Ex-Sega studio Relic outlines future plans following last year’s split

Relic Entertainment, the studio behind the likes of Company of Heroes and Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War, has outlined its future plans as an independent studio – including a greater focus on smaller titles and older games – following its separation from Sega last year.

Relic was founded in 1997, becoming known for its work in the real-time strategy genre as the years went on. In 2013, the studio was acquired by Sega – but the companies last year announced they would be parting ways, with Relic becoming independent once more.

Since then, Relic has undergone a period of downsizing, laying off 41 staff last year (a move that followed a major round of redundancies in 2023), but now the studio has reemerged to discuss its future plans, announcing a “bold” vision that’ll see it focusing on three key areas.

Part of the studio’s new strategy will see it ‘actively pursuing’ the development of “smaller-scope, in-house games” alongside the larger, more complex strategy titles it’s known for – all in order to “explore new genres and gameplay experiences”.

It also intends to ‘re-imagine classics’, through the likes of re-releases, remasters, and “brand-new franchise experiences that capture the spirit of the originals while appealing to a new generation of players.” That’s alongside Relic’s third focus: a “deepening commitment” to and “robust support” for its existing titles, starting with Company of Heroes 3.

The studio has already announced a new update and new DLC for Company of Heroes 3, both launching this month. Fire & Steel, as the DLC is known, promises four new Battlegroups for multiplayer and co-op/skirmish vs. AI. There’s the Heavy Weapons Battlegroup (US Forces), Terror Battlegroup (Wehrmacht), Canadian Shock Battlegroup (British Forces), and Panzerjäger Kommand Battlegroup (Afrikakorps), with more details to be revealed closer to release.