A post to the Company of Heroes 2 Forum has an update on the state of Relic's upcoming RTS sequel (thanks IncGamers), which a companies a new video developer diary titled "Preparing for War." The forum update covers an Alpha Stress Test next week for a limited number of players, plans to enter closed beta testing "shortly after the New Year," and the following commitment to post-release support:

Building on experiences from our previous titles, we’re committed to improving our post launch support efforts, by regularly updating the game. This means lots of bug fixing, balance updates and FREE content, for everyone to enjoy. For those interested in more, we’re now excited to introduce the Command Pass - an opt-in upgrade that offers perks like advanced map access, special event access and other bonuses. It’s free for pre-order customers who purchase the Digital Collector’s Edition and a 1 time cost/lifetime upgrade for anyone that didn’t get in on the pre-order goodness. More detailed information will absolutely be available later.