Company of Heroes 3 is launching on November 17, along with 2 very different campaigns

And the most factions the series has had at launch.

Company of Heroes 3 is shaping up to be a mighty big RTS. Along with the massive Italian campaign, which includes a big turn-based campaign map, we’re also getting the North African operation—a second campaign with a brand new faction: the Deutsche Afrika Korps. 

This second campaign won’t be DLC either. Both will be available at launch, and we now know when that will be: November 17.

I got to play through the first mission and a skirmish a bunch of times last month, hurling German tanks at British defenders, and it’s a very different kind of battlefield from Italy. Lots of open spaces, small settlements with wide streets, not much cover—this is a tank playground.

The actual operation is quite different from the Italy campaign, too. There’s no dynamic map in this one, instead following the classic Company of Heroes structure, with a linear series of missions that let you jump right into RTS brawls. I was definitely sold on the new style of campaign when I fought through a portion of Italy last year, but this more straightforward style also has it advantages. And thankfully we can have our cake and eat it too.