Red Army and must stop Nazis from taking Moscow.

"Company of Heroes 2 is a true successor, introducing a new front, new protagonists and new technology while retaining the unique mix of strategic gameplay and competitive multiplayer that made the original Company of Heroes such a success," said Relic Entertainment producer Greg Wilson.

The new tech Wilson is referring to is Relic's proprietary Essence 3.0 Engine. The studio used version 1.0 for the first Company of Heroes. Essence 2.0 was utilized for Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II and its expansions. Relic promises destructible environments as well as enhanced fidelity for the game's graphics. The first screenshot, below, should give you a taste of the game's tech capabilities.

The magazine preview of CoH2 from last week mentioned that the weather would be a key gameplay element. Snow can hinder the movement of troops and vehicles. Troops will also be able to use it as cover. I'm going to guess that the snow is included in the "destructible environments," unless Russian snow is bulletproof or something.

The press release also mentions that Relic plans to support the game with abundant DLC.

"We are excited to announce a sequel to one of THQ’s best loved properties. Company of Heroes 2 will deliver an amazing strategy experience along with a strong post-launch digital content plan that enhances and expands the product’s lifecycle."