Next Total War Game: What to Expect from the Future of Strategy Gaming

One of the biggest names in the video game industry, which has maintained its reputation and client base for many years, is the Next Total War Game. The main feature of this series of Creative Assembly, the studio that counts its flagship games in the series, is that it combines large battles with smart city-building strategies, allowing players to control empires while engaging in the extraordinary battles that determine the fates of nations. This series has been setting the benchmarks for the genre for over twenty years.

A Legacy of Innovation and Scale

Starting from the debut of Shogun: Total War in 2000, the franchise has been through history, and an additional successful part of the fantasy genre. The players have been doing an antithesis in ancient Rome, passed through feudal Japan, woke up Napoleon Bonaparte’s war in Europe, and even entered the magic universe set by Warhammer. The evolution of successive games made technical progress, the AI was smarter, the diplomatic part was better, and the battlefield was a more realistic place of combat.

This is the period when the Warhammer trilogy had reached its most brilliant moment has proved its success. It had become clear that the Warhammer franchise was not only keeping the old fans but was also attracting the new fans of the fantastic gaming community. But now that the Warhammer series is coming to an end, it is widely understood that the next game is the number one topic. So, what can we expect?

Likely Setting: A Return to Historical Roots?

Every indication is that the next Total War will be primarily based on history. While the fantasy aspect has been a great success, the decision-makers at Creative Assembly are steadfast in their words that they would like to continue their future games in the historical genre.

Fans proposed three possible locations, which have to be further specified as the most liked, background-wise:

• Medieval III: Total War – A modern-era remake or reenvisioning of the classic Medieval II might be the strongest candidate. Implementing the latest-gen graphics and AI, this has the potential to become the most immersive historical Total War game ever.
• Total War: Empire II – Going back to the 18th century with a revamped maritime system and global colonial expansion might turn out to be not only well-timed but truly magnificent in size.
• Total War: China – Digging deeper into the Chinese culture, precisely Warring States or Three Kingdoms period, may turn out to be a goldmine of cultural and military diversity, which would be the result of adopting the Three Kingdoms as a lesson.

Engine Improvements and Gameplay Expectations

Every new Total War installment usually comes with large changes to the Warscape engine, mainly focusing on the performance of the battle, the faithfulness of the units, and the scale of the campaign. The next part is the expectation regarding the same:

• Better AI and Diplomacy: With improved campaign strategies and more diplomatic options, after the players’ monthly feedback, there were smarter and more nuanced computer enemies. The AI – Diplomacy and Battle – The coalescing of both has been a recurring ask and is a priority now if and when the plot also heavily relies on maritime themes such as Empire or a Mediterranean campaign. The Seamless Command and Strategy – Co-op players have been at it for quite a while, and with the enlarging number of multiplayer campaigns, the main requirement is for the game to provide a much smoother co-op gaming environment with the incidence of a lesser amount of the desynchronous state and more and more turns that are the same.
• Seamless Naval and Land Battles: An action that has been requested for games is the possibility of the merger of two types of fights into one battlefield, especially in such locations that have made extreme sea conditions their pet subjects, like a Mediterranean campaign.
• Co-op Campaign Enhancements: It has been observed that the popularity of multiplayer campaigns is growing, and it is an indicator for the future. In a co-op game, the experience is smoother, and the desync is less acute, and the turns are more synchronized lockout system co-op campaign partners should provide an improved experience and attract more players.
• Next-Gen Visuals:  That graphics chip with DLSS/FSR, ray tracing, and the character models with an extravagant level of fidelity will undoubtedly help to animate the battlefield in a way that wasn’t possible before.

Comparing Past and Potential Total War Games

What are the developments that Total War game players can expect soon? One of the most anticipated things is the next Total War game for 2020. The developer, however, has not yet confirmed the exact date, but it can be assumed that something in 2027 is the most likely period of launch. The expansion of the game depends on how it keeps the perfect balance between history and groundbreaking innovations:

Possible Release Timeline

Creative Assembly generally follows a 2-3 year span in which they release a game between the major entries. The last title they developed was in 2023, called Total War: Pharaoh. Since no major titles have been announced for 2024, it is more than likely that the next real Total War game will be revealed in late 2024, with a release date set for mid-2025 to late 2025.

For example, all signs suggest that the setting of the game will be in the past; CA then being the most likely to let us get a taste of it through historical trailers and dev diaries like they did with Three Kingdoms and Empire.

Wrapping up

The Total War franchise is at a point that can be termed both critical and interesting with Warhammer almost over and the community showing huge demand of return to history. The next game, thus, has again, the opportunity to recreate the genre in their style. We might see knights clashing in Europe, muskets roaring in colonies, or perhaps something else. However, one fact remains clear.

FAQs

What are the possible titles for the next Total War game? 

The name of the next game has not been confirmed by Creative Assembly, so a title is still to be announced. Nevertheless, according to the community’s loud speculations, the title will be Medieval.

Is the time of the next Total War game going to be history-related?

Judging from interviews given by the developers and the current community trends, it is very likely that the next theme will be historical. Fans are eyeing Medieval III, Empire II, or a completely new period with a hint of history and the past.

When will the next Total War game come out? Is there any information on this?

In May 2025, Creative Assembly had not published any information about another game in the Total War series to be released in the same year. The latest major installation, Total War: Pharaoh, was out in October 2023. Please, before 2027, the next main game is not expected to be released, according to the usual release policy of the studio.

Are naval battles planned to return in the next game? 

If the game is set in a ship-friendly time as the Empire or Rome, it is possible. The call for integrated land-sea battles has always been a recurring passion among the players. Integrated land-sea battles are always fans’ favorite.

Will the next Total War game support mods? 

The majority of mainline Total War games do support modding, especially if on Steam. If it’s not a restricted project, mod support is normal to expect.

What engine will the next Total War use? 

Carrying it is mostly an updated Warscape engine with the next-gen GPU and CPU enhancements.