Sega has announced it is removing the recently released Total War: Shogun 2 - Complete Edition from sale, less than 48 hours after its launch. The company cited player feedback and internal assessment, admitting that the "current experience is not where it needs to be." The original version of Total War: Shogun 2 will be reinstated while Sega investigates the issues plaguing the remastered edition.
The launch of Total War: Shogun 2 - Complete Edition was met with a wave of negative user reviews on Steam. Players reported the recurrence of old bugs, unaddressed quality-of-life complaints, and unconfirmed accusations of the use of generative AI in its development. This backlash followed a lukewarm reception from previewers, who noted that the remaster felt less extensive and essential than hoped.
Adding to player frustration, Sega had removed the original Total War: Shogun 2 from sale in anticipation of the Complete Edition's release. Now, with the remaster faltering, Sega has stated it is "working with platform holders to remove the game from sale and to reinstate the original game." Existing owners of the Complete Edition will retain access to their purchase, though details on how they might revert to the original version remain unclear.
This misstep comes at a challenging time for developer Creative Assembly, which has experienced a mixed history with its player base. The negative reception for the Shogun 2 remaster casts a shadow over anticipation for future projects, including the upcoming Total War: Warhammer 40,000. Some fans have also pointed to a previous decision by Sega's Aegis-CWA union regarding the outsourcing of quality assurance and localization, which led to layoffs and concerns about future game quality. Sega has not yet commented on the accusations of generative AI usage in the Shogun 2 Complete Edition.