Fans of This Classic Franchise Just Got the Best News In 19 Years

Game sequels can take a long time to get off the ground, especially when their developers end up being recruited for different projects. Take Creative Assembly, who cut their teeth in the gaming industry with a number of successful sports games before finding their true groove developing strategy titles like the Total War franchise. Among their most enduring releases was Medieval: Total War, which helped lay the groundwork for dozens of other historical strategy games over the years.

While the franchise has continued with different time periods and historical settings, it’s never gone back to the Medieval setting since 2006. Now, that’s changing, as the franchise is set to finally make Total War: Medieval III. Given the years that have passed and the advancements the franchise has made over the years, that’s an especially exciting development. However, that doesn’t mean the game is coming out anytime soon.

Total War: Medieval Is Finally Getting A Third Entry

Although the franchise has had spin-offs like Total War: Warhammer and Total War: Three Kingdoms, it’s been 19 years since the mainline Total War: Medieval series got a new entry. However, Creative Assembly has celebrated the 25th anniversary of the franchise by formally announcing the long-awaited Total War: Medieval III. The game is currently in the early stages of pre-production, so there’s little in the way of formal details or an intended release date. However, Creative Assembly’s announcement teased that the game is being designed as “the ultimate medieval strategy sandbox,” with the ability to reshape the world and history as they see fit.

The game will feature the newest version of the Warcore game engine, the proprietary strategy game engine designed by Creative Assembly, and is being described by the team as both a love letter to the franchise and a “bold” new step forward. Concept art for the game suggests an authentic recreation of the Middle Ages, which should be a reassuring development for fans worried the game might lean a little too far into the fantastical. It’s a big win for strategy game fans — even if it seems like it’s going to be a while before players can get their hands on the title.

Total War: Medieval Might Be Years Away From Release

Medieval II: Total War launched all the way back in 2006, which feels like an entirely separate era from the modern-day gaming space. Fans have been eagerly awaiting a follow-up. Even though Total War has expanded to include some other big franchises and focuses, a return to the Medieval era has been a dream for plenty of strategy gaming enthusiasts. While this announcement is sure to get plenty of gamers excited, it’s worth noting that the game is very far off.

The trailer released with the announcement was live-action, with just a few pictures of concept art to showcase. This suggests the game is still very much in the early stages of development. Another important detail to note is that the game has been announced to be coming to PlayStation and Xbox. However, there is no specification that it’ll be for the PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X/S, hinting that the game won’t hit audiences until closer to the still-in-development PS6 or future Xbox, which at the time of this writing is rumored to be in the range of 2027 or 2028.

Another factor is the news that Creative Assembly will have some kind of announcement at the Game Awards, but that it’s related to a different game in the overarching Total Warfare franchise. Instead, the announcement will play a role in laying the groundwork for the future of the series. There’s also still the matter of Alien: Isolation 2, which has been confirmed to be in active development, which could also draw away from the full attention on Total War: Medieval III. Still, this announcement is something that long-time fans of the series didn’t even a few weeks ago, and it should give them plenty of excuses to revisit the older titles as they bide their time.