Sega pulls Shogun 2 remaster after bugs and AI art complaints
Sega and Creative Assembly are pulling Total War: Shogun 2 – Complete Edition from sale days after its Tuesday launch, The Verge and Polygon reported. Players had flagged bugs and art they believe was made with AI. The companies say they will bring back the original game, and people who bought the remaster can still play it.
Sega and developer Creative Assembly are removing Total War: Shogun 2 – Complete Edition from sale following a rough launch, The Verge and Polygon reported.
The Complete Edition, a remaster of the 2011 strategy game, launched Tuesday, The Verge reported. It bundled the main game and its add-ons with promised upgrades, including "improved visuals," 1440p and 4K interface scaling and modernized controls, the outlets reported.
The remaster has an "Overwhelmingly Negative" rating on Steam, the outlets reported. Polygon said only 17% of players approved of it. Players say the new version has visual and gameplay bugs that were not in the original, Polygon reported. Reddit posts showcase artwork that users believe AI messed up, The Verge reported. One Steam review claims characters in new cutscenes are missing digits and limbs, Polygon reported.
"We're aware that Total War: Shogun 2 – Complete Edition has fallen short of both your expectations and our own standards," Sega and Creative Assembly wrote, according to both outlets. The companies said they are working with platform holders to remove the game from sale and to "reinstate the original game" while they investigate, Polygon reported. Existing owners will "still be able to access" the Complete Edition, The Verge reported.
The companies said they are working with their development partner to find the causes and deliver improvements, the outlets reported. A studio called Mataboo is listed as a developer on Steam, The Verge reported. Polygon described Mataboo as a porting-focused company whose credits include Gotham Knights.
Sega did not say whether it will remove the apparent AI-generated art, which is not disclosed on the Steam page, Polygon reported. Polygon noted that Sega last year replaced Yakuza 0 on Steam with a director's cut that includes divisive new scenes.
What we know: Sega is pulling the Complete Edition from sale and restoring the original Shogun 2, and current owners keep access.
What we don't: When the remaster will return and whether the AI-looking art will be removed.
Where outlets agree The Verge and Polygon both report that Sega and Creative Assembly are removing the Complete Edition from sale and restoring the original game after complaints about bugs and apparent AI art.
Where they differ The outlets cited here report the same key facts so far.