Total War has dominated the strategy genre for 25 years, but its palace in the real-world is deceptively modest. Creative Assembly's UK studio has spent the last quarter-century perfecting its blend of real-time and turn-based strategy from an unassuming office block in Horsham, Sussex, its run of historical titles beginning with Shogun: Total War in 2000 before branching into fantasy with the Total War: Warhammer trilogy.
In that time, no developer has made a serious run at Total War's crown. Yet, peering toward the series' future – a deeply ambitious vision which includes the long-awaited Total War: Medieval 3, a bespoke new engine which will bring the series to consoles, and an apocalyptic End Times-themed DLC for Total War: Warhammer 3 – Creative Assembly paints the picture of an underdog fighting from the backfoot.
