[REVISION HISTORY]

Total War: SHOGUN 2 Complete Edition faces player backlash

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2026-10-24 23:41 UTC → 2026-10-30 07:13 UTC · added ~~removed~~

SEGA and Creative Assembly released Total War: SHOGUN 2 – Complete Edition for PC, a modernized version of the 2011 strategy title. The edition included the ‘Rise of the Samurai’ and ‘Fall of the Samurai’ expansions, 64-bit architecture, support for 4K, 1440p, and ultrawide displays, and updated visual effects. It also featured full Japanese and Chinese localization and over 50 new playable minor factions. However, the launch has faced intense backlash on Steam, characterized by an ‘Extremely Negative’ rating. Players reported significant technical issues, including poor performance, frame rate drops, and interface problems. A major point of contention involves the alleged use of undisclosed generative AI for upscaling unit artwork and textures, which players noted contained ‘distorted figures and nonsensical details’ and anatomical errors. Other criticisms include the removal of Steam Workshop support, the removal of previous game versions from sale, and a massive increase in installation size from 3.85 GB to 45 GB. In response, SEGA and Creative Assembly temporarily suspended sales of the Complete Edition on October 15 to investigate the issues. Roger Collum, Vice President of the Total War division at Creative Assembly, issued a formal apology, clarifying that the remaster was developed by the external Polish studio Mataboo and did not undergo Creative Assembly’s standard internal quality assurance processes. Collum noted that internal teams were focused on major upcoming projects, such as Total War: Warhammer 40,000, which limited oversight. While emphasizing that “Total War is our franchise and our name is on the cover,” Collum stated that Creative Assembly does not use generative AI for game assets and requires the same from partners, though investigations into the project's use of AI are ongoing. Following the outcry, the companies worked to reinstate the original 2011 version of the game on digital storefronts.

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