Sega and developer Creative Assembly have withdrawn Total War: Shogun 2 Complete Edition from digital storefronts following a disastrous launch. The decision came two days after the remaster's release on October 13, after the game garnered "Overwhelmingly Negative" reviews on Steam. Players reported numerous bugs, performance issues, and concerns about the quality of visual upgrades, including suspected use of AI for artwork upscaling.
In a joint statement, Sega and Creative Assembly acknowledged that the "Complete Edition has fallen short of both your expectations and our own standards." The companies stated they have seen player feedback and agree that the current experience is unsatisfactory. As a result, they are working with platform holders to temporarily remove the game from sale. The original version of Total War: Shogun 2, which had been removed from sale prior to the remaster's launch, is being reinstated. Existing owners of the Complete Edition will retain access to their purchased game.
Players have detailed issues ranging from performance problems and persistent bugs from the original 2011 release to new graphical errors. A significant point of contention for players has been the visual presentation, with many alleging that the game's updated artwork and cutscenes show signs of low-quality AI upscaling. Specific examples cited include malformed hands on character models and textures appearing to merge with armor. The game's Steam page did not include a disclaimer regarding AI use.
The Complete Edition was marketed with promises of "improved visuals," including updated textures, models, lighting, and shadows, alongside modern rendering, anti-aliasing, and upscaling options. It also bundled all downloadable content and offered UI scaling for 1440p and 4K displays, as well as modernized controls. However, players reported that modifications made for the original game do not work with the Complete Edition due to integrated Mod.io support, and that the game's performance in battles and on the campaign map was notably worse than in other recent Total War titles.
Sega stated that they are working with their development partner to identify the causes of these problems and aim to deliver improvements to meet player expectations. The company has not provided a timeline for the remaster's return to sale.