Sega and Creative Assembly are temporarily delisting Total War: Shogun 2 – Complete Edition from digital storefronts following widespread player criticism regarding bugs and the alleged use of AI-generated assets. The publisher confirmed the decision in a statement, acknowledging that the remaster "has fallen short of both your expectations and our own standards."
Mataboo, a porting company that has previously worked on titles like The Blood of Dawnwalker and Gotham Knights, assisted Sega with the remaster. In their statement, Sega and Creative Assembly indicated they are working closely with their development partner to "identify the causes of these problems, deliver improvements, and ensure Shogun 2 – Complete Edition meets the quality standards players expect from Total War."
The "Complete Edition," which aimed to provide a 64-bit upgrade with improved visuals, updated lighting, shadows, and textures, along with 1440p and 4K UI scaling, has been met with an overwhelmingly negative reception on Steam. Players have reported numerous visual and gameplay bugs absent from the original release, with many criticizing the quality of the textures and cutscenes. User reviews on Steam have frequently cited "Artificial Intelligence" and "Psychological Horror" as tags for the remaster, with some players alleging that character models exhibit signs of AI generation, such as missing digits and limbs.
This incident marks the latest in a series of controversial decisions by Sega regarding its older titles. Previously, the company replaced the original Steam version of Yakuza 0 with a "director's cut" that included altered story elements and character revivals, a move that also drew significant fan ire. The future of the Total War: Shogun 2 – Complete Edition, including whether AI-generated art will be removed or if the original version will remain available, has not yet been specified by Sega. The company has stated it will reinstate the original game during the investigation period.