AGOURA HILLS, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--THQ Inc. (NASDAQ: THQI) today announced that a sequel to its critically acclaimed strategy game Company of Heroes® is scheduled to be taking gamers to the frozen frontlines of war in Russia in early 2013.

As a true sequel, this game moves the battle away from the common Western Front focus of World War II and refocuses on some of history’s most brutal and devastating conflicts on the Eastern Front, challenging players to take command of the iconic Red Army and repel the Nazi invaders from the very gates of Moscow.

Company of Heroes 2 utilizes Relic® Entertainment’s state of the art proprietary Essence 3.0 EngineTM to bring new technological advancements to the strategy genre in the form of innovative Dynamic Battle Tactics, increased graphical fidelity and new environmental destruction, ultimately putting the player in control with new Commander Abilities.

Greg Wilson, Producer at Relic Entertainment commented, “Company of Heroes 2 is a true successor, introducing a new front, new protagonists and new technology while retaining the unique mix of strategic gameplay and competitive multiplayer that made the original Company of Heroes such a success.”

Danny Bilson, Executive Vice President of Core Games commented, “We are excited to announce a sequel to one of THQ’s best loved properties. Company of Heroes 2 will deliver an amazing strategy experience along with a strong post-launch digital content plan that enhances and expands the product’s lifecycle.”

The original Company of Heroes was released in 2006 to critical acclaim and is currently the highest rated strategy title on Gamerankings.com (with more than five reviews) with an average of 93.82% based on 56 reviews. The game features similar acclaim on Metacritic.com with a Metascore of 93% based on 55 reviews.