Hey Total War fans,
25 years ago, in a small one room office just down the road from where I write this message, Total War was born. The vision was rooted in a love for both history and strategy gaming, with the aim of seamlessly mixing the best parts of grand strategy and real-time tactical battles into a single experience where you truly felt like the commander of a vast empire.
During those early years Total War’s identity formed. The team were focused on authentic recreations of the most pivotal moments in human history from the Age of Antiquity through to the emergence of the great naval empires. As the genre evolved and our teams changed, we expanded into new territory by leaping into the fantastical; meticulously recreating Games Workshop’s iconic Warhammer World as a truly unique strategy experience.
There have been triumphs and tribulations throughout the years, and we’re honoured and humbled to be one of the few video game franchises that get the chance to celebrate such a huge milestone. Without your support this would never have been possible – so a massive thank you from all of us on this special day!
[Early 2000's at the old South Water where games from SHOGUN - MEDIEVAL II were developed]
Some of you may remember from my update last year that we had plans to celebrate this anniversary in a meaningful way. Our teams are hard at work fine tuning a program of content that not only shines a light on past games but builds the foundation for us to begin revealing what we have planned for the future of Total War. And yes, this means the reveal of new games and content.
25 years of Total War will begin with a look back at our legacy. Taking place from August until the end of November, we’ll journey through each series that has been released since 2000. Expect content like retrospective video interviews, developer livestreams, sales across our entire catalogue, as well as fantasy and historical multiplayer tournaments. We also want to make this a celebration you can get involved in, so we'll be hosting giveaway competitions, inviting you to ask questions of our developers, as well as spotlighting your favourite mods and content creators who have helped make the Total War community what it is today.
[2013, the launch of Total War: ROME II]
Beyond celebrating the past, we plan on welcoming the future of Total War in a big way. Behind the scenes, we’re in the early stages of producing the Total War: 25th Anniversary Showcase, the first video presentation of its kind in our history. Taking place in early December, this show will unveil the new games that you can expect to play in the near and distant future, as well as introduce you to the development teams making them. We’ll have more details to share as we approach the end of the year, but whether you’re a fantasy or history fan, there will be plenty to enjoy!
Alongside all of this will be more WARHAMMER III content. Patch 6.2 arrives next week with a focus on Magical Items, Tides of Torment's third and final faction will be revealed in July, and we'll unveil some long-awaited content at the anniversary showcase. It's incredible to think that this series is now in its ninth year, and we look forward to sharing what we have planned for the future.
[2016, the launch of Total War: WARHAMMER]
What’s especially important to me this year is celebrating everyone who has made Total War what it is today. This includes all of you reading this message who have helped create the best community in gaming. Whether you’re playing our games for thousands of hours, watching our trailers, submitting bug feedback, or commenting on our socials, all of this has helped us build a game we all love.
It also takes an army of passionate and talented staff to take our games from concept to completion. Many of them talk about growing up with Total War; how it gave them an interest in history or the deep lore of Warhammer, and how it created a desire for them to work at Creative Assembly. They’re fans making the game they love, and I want to thank each and every one of them, past and present, for their contribution to making this milestone possible.
We hope you’re excited for the future.
Happy anniversary to you all,
— Roger Collum, Vice President of Total War
[2023, pre-launch set created for Total War: PHARAOH]
