Creative Assembly on Shogun 2 Complete Edition: 'We have to fix it'

Creative Assembly has finally explained how Total War: Shogun 2 - Complete Edition ended up in such a poor state that Sega pulled it from sale days after launch. In a statement reported by PCGamesN, Total War vice president Roger Collum admits the studio lost sight of the project.

"Not a Creative Assembly developed game"

According to Collum, the Complete Edition was built by an external studio. The game's Steam page lists Warsaw-based Mataboo, which specialises in ports and co-development, alongside CA.

"This was not a Creative Assembly developed game. It wasn't subject to our same internal reviews and quality assurance," Collum wrote. "We took our eyes off its external development, with all our teams focused on our next big projects."

He doesn't use that as an excuse, though. "Whatever the development arrangements, Total War is our franchise and our name is on it," he added, saying the release "did not meet that bar. We have to own that and we have to fix it."

What happens next

• A small team of senior developers is working with Sega and the external developer on next steps. Collum says he can't share details yet.
• There's no date for the Complete Edition's return. CA promises to speak again "when we have something meaningful to tell you".
• The original Shogun 2 is back on sale in the meantime, as Sega had promised.

Collum also asked angry players to direct criticism at him rather than individual team members, saying transparency "cannot be at the expense of the safety of our people."

The generative AI question

Many players suspected generative AI behind the edition's look, pointing to unit frames and cutscenes, although its Steam page declared no AI use. Collum's answer is direct: "At Creative Assembly we do not use generative AI to create game assets, including AI-generated art. We demand the same of any external developers we work with." He adds that the situation with the Complete Edition "is being investigated", so CA isn't yet saying whether AI was used.

The studio does allow AI tools that help its staff, for example in analysis, debugging and quick prototyping. AI-made content has become a flashpoint across gaming; an Overwatch fan skin contest recently pulled a winning entry over AI use.

What it means for players

If you bought the Complete Edition, you keep access, as Sega confirmed earlier. Episodes like this are also why US lawmakers are pushing the Power to the Players Act, which targets what happens when publishers change or remove digital games people have paid for.