Total War Remaster Faces Delisting on Steam Amid AI Controversy
Fans of the Total War series from Creative Assembly are no strangers to launch-day hiccups, but the latest remaster of a classic has pushed many over the edge. Players are voicing their frustrations with Total War: Shogun 2 – Complete Edition, which is plagued by bugs and what seems to be poorly executed AI-generated content.
In light of the overwhelmingly negative reception, Sega and Creative Assembly have announced plans to pull the new version from digital storefronts until these issues are resolved. In a statement shared on social media, they acknowledged that Total War: Shogun 2 – Complete Edition has not met the expectations of players or their own quality standards. They are collaborating with platform holders to temporarily remove the game from sale and restore the original version while they investigate the problems.
The remaster was developed in partnership with Mataboo, a company known for its work on titles like The Blood of Dawnwalker and Gotham Knights. Sega emphasized that they are working closely with Mataboo to pinpoint the issues, implement improvements, and ensure that Shogun 2 – Complete Edition aligns with the quality players expect from the Total War franchise.
In recent years, Sega has developed a troubling trend of replacing older titles on digital platforms with new versions that many fans feel are inferior. For instance, last December, the beloved Yakuza 0 was swapped out on Steam for a director’s cut that introduced controversial new scenes and altered character arcs.
As of October 13, the re-release of Total War: Shogun 2 has received an Overwhelmingly Negative rating on Steam, with only 17% of players giving it a thumbs up. Gamers report that this new edition is filled with visual and gameplay glitches absent from the original, and it features a plethora of unattractive AI-generated visuals. One review notes that characters in new cutscenes are missing fingers and limbs, a telltale sign of AI involvement, while others criticize the new textures as a blurry mess. The most popular user-defined tags for the remaster currently include “Artificial Intelligence” and “Psychological Horror.”
The Complete Edition was intended to be a 64-bit upgrade boasting “improved visuals, updated lighting, shadows, and textures,” along with support for 1440p and 4K UI scaling. The Steam description also promised modernized controls, Japanese and Chinese voice acting, and new playable factions. While Sega has committed to addressing player concerns regarding this re-release, it remains unclear whether they will remove the apparent AI-generated art (which is not mentioned on the Steam page) or if the original version will be available for purchase once the remaster returns. This situation hopefully serves as a wake-up call for Sega to reconsider its approach to replacing classic games with “improved” versions that many players do not want.
