The year was 2000. While most strategy games were content with grid-based skirmishes, Shogun: Total War stepped out of formation and changed the battlefield forever. Now, 25 years later, Creative Assembly is celebrating a quarter-century of warfare, politics, and epic conquests with a special video retrospective—and it all starts with where it began: feudal Japan.
In the first video of their anniversary series, Creative Assembly welcomes back developers from the early days of the studio. These are the folks who laid the foundation for what would become one of strategy gaming’s most iconic franchises. This video focuses on the original Shogun: Total War and reflects on the team’s inspiration, challenges, and the vision that sparked a genre-defining evolution.
There’s a clear sense of reverence as the devs revisit the Sengoku period—a chaotic, samurai-drenched era of Japanese history that set the tone for the Total War formula: grand strategy on the campaign map, real-time battles in the field.
The video isn’t just a nostalgia trip; it’s a reminder of how far the franchise has come. And it’s only the beginning of the celebrations.
As part of the 25th anniversary, Creative Assembly will also be hosting two special livestreams:
- On August 7, the team will revisit Total War: Shogun 2, sharing stories and playing through one of the most beloved entries in the series.
- On August 12, they’ll go even further back, diving into the original Shogun: Total War—polygon warriors and all.
Total War LIVE streams continue! Join us this Thursday for the first 25th anniversary livestream: Shogun 2! 🥷
— Total War (@totalwar) August 4, 2025
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There will be more Total War 25 Years videos as we move towards the end of the year. So stay tuned for a more Total War!
