Creative Assembly and Sega Europe are busy with Total War related announcements at the moment. A new free game mode is coming to the latest title, Total War: Three Kingdoms. And a new Chinese partnership with NetEase has been announced.
Total War: Three Kingdoms Dynasty Mode:
The new free Dynasty Mode has been designed in collaboration with Intel. And it’s a bit different, as you control an army made up of just three hero units.
Your trio need to take on a horde-style survivial challenge against waves of enemies with increasing levels of difficulty.
In your favour is the fact that characters in Dynasty mode are legendarily powerful and have a host of unique abilities. Plus defeating enemy generals in every third wave will give you bonus points to spend on new skills.
Or you can make things tougher, by choosing to increase the standard unit size from the normal 80 men up to a maximum of 950 soldiers per unit.
Total War Coming to China
Creative Assembly have also sealed a long-term partnership with NetEase to see the Total War series published in China.
The deal includes previous and current games, plus a new collectable card game for PC and mobile in China, named Total War; Elysium.
Tim Heaton, Creative Assembly Studio Director and EVP of SEGA Studios, said: “For nearly two decades, the Total War franchise has been a leader in the strategy games genre, thanks to its trademark gameplay and a focus on authenticity. We are excited to bring the historical titles of the franchise to the Chinese market where we have already seen a huge appetite for Total War. Our partnership with NetEase is an ideal pairing with our shared mission for bringing quality gameplay experiences to our passionate fans across the globe.”
Gary Dale, President and COO of SEGA Europe, added: “We are very excited for Creative Assembly to partner with a leading company like NetEase. SEGA Europe are looking forward to expanding the business in China, as it is the fastest-growing market in the industry.”
“NetEase is very pleased to work with Creative Assembly, a leading game developer in the strategy games genre, to bring the critically acclaimed Total War series to players in China. We see great potential in this long-term strategic partnership,” said Ken Li, Vice President of NetEase Inc. “Since its initial release in 2000, the Total War Series has given players an extraordinary game experience, allowing them to feel the thrill and excitement of various historical wartime battles. This is exactly the type of high-quality content NetEase has been and will continue to offer our users.”
It’s an interesting time for Creative Assembly. Mainly known for the Total War series, the company acquired a Bulgarian studio from Crytek in 2017, and is currently working on nine projects. That includes an unannounced tactical team-based shooter as a new IP.