Creative Assembly’s story isn’t just about becoming synonymous with the Total War series; its beginnings were steeped in sports games, which cast doubt on their ability to pivot to strategy game development. A recent retrospective for the 25th anniversary of Total War: Shogun highlights the studio’s journey, revealing how it transitioned from sports titles to the world of war strategy.

“When I joined there were five people and they were working on sports games for Electronic Arts,” Mike Simpson, former executive producer, reflected. “I joined in order to start something new. The idea was I was going to head up a team producing an RPG based on Monkey: Journey to the West. None of that happened… Instead, we ended up making a quick and cheerful B-grade RTS.”

Total War 25th Anniversary Image credit: Sega

Simpson’s sentiment captures the essence of Creative Assembly’s evolution. The initial aim to develop an RPG shifted to crafting a game that could generate funds to fulfill their ultimate creative aspirations. The success of Shogun proved essential for the studio’s growth, steering its focus towards the Total War franchise, which remains influential today. Although they ventured into projects like Alien: Isolation in the interim, the roots laid by Shogun have significantly shaped the strategy gaming landscape.

Reflecting on the dynamics at play, Al Hope stated, “We were going to take what we already learned from sports games and really push it further, depicting large armies in feudal Japan.”

This narrative not only frames the legacy of Total War: Shogun but also sets the stage for future endeavors in the strategy genre as Gaming evolves.