Creative Assembly vice president Roger Collum has issued an apology regarding the troubled launch of Total War: Shogun 2's Complete Edition, attributing the game's technical issues and problematic AI-generated art to an unnamed external development partner. The remastered version was pulled from Steam last week following widespread player complaints.
Collum stated that the Complete Edition was not developed internally by Creative Assembly and therefore did not undergo the studio's usual quality assurance processes. He admitted that the studio "took our eyes off" its external development, with internal teams focused on other projects. However, he stressed that Creative Assembly accepts responsibility as the Total War franchise and its name are associated with the release.
While the external partner, identified as Mataboo Games on Steam, remains unnamed in Collum's statement, he confirmed that Sega and a small team of senior developers are working with them on resolving the situation, with further details to be provided.
Stance on Generative AI
Collum also took the opportunity to clarify Creative Assembly's official position on generative artificial intelligence. He emphasized that the studio is a "craft studio" that values human creativity and does not use AI for generating game assets or art, nor does it permit external partners to do so. The studio is currently investigating the use of AI art in the Shogun 2 Complete Edition release.
Creative Assembly does, however, utilize AI tools for support functions such as analysis, debugging, and rapid prototyping, which they believe allow their expert teams to focus more effectively on game development. Collum stressed that these tools should assist, not replace, human creators, as he believes AI cannot replicate the human experience, judgment, and creativity essential for compelling games.
Community Relations
Collum concluded his message by urging players to refrain from harassing or personally criticizing individual members of the Total War development and community teams. He stated that the safety of these employees is a priority and that the company will not tolerate harassment. Collum warned that overly negative community interactions could lead to reduced transparency from the studio in the future.
Despite being unavailable for purchase, the Steam page for Total War: Shogun 2 Complete Edition remains live and displays "overwhelmingly negative" reviews. Creative Assembly and Sega have reinstated the original Total War: Shogun 2 Steam page while they work on a fix for the Complete Edition.