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Fix Company of Heroes 3 in a low-risk order: compare your PC with Relic’s published requirements, update Windows and the graphics driver, verify the Steam installation, and remove software that can interfere. Then follow the branch that matches the symptom. A crash is a process failure, a visible frame-rate hitch is usually local performance trouble, and delayed commands or lobby errors can be network trouble; they need different tests.
The steps below are based on Relic’s support guidance current to February 20, 2025, SEGA’s general PC troubleshooting guidance updated April 28, 2026, and Relic’s patch records. None is a universal cure, and the published requirements do not guarantee a particular frame rate or a trouble-free match.
Identify which problem you actually have
Write down when the failure occurs before changing settings. The scope and timing often tell you which branch to use.
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Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →| Symptom | Typical boundary | Start with |
|---|---|---|
| Crash or launch failure | The game closes, shows an error or Bugsplat dialog, or never reaches the main menu. | Requirements, updates, file verification, and a no-mod launch. |
| Local stutter | The picture hitches, frame delivery is uneven, or controls feel slow even when the match remains connected. | Graphics, power, driver, workload, and patch checks. |
| Connection or lobby error | You cannot reach a lobby, are disconnected, or commands arrive late while the game is otherwise rendering normally. | Steam/internet access, the Relic status endpoint, security rules, and maintenance status. |
Also record whether the issue affects startup, campaign, skirmish, multiplayer, or every mode; whether it began after a game patch, driver change, or mod installation; and whether another match or mode behaves differently. Those observations prevent a network problem from being treated as a graphics problem.
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Check the PC baseline before advanced fixes
Compare your hardware with Relic’s published requirements
Relic’s CoH 3 PC System Requirements page was updated February 20, 2025. It lists these values:
| Item | Minimum listed | Recommended listed |
|---|---|---|
| Memory | 8 GB RAM | 16 GB RAM |
| Graphics examples | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950 or AMD Radeon R9 370 | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 or AMD Radeon RX 5600 |
| Storage | 40 GB | 40 GB |
| Graphics API | DirectX 12 | DirectX 12 |
These are Relic’s published specifications, not a promise of smooth play at a particular resolution, visual preset, map size, or opponent count. Check the current Steam listing as well, because requirements and supporting software can change. If the machine has less than 16 GB of RAM, a compatible memory upgrade may help workloads that run short of memory, but buying RAM does not by itself prove or fix a crash, stutter, or connection error.
Install the low-risk software updates
- Open Settings > Windows Update, install available updates, and restart Windows when requested.
- Install a current driver for the installed graphics adapter from its manufacturer. Reboot after the driver installer completes.
- Close overlays, capture tools, hardware monitors, and other utilities temporarily while testing. Re-enable them one at a time if the game becomes stable; this identifies interference without permanently removing software.
SEGA’s General Troubleshooting guidance also calls out GPU power settings and security software. Use a performance-oriented power profile when testing a laptop or a system that may be down-clocking, and make sure antivirus or firewall rules are not silently blocking the game or Steam. Keep a note of any exception you create so it can be removed later.
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Verify the Steam installation
- In Steam, open Library.
- Right-click Company of Heroes 3 and choose Properties.
- Select Installed Files, then Verify integrity of game files.
- Wait for Steam to finish, allow it to reacquire damaged or missing files, and restart the game.
Verification is safer than reinstalling because it does not intentionally remove your user data. If Steam reports that files were replaced but the same failure returns, continue with the symptom-specific branch rather than repeatedly running verification.
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Fix crashes and a game that will not launch
Crash on startup or during a match
Relic’s Crash on Startup or In-game article recommends confirming the minimum specifications, updating the operating system and graphics driver, deactivating mods, reinstalling when necessary, and clearing the game’s My Games folder as a late step.
- Test without mods. Disable every subscribed or locally installed mod, restart Steam, and launch an unmodified game. A mod can become incompatible after a game update even when the base installation is healthy.
- Reproduce the smallest case. Try the menu and one mode that previously failed. Note the map, faction, AI count, and the last action before the crash. If only one modded scenario or one mode fails, keep that distinction for support instead of assuming the whole installation is broken.
