Creative Assembly has been on a rollercoaster ride (and not the fun one) with its community for the past decade. From questionable DLC decisions to the recent uproar over Total War: Warhammer 3’s DLC pricing, the developer seems to be in complete odds with its fanbase.
The latest in this saga began when the price for the Shadows of Change DLC for Total War: Warhammer 3 saw a huge hike. Fans, feeling the financial pinch, didn’t hold back as they took to Steam, review-bombing the game and calling for boycotts. As a result, the game’s rating has now taken a hit, currently standing at ‘mixed’ on the platform.
What is surprising, however, is Creative Assembly’s response. Rather than addressing the core issues highlighted by its fans, it has chosen to clamp down on “disruptive” behavior on Steam forums.
This includes removing posts that call for boycotts, spread “misinformation”, or are overly critical without offering any constructive feedback. While the developer claims that criticism is welcome, its actions clearly suggest otherwise.
To fully understand the reason behind all this drama, here’s a brief overview of what’s been happening. Over the past few years, Creative Assembly has made decisions that have left many in the community scratching their heads.
The quality of games seemed to be on the decline, and DLCs, rather than enhancing the gaming experience, felt more like cash grabs. To make things worse, the developer cheekily suggested that if fans didn’t buy the DLC, the future of the game series might be in jeopardy.
Unfortunately, the Total War: Warhammer 3 debacle isn’t the only misstep. Remember Hyenas? The FPS title, funded by Sega and developed by a significant portion of Creative Assembly’s team, was meant to be the next big thing. Instead, it fizzled out before it even began, as the game’s official reveal and beta failed to generate any excitement.
Worse still, many technical developers left during its development due to a change in the game engine. The eventual cancellation led to a massive layoff, with around 40% of the employees being shown the door.
For long-time fans, the decline of Creative Assembly is a painful watch. The developer, once celebrated for its innovative approach to strategy games, now seems to be undoing all the goodwill it built over the years. Total War: Warhammer 3, for instance, reversed many design decisions, botched the siege rework, and slowed down the update cycle.
While Creative Assembly’s recent actions, especially regarding forum moderation, might be seen as a way to maintain a positive community environment, it’s hard to ignore the broader context. The developer’s relationship with its fans is strained, and unless there’s a significant course correction, things will only get rockier from here.
