Five fun Total War tidbits revealed this week

Hi there! I almost didn't have anything written this week, but Creative Assembly was kind enough to do a presentation across the Total War game slate, sharing some meaningful updates that are coming to existing titles, as well as new looks at the games that are still a ways away.

Outside of this "Show and Tell," the Sega-owned game developer had another interesting thing to share this week, and there's some other news worth touching on as well.

Hi! Before continuing reading, please subscribe so that you never miss a new post from me. It's entirely free, but if you want to donate, I accept tips over on Ko-Fi, and you can always follow me on Bluesky. Not familiar with Campaign Mode? Check out my original announcement!

Total War: Rome 2 is still getting updated

First up, Creative Assembly is taking another look at one of its older-ish titles, with three updates planned for Total War: Rome 2.

When Rome 2 first launched back in 2013, it was extraordinarily buggy, with glitches and technical problems galore. After some updates, many of these issues were ironed out, but there was always a sense of missed opportunity. Still, the game has fostered a community, and Creative Assembly is explicitly revisiting this game because it is one of the highest-played legacy titles in the franchise.

Now, the game is set to benefit from fittingly-titled Pantheon updates. "Mars" is focused on the battle system, tweaking details like exactly how specific units deal specific damage. "Venus" will improve the game's visuals and user interface, while "Jupiter" is all about bettering the campaign and management layers.

It's cool to see, and it brings me hope that Creative Assembly could revisit other titles in its library that are not getting a sequel anytime soon. (Shogun 2, my beloved.)

Total War: Warhammer Ladders are finally being improved

Despite having poured over a thousand hours into the Total War: Warhammer trilogy, a long-standing gripe of mine has been the ladder system, where units sieging a fortress suddenly pull basic ladders out of thin air.

It's bugged others too, but it's finally being addressed as part of a Siege-specific update coming to Total War: Warhammer 3. Among other improvements, this update adds faction-specific ladders as an option, providing a thematically-sound way of sending cannon fodder valiant soldiers over the walls.

A certain Total War: Warhammer lord is getting a serious upgrade

Boris Todbringer, the iconic one-eyed Elector Count of Middenheim, has been in Total War: Warhammer since the first entry as a non-playable (without confederation) otherwise-standard general on the map.

Nearly a decade later, he's finally getting upgraded, and will be one of the Legendary Lords included in the Lords of the End Times expansion this summer.

Naturally, Boris is accompanied by fitting new Imperial units, including the Knights Panther.

Total War: Warhammer 40K looks big...really big

We also got a glimpse of Total War: Warhammer 40,000. The scale here is incredible, with full planets to capture. Each planet is composed of multiple regions, with empty space and Hive Cities alike.

There are "a number" of planets in each system, meaning that securing a region of space to take is far, far more complicated that taking a portion of the map in other Total War games.

On the ground, the increased firepower of the grimdark future means destruction unfolding on the battle map. The developers gave a particularly exciting example using forests. If a player finds they're getting in the way, then simply mow down the trees.

Total War: Medieval 3 is focusing on regional identity

For Total War: Medieval 3, the developers took a particularly deep dive into the various systems the team is experimenting with, including ensuring units have a regional identity that changes over time.

Using warriors from the Holy Roman Empire as an example, Creative Assembly showed how armor and regalia could change over time, improving over the decades as a region grows more wealthy.

An accompanying blog post shared more insight into this strong cultural focus, with the idea that units can spread and be recruited in other regions as trade lanes emerge and cities change hands, while still ensuring they feel lappropriately local to their country or region of origin.

It's early days, but this is exactly the kind of thing I was asking for when I speculated on the future of Total War a few weeks back. These kinds of systems would be far more advanced than anything seen in any of the games so far, and I'm looking forward to seeing what else the team has in store.

Assorted News

The gaming headlines this week run the gamut, with fun teases, important worker action, and sad closures all together.

• A group of game developers behind Magic: the Gathering Arena at Wizards of the Coast have unionized with the Communication Workers of America, joining thousands of others at teams like Bethesda Game Studios and Heart Machine. The team is giving management until the end of the week (that's today, as I'm writing this) to voluntarily recognize the union. Fittingly, it's also International Workers' Day.
• Creative Assembly also shared the first teaser for its upcoming sequel to Alien: Isolation. Showing a save point amidst a downpour of beating rain, the teaser seems to imply we're headed down to a planet's surface.
• The Blood of Dawnwalker, a vampire-themed role-playing game from Rebel Wolves (a studio founded by ex-CD Projekt RED staff) is now launching on Sept. 3, 2026.
• Spiders, the French developer behind games like Greedfall, is closing its doors as a result of parent company Nacon filing for insolvency.

Housekeeping

Right now, I'm continuing to play Age of Mythology, Marathon, and Starfield, and I'm continuing to have a blast with all three. I also have been playing Kiln from Double Fine. It's a cute and fun experience, and I'm enjoying making pottery just as much as actually going into the multiplayer lobbies.

I want to check out Housemarque's recently-launched Saros, and I've also got Directive 8020 and 007 First Light on my radar for May. That said, one or more of these will likely end up waiting until I'm back from Summer Game Fest 2026.

Speaking of which, I'm also continuing to prep for the various summer gaming events. I still have a decent bit of open space, but appointments are accumulating. If you'd like me to see your game or have an interesting story you want told, please reach out!

Finally, if you didn't catch it last week, be sure to read my first-ever Campaign Mode interview, where I talked with World's Edge about working on the latest Age of Mythology expansion and making strategy games as part of Xbox.