Times are tough for studios, and Sega is no exception. After canceling Hyenas at Creative Assembly, they must now refocus on RTS, with a license in mind: Total War. And on this subject, Roger Collum, vice president of the studio, spoke about the latest entries in the series. Total War: PHARAOH and the DLC Shadows of Change received very mixed feedback. So in addition to apologies, Creative Assembly is playing the transparency card by revealing its plans for 2024 and partially reimbursing players.
“These past few months have been difficult and we recognize that we have made mistakes in our relationship with all of you. This is the subject of an ongoing conversation internally about how we can get back on solid ground. What is clear is that it will not be easy and will take time and effort. […] So let’s talk about these challenges and what you can expect from Total War: WARHAMMER III and Total War: PHARAOH in the future. »
Roger Collum, Vice President of Creative Assembly
A DLC well below expectations
Released in February 2022, Total War: WARHAMMER III has received numerous DLCs since its release. The latest, Shadows of Change, arrived on August 31, however, did not convince the players. A pack considered too expensive for what it provides, and which shows no creativity in its proposals. The studio understands this well, and many changes are coming. Currently scheduled for February 2024, a massive patch should add content for owners of the DLC, at no additional cost.
In addition, and even if the release window for this update is not final, the next addition is therefore postponed. The extension Thrones of Decay will therefore arrive, if all goes well, for April 2024. In addition, the studio wants to take the time to properly rework this DLC to avoid mistakes made in the past. This will be followed by the announcement of next projects for the title, which should focus on adding content.
At the same time, the pace of updates will accelerate. Creative Assembly having realized with update 4.1 of
Total War: WARHAMMER III that correcting certain issues quickly was better for the players. As a result, updates will be more regular during 2024. This will give developers the opportunity to be more transparent about the changes and what they bring to the game.
Difficult beginnings
Released October 11, Total War: PHARAOH would have been a big disappointment. Difficulty that is too poorly balanced, leaders with no real difference or even objectives that lack clarity. Both in its gameplay and in its finish, the RTS was not able to convince. A criticism that did not fall on deaf ears, since the studio decided to accept that the title was not up to standard. So, before long, Total War: PHARAOH will see its price drop to €40, only the basic edition will be available, and all players who purchased it more expensively will be refunded the difference.
However, this adjustment does not mean that the game is abandoned. From the start of 2024, the first paid DLC will ultimately be a free update. However, the continuation of events remains uncertain, even if Creative Assembly seems determined to continue this Total War. We will therefore have to be patient to find out what will happen to this game.
“One of the plans we always had since the early stages of PHARAOH development was to expand the size of our map via a free update and introduce even more factions and cultures into the game. We will have more to tell and show in the new year after our next update for PHARAOH. »
Roger Collum