Company of Heroes Online heads West

Publisher THQ has announced plans to bring free-to-play real-time strategy game Company of Heroes Online to North America, after the game was originally only intended for Asian markets.

The game is a reengineered version of Relic Entertainment's critically acclaimed Second World War strategy game, originally launched in 2006 as a standard retail release.

The gameplay and visuals remain largely unchanged in Company of Heroes Online and the original single player game is still available as part of the download. However, the main focus is a persistent online multiplayer mode, originally created for the game's release in South Korea.

Chinese publisher Shanda has had additional input on the version released in mainland China, where the game is monetised by allowing users to pay for instant access to higher ranks and more advanced in-game abilities.

"We are delighted to bring this award-winning franchise to gamers in a whole new way with the online version of the Company of Heroes experience," said THQ global brand management vice president Travis Plane.

"Players will benefit from the persistent upgrades and the ability to tailor their armies to really suit their play style making this a unique experience for everyone," he added.

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