Relic champions Company of Heroes

The developer of Homeworld and Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War, Relic Entertainment, is now working on a real-time strategy title set in World War II's European theater. According to the studio's owner, THQ, the new title, Company of Heroes, will be released for PCs sometime in 2006.

Last fall, THQ purchased the Canadian developer for just over $10 million. According to a statement today, the upcoming Relic title will follow the exploits of Able company as they battle across Europe.

The game will rely on Relic's proprietary next-generation Essence engine, which will be paired with the Havok physics engine. The game will be shown in THQ's E3 booth next May.