Creative Assembly has admitted it failed to keep close oversight of the externally developed Complete Edition of Total War: SHOGUN 2, which Sega pulled from sale days after launch. Vice President Roger Collum says the edition fell short of the studio’s standards. A small team of senior developers is working with Sega and co-developer Mataboo on next steps.
Steam stopped selling the original SHOGUN 2 as a standalone game on September 28. The Complete Edition launched on October 13 with the Rise of the Samurai and Fall of the Samurai campaigns, updated visuals, and other changes. Two days later, Sega announced plans to remove the new edition and restore the original. The Complete Edition was later removed from storefronts, and the original release returned to sale.
Mataboo, a Warsaw-based studio specializing in ports and co-development, worked on the edition alongside Creative Assembly. In an official forum statement, Collum said the game did not receive the same internal reviews and quality assurance as a Creative Assembly-developed release. With teams focused on other major projects, the studio “took its eyes off” the external development.
Collum accepted responsibility and asked players to direct criticism at him rather than individual staff. He also asked the community to keep its spaces safe and not put the team’s safety at risk. He has not shared details about the plan, and Creative Assembly has not said whether or when the Complete Edition will return. The original SHOGUN 2 is back on sale.
Many fans pushed back on the distinction between Creative Assembly and its external partner, arguing that the studio remained responsible for a release carrying the Total War name. Some also pointed to a pre-launch livestream where Creative Assembly employees praised the edition, while questioning whether they had played it to any meaningful extent.
An Update from Roger on Shogun 2 – Complete Edition
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Creative Assembly says it does not use generative AI to create game assets, including art, and requires external developers to follow the same rule. Questions about the Complete Edition’s unit frames and cutscenes remain under investigation, so the studio has not confirmed that generative AI was used in them.
Collum said developers may use AI tools for analysis, debugging, and rapid prototyping, but not to replace human creators. The studio’s policy draws a line between those uses and asset creation as the investigation continues.
How much responsibility should Creative Assembly carry for a release developed with an outside partner, especially after promoting it before launch? Follow the investigation and the studio’s work with Sega and Mataboo on X, Bluesky, YouTube, Instagram, Steam, and Telegram.