- Reinstall only after the reversible checks. If updated software, verified files, and a no-mod launch do not change the result, uninstall and install the game again through Steam. Keep your save backup before removing anything from the user profile.
- Clear the My Games folder only as a final user-data step. Relic warns that clearing this folder can remove saved games and progress. Copy your saves and any configuration you want to preserve to another location first, then clear the folder so the game can create fresh data. Do not skip the backup because a successful launch is not worth losing an unprotected campaign.
When the crash is tied to a particular patch, workload, or driver, check the live patch notes before changing more settings. Historical fixes show that different causes can look alike: the archive records a GPU-related crash fix in version 1.6.6 and other targeted stability changes, but those entries are not a current all-purpose diagnosis.
Game fails to launch
For a failure before the main menu, follow Relic’s Game Fails to Launch Troubleshooting guidance in this order:
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors- Confirm Windows and the graphics driver are current and that the PC meets the requirements above.
- Complete Steam’s file verification if it has not already been done.
- Make sure the Microsoft C++ runtime and the operating system are up to date. Relic notes that Steam installs the runtimes required by Company of Heroes 3; a broken or incomplete runtime installation can still make a launch fail, so allow Steam to repair or reinstall its prerequisites when prompted.
- Temporarily remove mods and test the unmodified game.
- Only then consider a full reinstall or the backed-up My Games cleanup described above.
If the game closes immediately after an update, do not assume the update itself is defective. First capture the exact message, verify files, and test with mods and overlays disabled. This produces evidence that can distinguish a damaged download from an application, driver, or user-data failure.
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Use a Bugsplat report effectively
If a Bugsplat window appears, Relic’s Crash Report (Bugsplat) article asks you to include as many details as possible in the comment box and submit the report. Add useful context such as:
- the game mode, map, faction, and approximate time of the crash;
- the exact sequence immediately beforehand, including a replayable action if one exists;
- whether all mods and overlays were disabled;
- your Windows version, graphics adapter and driver version, memory amount, and whether the problem began after a patch or driver change; and
- whether the failure occurs at startup, only in one mode, or in every mode.
These details are helpful context rather than a mandatory field list. Preserve any crash ID shown by the dialog and include it with a support request so Relic can associate your description with the submitted report.
Fix visible stuttering and choppy frame delivery
Separate local frame stutter from network lag
A local performance hitch changes the picture or input response on your PC. Network trouble usually leaves rendering smooth while units react late, the lobby fails, or other players appear to freeze and then catch up. A match can have both, so test them independently.
| Observation | More consistent with | Useful check |
|---|---|---|
| The camera and animations hitch in campaign or skirmish with no online session. | Local frame delivery, driver, power, settings, or workload. | Repeat the same scene offline and compare a lighter graphics preset or power profile. |
| The picture is smooth but commands arrive late or the lobby disconnects. | Connection path or server availability. | Check Steam connectivity, the Relic endpoint, security rules, and maintenance. |
| Only large battles or many AI allies and opponents hitch. | A workload-specific performance issue. | Record the player/AI count and mode, then compare with a smaller match. |
| The problem starts immediately after a patch or driver change. | A version-specific interaction. | Check the current patch notes and record the exact installed versions. |
Work through graphics and power causes
- Complete the baseline updates and file verification before judging a settings change.
- Use the GPU power setting recommended by your graphics-control software for a performance test, especially on a laptop that may switch between integrated and discrete graphics.
- Run the same map and workload with overlays and recording disabled. If the hitch disappears, restore utilities individually to identify the conflict.
- Compare campaign, skirmish, and multiplayer. A hitch limited to one mode or to a large AI battle is evidence of a workload-specific issue, not proof that the internet is at fault.
- Record whether lowering a graphics option changes the hitch, but do not present that observation as a measured benchmark. The official material does not publish success rates or controlled comparisons for settings.
Keep enough free storage for the installation and Windows, and close unusually memory-heavy programs while testing. Relic recommends 16 GB of RAM; systems below that level can be more susceptible to pressure from the game and other applications, but memory capacity alone does not explain every stutter.
