It’s been a long time coming, with 2013 being the last time we saw a full game, but the legendary franchise is finally back as Relic Entertainment and Sega Europe have announced that Company of Heroes 3 is making its way to the PC in 2022.

Players eager to test out the game can do so as early as now. Simply visit the Company of Heroes official website to sign up for access to the Pre-Alpha Preview on Steam which is ongoing until August 3.

Company of Heroes 3 will scratch that RTS itch, and is bringing the series’ intimate boots-on-the-ground storytelling to a brand-new theatre of war, unlocking authentic new tactics, factions, and a wealth of untold stories from World War II. The game will be enhanced with new features that make for a truly deep tactical experience, all powered by the Essence Engine 5, the latest evolution of Relic’s proprietary real-time strategy technology.

One of the new features is called the Dynamic Campaign Map, where players command ground, air and naval forces and build supply lines where the long-term choices you make here will affect not only the battles you fight, but the story of the war itself.

Another feature is the Full Tactical Pause, which gives players a new level of tactical control over the pacing by freezing the action and letting players coordinate all their actions at once, thinking through every move in detail without the pressure of doing it all in real-time.

“We’re really excited for players to experience Company of Heroes 3 right from the pre-alpha stage and to receive their valuable feedback. We’ve been codeveloping the game with some of our fantastic community members for years now, and they have been instrumental in providing consistent and meaningful feedback at every step of the development process.” said Justin Dowdeswell, General Manager at Relic Entertainment.

Company of Heroes 3 is scheduled for a 2022 release on the PC, with a pre-alpha preview ongoing right now.