Company of Heroes 3 received its latest balance patch, Update 2.2.5, on January 29, 2026. The patch focuses on multiplayer metagame cleanup, adjusting cover penalties for automatic weapons, refining heavy machine gun and artillery performance, and implementing notable nerfs to the Partisan Battlegroup and US early‑game tempo. The changes are presented as 16 buffs, 25 nerfs, and two other tweaks, affecting a wide range of units and mechanics.
What changed
The buffs primarily improve heavy machine gun teams, light artillery, mortars, and several specific units. Heavy machine gun teams gain a 15 % increase in long‑range accuracy and a veterancy‑2 suppression bonus that rises from 30 % to 40 %. Light artillery sees its area‑of‑effect far damage rise from 15 % to 20 %, experience requirements drop from 1000/3000/6000 to 850/2550/5100, projectile speed increases from 50 to 65, and the Pack and Le.IG projectile arcs are reverted to fire over obstacles. Mortar infantry experience requirements are cut from 1000/3000/6000 to 750/2250/4500, while mortar halftrack requirements fall from 1000/3000/6000 to 800/2400/4800. Additionally, mortar veterancy‑2 scatter bonus changes from scatter reduction to +10 % damage, and veterancy‑1 health boost is replaced with a +10 % rate of fire.
Specific unit buffs include the M8 Greyhound Armored Car, whose fire‑aim time drops from 1 second to 0.125 seconds; the Captain Retinue, whose build time speeds up from 45 seconds to 30 seconds; the Paratrooper Squad, which now receives three bazookas when upgraded instead of two; the Partisan Resistance Fighters, whose ambush accuracy and scatter debuff penalties are reduced from 40 % to 30 %; and the Hulldown ability, which now grants casemate units +10 metres of range when hulldown (up from +5 metres) and increases the cone of fire for fixed gun/casemate vehicles by 10 and weapon traverse by 5.
The nerfs target automatic rifles and LMGs, heavy machine gun teams, suppression, mobile heavy anti‑tank guns, handheld anti‑tank weapons, Bazookas, M1918 Browning Automatic Rifles, M8 Greyhound Armored Car, Captain Retinue, Paratrooper Squad, Partisan Resistance Fighters, Panzerbuchse, Tunnel Network, and OSS Coordination/Retreat. Automatic rifles and LMGs receive increased damage penalties against heavy cover and garrisons (30 % → 40 %), accuracy penalties against heavy cover (45 % → 50 %), and accuracy penalties against garrisons (40 % → 45 %). Heavy machine gun teams see set‑up time rise from 3 seconds to 3.5 seconds and veterancy requirements increase from 500/1500/3000 to 700/2100/4200. Suppression scatter penalty jumps from 33 % to 125 %, and reload penalty increases from 25 % to 75 %. Mobile heavy anti‑tank guns fuel cost rises from 40 to 50. Handheld anti‑tank moving accuracy drops from 0.5 to 0.35, and moving scatter increases from 25 % to 50 %. Bazookas ready aim‑time increases from 0.5/1 to 1/1.125 seconds. M1918 Browning Automatic Rifles research time increases from 30 to 60 seconds. M8 Greyhound Armored Car fuel cost rises from 45 to 50, reload changes from 2.333/2.333 to 3.25/3.375 seconds, and target size increases from 16 to 18. Captain Retinue must now purchase its M1919 Light Machine Gun for 50 munitions. Paratrooper Squad bazooka munitions cost increases from 80 to 100. Partisan Resistance Fighters manpower cost rises from 220 to 240, Molotov Assault wind‑up increases from 0.875 to 1.125 seconds, area‑of‑effect radius reduces from 4 to 3.5 metres, burn damage radius reduces from 6 to 4 metres, and munition cost increases from 30 to 35. Panzerbuchse ready aim‑time increases from 0.75 to 1 second. Tunnel Network recharge time increases from 15 to 25 seconds. Finally, OSS Coordination and Resistance Fighter Retreat in garrisons now trigger the Tunnel Network cooldown where previously there was none.
Two other changes affect mortars and Hulldown: shell time on target increases from 3 to 3.125 seconds, and Hulldown reload and cooldown bonuses are changed to overall attack speed.
How it works
All changes are applied server‑side and take effect immediately in online matches. Players will notice the revised values when selecting units, viewing tooltips, or engaging in combat. The buffs to heavy machine gun teams make them more accurate at long range and improve their suppression capability when veterancy‑2 is reached, encouraging players to invest in HMG veterancy. Light artillery’s increased far‑damage and faster projectiles give it a stronger punch against distant targets, while the reduced experience requirements allow lighter artillery units to reach veterancy faster. Mortar adjustments make infantry and halftrack mortars easier to level, and the veterancy‑2 damage bonus provides a more reliable offensive option.
The nerfs to automatic rifles and LMGs make them less effective when firing into heavy cover or garrisons, pushing players to consider alternative weapons or flanking maneuvers. The increased set‑up time for heavy machine gun teams reduces their early‑game aggression, and the higher veterancy requirements delay access to powerful suppression bonuses. Suppression penalties now make it harder for units to recover from being pinned, and the increased reload penalty lengthens downtime after suppressive fire. Handheld anti‑tank weapons become less reliable on the move, and Bazookas require longer aim‑time, reducing their snap‑shot potential. The M8 Greyhound’s fuel cost increase and slower reload reduce its spam potential, while the Captain Retinue’s mandatory M1919 LMG purchase adds a small resource cost to its support role. Partisan Resistance Fighters become more expensive to field, and their Molotov Assault timing and radii are tightened, making the ability less spammable. Panzerbuchse aim‑time increase slows its anti‑tank rifle, and Tunnel Network’s longer recharge reduces the frequency of its defensive cooldown. The OSS Coordination change ensures that retreating in garrisons now properly triggers the Tunnel Network cooldown, preventing abuse of the retreat mechanic.
Build path
To adapt to Update 2.2.5, players should first familiarize themselves with the revised tooltips in the armory and upgrade screens. Begin by testing the new heavy machine gun accuracy in a skirmish against AI, noting the improved long‑range hit probability. Try the updated light artillery on distant targets to feel the extra far‑damage. Experiment with the faster‑firing M8 Greyhound to see how its reduced fire‑aim time affects micro‑play, but be mindful of its higher fuel cost. When using automatic weapons, avoid prolonged firing into heavy cover or garrisons, as the increased penalties will reduce effectiveness. For suppression‑heavy strategies, consider timing your suppressive bursts to account for the longer reload penalty. Finally, test the Partisan Resistance Fighters’ updated ambush to gauge the reduced accuracy penalty and adjust your timing accordingly.
What it means
Update 2.2.5 continues Relic’s effort to refine the multiplayer meta by smoothing out extreme outliers and encouraging diverse unit compositions. The buffs to heavy machine gun teams and light artillery give players more reliable long‑range options, while the nerfs to automatic weapons and suppression discourage overly dominant early‑game spam. The changes to veterancy requirements and experience curves shift the pacing of power spikes, rewarding players who invest in unit upgrades and prolonged engagements. The Partisan Battlegroup nerfs specifically address its previous strength in early‑game aggression, making it less oppressive in the opening minutes of a match. Overall, the patch nudges the meta toward more deliberate positioning, combined arms tactics, and thoughtful veterancy progression rather than raw unit spam.