The standalone expansion, Company of Heroes 3: Final Stand, developed and released by Relic Entertainment, is designed for either single-player or two-player co-operative wave defense gameplay.
Final Stand is a standalone spin-off of Company of Heroes 3. Unlike the main game, it offers a roguelite wave-based survival experience designed for solo players or two-player co-op. Incidentally, there is no co-op matchmaking system. Relic says, "We've heard the requests from players to introduce a matchmaking system to Final Stand. With all the difficulty levels, faction options (for both players and enemy A.I.), and Battleground picks – this would create a subpar matchmaking experience and lead to incredibly long queue times. We felt to retain the best possible player experience, we would pursue a traditional lobby system." This lobby system for co-op mode was added via a hotfix on 30 July. Players do not need to own the main game, Company of Heroes 3, to play Final Stand. However, if players already own the main game, they do not need to install a separate client.
Similar game modes have appeared in previous Relic Entertainment games. The Company of Heroes: Tales of Valor expansion featured the 'Operation Stonewall' game mode. In this mode, up to four players had to collaborate to defend a small town against successive waves of AI-controlled enemies. In 'The Last Stand' from Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II, meanwhile, three players each controlled an upgradeable hero, fighting through escalating waves of enemies. The 'Crucible' mode from Age of Empires IV also served as inspiration.
Rather than traditional campaigns or competitive multiplayer, Final Stand players must defend a central headquarters against increasingly powerful waves of AI attacks - without the usual base-building. A standard game consists of 12 escalating waves. Those who survive can then put their skills to the test in Endless Mode.
Company of Heroes 3: Final Stand © Relic Entertainment
The game features five maps designed for this mode, eight difficulty levels ranging from beginner to truly challenging, and 18 in-game events. At the end of each wave, 36 bosses with special abilities lie in wait. Players start with a small number of troops and must make tactical decisions as they progress through the run. After surviving each wave, they can select new units (such as infantry or tanks), airstrikes or passive bonuses from a random set of cards. This often requires players to adapt their strategy flexibly in order to combine units and bonuses as effectively as possible. However, don't expect the same tactical depth as in the main game. Flanking on multiple fronts is less important, as battles mostly take place along predictable paths. In return, the runs are much more accessible and less time-consuming, yet still engaging.
Through playing, experience points are collected and permanent perks and upgrades are unlocked via faction-specific talent trees. In the style of roguelite games, these improve the starting conditions for future runs, which is motivating, too. There are four factions (US Forces, Wehrmacht, British Forces and Deutsches Afrikakorps) that play differently and have their own progression trees, which could differ more greatly. Overall, the game is appealing to PvE and co-op fans, although the price is rather high given that it only includes five maps. There could also be more variety in the perks and unit selections to prevent repetitiveness. A new battleground is set to be added to Final Stand in October with the release of the 3.0 update for Company of Heroes 3. Relic Entertainment writes: "(...) and we will of course be focused on post launch quality and bug fixing. If there is ample support from the community, additional post launch content is something we will definitely consider!"
Company of Heroes 3: Final Stand © Relic Entertainment
Relic Entertainment is a Canadian video game developer based in Vancouver that is best known for its real-time strategy games. Since its foundation in 1997, the company has made a name for itself with games such as Homeworld, Dawn of War and Company of Heroes. Relic was part of THQ from 2004, but moved to Sega following THQ's bankruptcy in 2013. In March 2024, the studio split from Sega and became independent with the support of the UK-based investment firm Emona Capital. The studio has recently released the well-received Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War – Definitive Edition, which was supported with updates for longer than originally planned, as well as the turn-based strategy game Earth vs Mars, reminiscent of Advance Wars, under its own publishing label, Relic Labs. However, the latter sold disappointingly. The studio is currently working on the 3.0 update for Company of Heroes 3 and the Company of Heroes - Definitive Edition (in collaboration with Blackbird Interactive). This Definitive Edition features the original Company of Heroes (2006), along with the Opposing Fronts and Tales of Valor expansions, enhanced visuals, quality-of-life gameplay improvements and 64-bit platform support. The aim is to replicate the success of Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Definitive Edition.
Company of Heroes 3: Final Stand was released for PC on 29 July 2026 for €28.99, alongside Patch 2.5 for Company of Heroes 3.
Those who enjoy compact PvE sessions and wave defense modes will find that Company of Heroes 3: Final Stand is a solid offering, although it is currently rather expensive for the amount of content it provides.
