Total War Shogun 2 Complete Edition is coming off store shelves just two days after launch, and SEGA and Creative Assembly say the 2011 original will be put back up for sale in its place. The companies posted the update on Steam on October 15, and anyone who already bought the Complete Edition keeps it.
What SEGA and Creative Assembly said
The statement does not dance around the problem. “We’re aware that Total War: Shogun 2 – Complete Edition has fallen short of both your expectations and our own standards,” the post reads, adding that “the current experience is not where it needs to be.”
The plan has two parts. SEGA says it is “working with platform holders to remove the game from sale and to reinstate the original game while we investigate the issues.” Current owners are covered too: “Existing owners will still be able to access and play the game.”
Fixes are coming, with no date yet
SEGA and Creative Assembly say they are working with their development partner to track down the causes, deliver improvements, and get the Complete Edition up to the quality players expect from Total War. Steam lists MATABOO alongside Creative Assembly as a developer on the new release. The post does not list specific problems or give a timeline for patches or a relaunch.
The reaction from buyers had been loud. At the time of writing, Steam user reviews for the Complete Edition sat at Overwhelmingly Negative, with roughly 2,760 of about 3,290 reviews marked not recommended.
What it means for you
If you own the Complete Edition, nothing disappears from your library, and you can keep playing while the fixes land. If you were waiting to buy, the Steam page already shows the game as no longer available. GOG still listed the Complete Edition at $39.99 at the time of writing, though SEGA’s plan to pull it from sale may reach that store too. Once the original 2011 version is back on sale, that is still the way to play one of the best-loved entries in the series.
Pulling a release this fast is unusual, and it is a fair move for players who have been asking for the classic version back. We will keep an eye out for the patch notes and for the original’s return to the stores.