Total War: Shogun 2 – Complete Edition is being temporarily removed from digital storefronts after a highly negative response to its launch, including complaints about bugs and suspected AI-generated artwork.
Sega and Creative Assembly say they are working with platform holders to take the remaster off sale and restore the original game while they investigate what went wrong.
“We’re aware that Total War: Shogun 2 – Complete Edition has fallen short of both your expectations and our own standards.”
The companies said they are working with development partner Mataboo to identify the causes of the problems and deliver improvements. Mataboo’s previous porting work includes The Blood of Dawnwalker and Gotham Knights. Sega and Creative Assembly wrote in a statement posted on X.
Why the Shogun 2 remaster proved so divisive
The re-release launched on 13 October and quickly received an “Overwhelmingly Negative” rating on Steam, with only 17% of players approving of it at the time of reporting. Players have described visual and gameplay bugs that were not present in the original version.
Some user reviews allege that characters in newly added cutscenes have missing fingers and limbs, while other players have criticised the remaster’s blurry textures. Steam users have also placed “Artificial Intelligence” and “Psychological Horror” among its most popular tags, reflecting the strength of the backlash rather than an official classification of the game’s content.
The Complete Edition was marketed as a 64-bit upgrade with improved visuals, lighting, shadows and textures. Its Steam description also promised 1440p and 4K interface scaling, modernised controls, Japanese and Chinese voice acting, and newly playable factions.
A wider concern about replaced classic games
The dispute also raises questions about how older games are maintained on digital storefronts. Sega has previously replaced existing releases with newer editions that divided players. In December, Yakuza 0 was replaced on Steam by a director’s cut featuring controversial new scenes, including story changes and the return of characters who had died.
Sega has not clarified whether the apparent AI-generated visuals will be removed or replaced, and it has not said whether the original version will remain available for purchase when Shogun 2 – Complete Edition returns. For Australian PC players, the immediate outcome is a temporary pause while the publisher and its partners investigate.
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