Creative Assembly and Sega have removed Total War: Shogun 2 – Complete Edition from Steam after a series of complaints about the quality of the remaster.
Released on October 13, this facelift of the much-loved 2011 strategy classic should have been a slam dunk for Creative Assembly. Sega had announced “improved visuals”, which include “improved textures, models, lighting, shadows, fog and environments, as well as modern rendering, antialiasing and scaling options”. The game also features optional 2.5D campaign movies inspired by Japanese Ukiyo-e art.
But fans were quick to notice artistic inconsistencies that some said were evidence of shoddy AI use. In one image, a samurai’s face was replaced with a metallic texture that made it impossible to distinguish the face from the helmet. Fans also pointed out inconsistencies in the new storyboard cutscenes.
The “Complete Edition” version of Shogun 2 Total War was so poorly received that it may be removed from sale on Steam.
Over the years, many Japan-loving international students have played the original game, but the “upgrade” has bugs and what looks like poor AI scaling. https://t.co/4S9XEpUWBY
– Jeffrey J. Hall 🇯🇵🇺🇸 (@mrjeffu) October 15, 2026
The problem was compounded by the fact that Sega had removed the original Shogun 2 from sale, forcing customers to purchase the new complete edition instead if they wanted to play. The original game was often on sale for a few dollars, while this remaster cost $40.
Total War: Shogun 2 – Complete Edition is currently enjoying an “extremely negative” user review on Steam, as customers who paid $10 to “upgrade” the game have voiced their grievances.
“We are aware that Total War: Shogun 2 – Complete Edition did not meet your expectations or our own standards,” Creative Assembly and Sega said in a joint statement. “We have heard your feedback, comments and criticisms. We agree that the current experience is not where it should be.
“As a result, we are working with platform owners to remove the game from sale and restore 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 issues, make improvements, and ensure Shogun 2 – Complete Edition meets the quality standards players have come to expect from Total War.”
The statement’s wording highlights Polish co-development studio Mataboo, which has worked on everything from The Blood of Dawnwalker to Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League. Upcoming Creative Assembly games include the highly anticipated Total War: Warhammer 40,000 and Alien Isolation 2.
Kirk McKeand is a contributor on IGN News. Find him on Twitter @MckKirk
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