Sega and Creative Assembly are removing Total War: Shogun 2 – Complete Edition from sale after acknowledging it has failed to meet player and developer expectations. The publishers stated that they are investigating the issues and will reintroduce the original version of the game for purchase in the interim.
"We’re aware that Total War: Shogun 2 – Complete Edition has fallen short of both your expectations and our own standards," the companies announced in a joint statement. "We’ve seen your feedback, comments, and reviews. We agree that the current experience is not where it needs to be."
As a consequence, the game is being removed from digital storefronts. Existing owners will retain access to their copies. The companies have pledged to work closely with their development partner to pinpoint the root causes of the problems, implement necessary improvements, and ensure that any future release of the Complete Edition meets the established quality benchmarks for the Total War series.
The Complete Edition's Steam reviews currently indicate an "overwhelmingly negative" reception. Among the various criticisms, a significant point of contention involves accusations that generative AI was used to upscale the game's unit cards without proper disclosure. If these allegations are confirmed, any future re-release may require updated card art or an acknowledgement of AI usage.
Players who had already purchased the Complete Edition will continue to have access to it through their libraries while it is unavailable for new purchase. The original version of Total War: Shogun 2 was temporarily unavailable immediately following the Complete Edition's launch on October 13th.