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The Shogun 2 remaster is so bad, Sega is removing it from sale and bringing back the original

Sega admits Shogun 2 - Complete Edition "has fallen short of both your expectations and our own standards," so it's going back to the drawing board.

The Shogun 2 remaster is so bad, Sega is removing it from sale and bringing back the original

Total War: Shogun 2 - Complete Edition trailer still - dude catching a knife in the back

Just two days after the disastrous release of Total War: Shogun 2 - Complete Edition, Sega says it is removing the game from sale and putting the original back until it gets things sorted out.

WHAT HAPPENED:

  • In September, Sega announced aremaster of Total War: Shogun 2*, set to launch just a month later. Sean Martin, PC Gamer's number one shogunner, was very excited.***
  • In October, Shogun Sean took the remastered version for a test run andwas not entirely impressed*: "Any reason to return to Shogun 2 in 2026 is something to be celebrated, but I just wish Complete Edition felt more extensive and essential versus leaving so much undone."***
  • The next day, Shogun 2 Complete Edition launched onSteam*, and it was ugly: Thousands of negative user reviews spurred by old bugs, ignored quality of life complaints, and maybe worst of all, accusations—thus far unconfirmed—of undisclosed generative AI use.***
  • Adding insult to injury, before the Compete Edition launched, Sega pulled the original from sale.

Which brings us to now: After two days of silence, Sega has finally made a move: It says "the current experience is not where it needs to be," and is thus "working with platform holders to remove the game from sale and to reinstate the original game while we investigate the issues."

Wersquo;re aware that Total War: Shogun 2 ndash; Complete Edition has fallen short of both your expectations and our own standards. Wersquo;ve seen your feedback, comments, and reviews. We agree that the current experience is not where it needs to be.As a result we are working with platform holders to remove the game from sale and to reinstate the original game while we investigate the issues. Existing owners will still be able to access and play the game.We are working closely with our development partner to identify the causes of these problems, deliver improvements, and ensure Shogun 2 ndash; Complete Edition meets the quality standards players expect from Total War.SEGA amp; Creative Assembly

Anyone who purchased Shogun 2 - Complete Edition will still have access to it, but how (or if) Sega will enable them to go back to playing the original version wasn't clarified.

Pulling Shogun 2 - Complete Edition from sale and restoring the original is obviously the right move, and today's message promises improvements to the game to bring it more in-line with expectations, so hopefully we'll see some of the more glaring bugs and QoL issues resolved.

But all of this is still a very bad look for Creative Assembly, which has had something of an up-and-down history with its games and players over the years. It's a particular shame coming so soon after the company's successful launch of the Lords of the End Times expansion for Total War: Warhammer, which has been widely praised.

The announcement of Total War: Warhammer 40k also has a lot of RTS fans, and WH40K sickos, very excited, and nonsense like this really takes the wind out of those sails: If Shogun 2 - Complete Edition allowed out the door in this condition, how are fans supposed to expect better in the future?

A few fans have also pointed out that in 2024, Sega's Aegis-CWA union accused the company of outsourcing Q&A and some localization services, resulting in the layoffs of 61 people.

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A few months ago, Sega management announced their plan to outsource QA and part of Localization in a move that would significantly impact our workforce. Wersquo;ve been fighting back on these terms since then, but today the layoff that will result in the loss of 61 jobs across these two departments was made public. Through our union efforts, wersquo;ve been able to more than double the number of saved jobs, and to offer severance to our temp workers. This, however, does not take away from the fact that many of our coworkers are being laid off in a decision we believe will have a negative impact on the working conditions of those who remain with the company, and in the quality of our future games. In spite of this, we remain committed to fighting for our coworkers, and for the betterment of our industry. In the face of mass layoffs that continue to happen across gaming companies, we stand united and in solidarity with those affected.

As I write this, Shogun 2 - Complete Edition remains available for purchase on Steam, GOG, and the Epic Games Store—Sega has not specified when it will be removed. It has also not yet responded to the accusations of gen AI usage in Shogun 2 - Complete Edition—I've reached out to ask about that and will update if I receive a reply.

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