Sega pulls Total War: Shogun 2 remaster from sale after troubled launch
Publisher Sega and developer Creative Assembly have removed the strategy game Total War: Shogun 2 – Complete Edition from stores. Players complained about bugs and artwork they believe was botched by AI upscaling.
Video game publisher Sega and its studio Creative Assembly, which makes the Total War strategy series, have stopped selling Total War: Shogun 2 – Complete Edition. The remaster of the 2011 strategy game came out on Tuesday, but player anger over technical problems and quality led to its removal from digital storefronts. It has already been pulled from Steam.
The package included the base game and all of its downloadable content. Promised upgrades included "improved visuals," UI scaling at 1440p and 4K resolutions, and modernized controls. On Steam, the release holds an "Overwhelmingly Negative" user rating. On Reddit, users have shared examples of artwork that they believe was damaged by the use of AI. Players also reported bugs.
Companies respond
In a public statement, Sega and Creative Assembly acknowledged that the remaster fell short of both players' expectations and the companies' own standards. They said they had read the feedback, comments and reviews, and agreed that the current version is not where it needs to be.
The companies plan to reinstate the original game for sale. People who already bought the remaster will still be able to access it.
Sega and Creative Assembly say they are working closely with their development partner to identify the causes of the problems, deliver improvements, and make sure the game meets the quality standards players expect from Total War. A studio called Mataboo is also listed as a developer on Steam, and it highlights its work on the game on its website.
