Skip to main content

‘A Total War Saga’ substitutes sweeping eras for pivotal points in history

Creative Assembly revealed it’s creating a new spinoff series for its Total War franchise, dubbed A Total War Saga. The series was announced in a Q&A-style blog post with Jack Lusted, the game director of the first entry in A Total War Saga.

While the Saga entries in the franchise will feature the same turn-based overworld structure and real-time battle system, the games themselves will take place in much shorter intervals of time. Each entry will be a standalone spinoff title primarily set in a time of historical importance, and spanning as little as a few months and as much as a few decades. The mainline series takes place across entire historical eras in a grand, sweeping fashion.

Recommended Videos

Think of A Total War Saga as a more focused experience, that will still utilize multiple perspectives, but with a honed-in scope. “They’re a powder keg, where anything can happen and history could have gone in any direction. Sagas are epic stories, and we felt that name described those moments well, and allows us to go into the kind of individual detail we love,” Lusted said.

Please enable Javascript to view this content

But don’t think that the nature of the games means that A Total War Saga will be light on content, as Lusted offered that each entry will still feature hundreds of hours of gameplay. Saga entries will however be set inside or near the worlds of previous Total War entries, meaning they could relate to medieval Europe, the Roman Republic, the Napoleonic Wars, or The Industrial Revolution, for example.

If this sounds just a bit familiar, that’s because Creative Assembly has done it before with Fall of the Samurai, the standalone expansion to Total War: Shogun 2. Fall of the Samurai took place during a brief, momentous period in the Boshin War.

While it’s unclear when the first entry in the Saga will be released, Lusted claimed that it won’t be Creative Assembly’s “next major historical release.” Instead, it’s a remix of sorts, spawned from a previous release within the franchise. The only tangible insight provided on the first entry in the Saga was that its map and gameplay scope is comparable to that of Total War: Attila. Lusted also said that like Attila, it will be a spiritual successor to Total War: Rome II.

A Total War Saga‘s maiden voyage will launch prior to the next major game in the mainline series, which was teased in June.

In the meantime, the next entry in Creative Assembly’s fantastical take on Total War, Total War: Warhammer II, lands September 28 on PC.

Steven Petite
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Steven is a writer from Northeast Ohio currently based in Louisiana. He writes about video games and books, and consumes…
The best Steam Next Fest demos: try these 10 games for free today
Multiple cyclists pedal inside of an arena.

The first of many Steam Next Fests to be held in 2025 is here, which means there are more game demos to try out than anybody has time for. The latest iteration of the PC storefront’s event spotlighting upcoming titles with playable demos runs from February 24 through March 3, but where to start? Early standouts include the absurd Skin Deep and turn-based strategy game Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tactical Takedown. These barely scrape the surface of what Next Fest offers. To make things a little easier, here are ten incredible demos to start with if you are feeling lost.
Demon Tides
Demon Tides - Demo Teaser

If you are itching for more 3D platforming goodness after last year’s Astro Bot, try out Demon Tides. The cartoonish adventure set in a world of islands and open oceans is a responsive and frenetic platformer with a lot of promise. While the demo doesn’t give us the deepest look into how Demon Tides will expand its story and players only get a taste of the platforming, what is there is solid enough to put this game immediately on my wishlist after playing.
Despelote
Despelote - Release Date Trailer | PS5 & PS4 Games

Read more
The best roguelikes on PC
Melinoe fighting under a full moon in Hades 2.

We all know and love that "one more run" feeling we get when we find a roguelike that clicks with us. The thrill of never knowing exactly what your next attempt will look like make these some of the best PC games out there alongside the best FPS games on PC. Just like Metroidvanias, though, just calling something a roguelike doesn't tell you a lot about it. They all have some level of randomized elements to them, but exactly what changes, what you keep, and even what you are doing in the game can vary. This means there is more than likely a roguelike that is perfect for your tastes. The only trouble is finding it. Don't worry, our list won't change if you come back tomorrow and will still have the best roguelikes you can play on PC.

While you're at it, check out all the upcoming PC games we're excited about to see if any future roguelikes seem interesting.

Read more
Fragpunk is prepared to take on the hero shooter competition
A character holds a gun in Fragpunk.

The hero shooter genre remains as competitive as ever. Certain titles, such as Marvel Rivals and Overwatch 2, continue to evolve. Others like Concord haven’t been nearly as successful. Even with some occasional flops, any new offering aims to make its mark in a highly crowded field. The next contender up is Fragpunk, an upcoming 5v5 hero shooter from Bad Guitar Studio and Netease.

Fragpunk blends sci-fi and cyberpunk themes, along with fast-paced gunplay, to keep players on their toes every round. Most notably, it features a Shard Card system where teams select from a randomized pool of over 100 cards, some of which alter mechanics and environments, to make matches as unpredictable as possible.

Read more