Company Of Heroes devs Relic bounce back with plans for big RTS games, smaller experiments and spiritual revivals

Last March, Sega sold off Relic Entertainment, the developers behind Company Of Heroes and Warhammer 40,000: Dawn Of War, as part of a larger restructuring and realignment at Sonic’s house. Relic is now partnered with a holding company established by UK investment firm Emona Capital LLP, allowing them to operate independently.

I was relieved to hear that Relic avoided closure and is focusing on creating more strategy games, including revivals, new projects, and smaller titles with quicker development cycles.

In a recent interview with Game Developer, CEO Justin Dowdeswell shared his optimism for Relic’s future. They will continue to support existing games like Company Of Heroes 3 and explore projects of similar scale, potentially including remasters or re-releases. There are also hints at remakes that stay true to the originals while introducing new elements. The selection of older games to revive will involve negotiations with external partners.

Additionally, Relic plans to work on smaller projects to explore new genres and experiences, aiming to release them within two years. Dowdeswell mentioned operating with smaller teams and shorter timelines, resulting in smaller budget titles compared to their main RTS games.

Despite staff reductions post-Sega sale, Dowdeswell is confident that Relic is in a much better position now. As a fan of their past work, including Homeworld and Dawn Of War, I am hopeful for their future endeavors. Company Of Heroes 3 has already received praise, with reviewers calling it “a glorious comeback”.