Creative Assembly and fans collide over DLC on Steam

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.