Sega pulls Shogun 2 Complete Edition after AI-upscaling complaints

Sega and Creative Assembly withdrew Total War: Shogun 2 – Complete Edition from digital sale roughly two days after its Oct. 13 launch, following complaints about apparent AI-upscaled artwork, performance problems and bugs. The $40 release drew an “Overwhelmingly Negative” Steam rating, with 19% of players recommending it based on more than 2,000 reviews. The companies acknowledged that the release had “fallen short of both your expectations and our own standards.” They said they were working with platform holders to remove it temporarily and to reinstate the original 2011 version while they investigate the problems. People who had already bought the Complete Edition will retain access and can continue playing. Players focused particularly on apparent AI-generated or AI-upscaled images in unit cards and newly added cutscenes. Reports described visual anomalies including extra fingers and armour merging into characters’ bodies. Optional 2.5D campaign films inspired by Japanese ukiyo-e art also became a focus of complaints about inconsistent imagery. The release had been marketed as a technical update, with upgraded textures, models, lighting, shadows and environments, as well as modern rendering, anti-aliasing and upscaling options. It also added UI scaling for 1440p and 4K displays, borderless fullscreen support and a 64-bit upgrade. Its renderer was based on technology used in Total War: Three Kingdoms and Total War: Warhammer 3. Instead, players reported that bugs from the original release remained and that new technical faults had been introduced. A further grievance was the move in mod support from Steam Workshop to Mod.io, which reports said made the new version incompatible with 15 years of unofficial patches and community-created content. Sega had removed the original game from sale before launching the Complete Edition, leaving new customers able to buy only the new version, although existing owners could still download the 2011 release. The original Shogun 2 is one of the franchise’s most highly regarded entries, having been released in 2011. Sega and Creative Assembly said they would work with their development partner to identify the causes, make improvements and bring the Complete Edition up to the quality standards expected of Total War. They gave no timetable for its return to sale.