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Use patch history without treating it as a universal fix
Relic’s cumulative Company of Heroes 3 Patch Notes Archive documents targeted historical changes. Version 1.6.9 reduced hitching or stuttering associated with playing with multiple AI teammates or opponents, and another historical note addressed performance or frame-rate problems associated with flamethrowers. Version 1.6.6 included a GPU-related crash fix. These entries establish that patches have corrected particular workloads; they do not establish that an old fix resolves a current hitch on every PC.
Read the notes for the version currently installed before attributing a symptom to a named patch. Include the version, mode, map, AI count, graphics driver, and whether the issue reproduces offline when you report a remaining problem.
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Understand the connection that Relic describes
Relic Staff writes in the Connection Issues article: “The game will attempt to connect to the lobby server on boot and stay connected for the entirety of your game session.” That means a failure at startup and a disconnect during a match can share a connection path, while a purely local frame hitch does not.
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- Confirm internet and Steam connectivity. Verify that the PC can browse normally and that Steam is signed in and online. If Steam itself is offline, fix that state before changing Company of Heroes 3 files.
- Test Relic’s status endpoint from the affected PC. Open https://coh3-api.reliclink.com/game/version/checkStatus in a browser. Relic says the page should return
ok. A visibleokshows that this endpoint is reachable from that PC; it does not prove that every lobby service, route, or match server is healthy. - Check security software and ports. Relic specifies network traffic on ports 27000–27300. Review Windows Firewall, third-party firewall, antivirus network protection, and router rules for blocks affecting Steam or the game. Prefer a narrow application or port exception over disabling protection entirely, and restore protection after testing.
- Check for scheduled maintenance or an outage. A failed endpoint or lobby can reflect a service-side condition. Compare the result with Relic’s current support or status information and retry after announced maintenance rather than repeatedly reinstalling the game.
Interpret the endpoint result safely
- It returns
okbut the lobby still fails: the browser path works, so focus on Steam’s session, firewall or antivirus rules, router filtering, maintenance, and the exact in-game error. Do not label the problem solved merely because the endpoint responds. - It does not return
ok: something between that PC and the endpoint may be blocking or failing. Check the local security software, router, DNS or internet connection, then retest. Server conditions remain possible, so this is not proof that the fault is entirely local. - Only one player cannot join: compare that player’s endpoint result, Steam status, security rules, and network. If every player fails at the same time, prioritize maintenance or service status over reinstalling individual clients.
When to escalate and what to send
Build a reproducible evidence packet
Escalate after the relevant branch has been attempted without changing the symptom. A concise report should contain:
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- the symptom category: crash, launch failure, local stutter, lobby error, or disconnect;
- the first failing boundary: boot, menu, a named mode, a particular map or workload, or mid-session;
- the exact error text, Bugsplat ID, or a screenshot;
- Windows, GPU model and driver, RAM amount, DirectX 12 support, and the installed game version;
- the date and time, whether the issue followed a patch, driver, or mod change, and whether mods and overlays were disabled;
- for stutter, whether the same scene reproduces offline and the approximate AI/player count; and
- for connection trouble, Steam’s online state, the result of the status URL, and whether ports 27000–27300 were allowed through security software.
Describe what changed after each step instead of saying only that the game is broken. That lets support distinguish a corrupted file, incompatible mod, local performance condition, blocked endpoint, and service-side outage.
Check current announcements, not just old fixes
The Relic Company of Heroes 3 announcements listing showed a 2.5.5 hotfix dated September 8 in the reviewed snapshot, with added crash logging and stability fixes. It also showed a 2.5.6 hotfix dated September 16; the visible excerpt described an exploit fix rather than additional crash or stutter guidance. Those dates are a historical snapshot, not a claim about which build is newest on October 16, 2026. Check the live listing and the in-client version before citing either hotfix in a support request.
If a Bugsplat dialog is available, submit its report as Relic requests and include the reproducible details above. For a connection failure, include the endpoint result and the time of the attempt. Stop changing unrelated settings once you have a reliable reproduction; preserving a known state gives support more useful evidence than an ever-changing configuration.
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