Key information
Creative Assembly has addressed the recent removal of the Total War Shogun 2 Complete Edition from sale shortly after its release. Vice President Roger Collum acknowledged that the studio failed to maintain proper oversight of the project, which was handled by the external developer Mataboo.
Collum admitted that the Complete Edition did not meet the company's quality standards because it bypassed standard internal review processes. A dedicated team of senior developers is now collaborating with Sega and the external partner to determine future steps, though specific plans remain unannounced.
Regarding generative AI, Collum clarified that Creative Assembly does not utilize such tools for creating game assets and mandates the same policy for external partners. The studio is currently investigating the Complete Edition following community concerns about the appearance of certain assets.
While the studio prohibits generative AI for asset creation, Collum noted that developers may use AI tools for tasks like debugging or prototyping. He emphasized that these technologies should support rather than replace human creativity, judgment, and the overall development experience.
The original version of Total War Shogun 2 has been restored to sale. Collum expressed a commitment to transparency and accountability, asking that player frustrations be directed toward him personally rather than individual staff members.
