LEAKED: Medieval 3 & Empire 2 Are NOT COMING

Putting this to rest, once and for all.
If you have anything you want to tell me, my email is:
[e-mail]
#medieval3 #totalwar #creativeassembly
Best way to support me and what I do:
/ volound
❤️ Thanks to all supporters ❤️
Join this channel to get access to perks:
/ @volound
My complete gaming setup:
www.amazon.co....
Join my Discord server and elevate those sons of bitches:
/ discord
My FB Page for ranty longposts:
/ volound
My Twitter shitterings:
/ volound
My Twitch:
/ volound

[@Volound]

this video is exactly 3 years old now and was a postmortem of how the first 3 months of the fight went: kzbin.info/www/bejne/nX6YgoKqdrSViJY how far have we come since?

[@TheManofthecross]

my first time hearing of this i think.

[@jakobiskariot9340]

remember simps, only if you pay on patreon AND youtube can you truly feel worthy

[@AHersheyHere]

Creative Assembly is just doing their best to avoid games which would force them to actually develop their naval combat design.

[@Volound]

video went up a couple of minutes ago and you left this comment. someone buy this man a beer.

[@F_Yale]

Their inferiority complex is palpable. Do they even have any significant talent left at this juncture?

[@redplague7996]

They actually had it done decently enough in Empire and FOTS. I think they are eager to pump reskins more than actually creating something new.

[@SuperVideoman2012]

​@@redplague7996 that has been fairly obvious for a while now.

[@sanderkiki]

the desire for M3 and E2 are kinda absolute cope, do you really want continuation of your fav game by CURRENT CA and think they magically make it good, not like pharaoh etc? i dont get you, guys

[@RasputinReview]

For a company that claims to like money, they really REALLY don't act like it

[@DonnellGreen]

EXACTLY LOL. Dude ive never understood this why do companies want that short term 30 million dollars (random number) in a year when they could be making Billions and Building a Crazy reputation in the process over 5 years. Example is fromsoftware There is no other game company nowadays more beloved then them even when they made a bad product or wasnt good (Dark souls 2) people said it was just a one off and it was because they still went on to make amazing excellent games (Dark souls 3 and Elden ring) then to top it off The Masterpiece and The Black Sheep Of fromsoftware Sekiro the best game they have ever made

[@RasputinReview]

It's a uniquely American and now Chinese version of capitalism. They are obsessed with that short-term quarterly gain. The idea is to make as much money short term so you can invest it in something else before the business collapses.

[@BloodwyrmWildheart]

@@RasputinReview European as well, apparently. CA is a British company.

[@RasputinReview]

@@BloodwyrmWildheart It's owned by Sega since 2005, i really think the international expansion led to a huge shift in their management style that has taken time to rot it from the inside.

[@reporks]

exactly lmao, scrapping everything they have now and focusing on medieval 3, grinding it to the best of their abillities and doing a grand launch would literally print money for the next 10 years. Open mod support would extend the games lifetime and increase sales by 40%.

[@olefredrikskjegstad5972]

Medieval 3 has long since reached the hallowed status of Half-Life 3. Never released, always hoped for.

[@nomennisceo6495]

Why can't they count to three :_(

[@anuszbizsergetokommentek2171]

​@@nomennisceo6495they learned from valve

[@wojciech7358]

At this point it's better to keep it that way instead of sharing Victoria 3 fate, a sequel that has nothing in common with previous iteration because passion to create was left in exchange for corporate greed.

[@christianriddler5063]

@@wojciech7358 Yeah, victoria 3 really hurt, I loved victoria 2 and there was such potential and it was all a waste. Thankfully Crusader Kings 3 turned out fairly well, especially with the tournaments dlc.

[@ajitae1460]

CA can just slam shogun 2 graphic and dont change anything else from medieval 2 and they can make good money but they dont. I cant understand why

[@Matt-ni8jh]

Even if they were, does anyone actually think they would make these games well? I'm not interested in a warhammerised Med 3 with Joan of Arc and Richard the lionheart single entity hero units with magical bless abilities in the same shit engine with terrible unit collision that we've had for literal years now.

[@Latinkon]

Not to mention how terrible modding conditions are for Warscape games. Good luck making a custom campaign map with 1800 provinces that's possible on Rome Remastered.

[@BigBroKuma]

💯

[@LiquidDIO]

This! People who keep asking for this are fucking delusional, if they think CA won't absolutely ruin both games. They don't have the skill, talent or passion for either of those projects.

[@wile123456]

They need to make an entire new engine from scratch, or the total war franchise is dead in the water.

[@LiquidDIO]

@@wile123456 They need to make an entirely new team, fire their leadership, and maybe they have a shot.

[@officialromanhours]

Medieval III Under CA Factions unlocked by default Scotland Denmark Russia Milan Portugal Lords of the West Faction Pack ($14.99) Unlocks England, France, Spain For The Kaiser Faction Pack ($9.99) Unlocks HRE, Papacy (You know they won't care about balance) Also unlocks Crusades mechanic Holy War Faction Pack ($14.99) Unlocks Turks, Egypt Pre-Order Bonus Unlock Byzantium Crusades Campaign ($19.99) All new 'remaster' of the legendary campaign for Medieval II! Unlocks Jerusalem, Venice in main campaign Unlocks Crusader Knights for Catholic factions in main campaign Also unlocks jihad mechanic. Note: Will be pulled shortly after release due to harmful depictions of Muslims. Teutonic Campaign ($19.99) All new 'remaster' of the legendary campaign for Medieval II! Fight the doglike, rapacious, greedy, despicable, utterly demonic Teutons as the lovable, smol, adorable tiny little Poland!

[@Volound]

poignant. cant be far off how it would go.

[@AlexiusDejan]

My dude this is exactly how they would do it.

[@christophercarson6634]

Blood package - $9.99

[@TheManofthecross]

then we will hold them accountable for the islamic issues and extra.

[@jooj2955]

You forgot the blood DLC

[@j.redbeard99]

If Creative Assembly were to make Medieval III or Empire II next year they would be bug riddled, over DLC'd dumpster fires.

[@gronndar]

Factions such as France as DLC. Crusades/Jihads as an dlc or patched in later (faulty patch which actually means that your crusade army gets deleted) Pope mechanic too difficulty to implent, just some random missions about building churches.

[@OhNotThat]

We should count our lucky stars, they haven't even attempted this because if this current crew is on board trying to push it out the door. It would be a disaster on launch and instantly abandoned.

[@Shadow.24772]

@@OhNotThat if they did that, they would literally lose all non-warhammer fanboys

[@enjoythestruggle]

Imagine jihads and depictions of muslims as aggressive conquerors in this day and age, hahaha.@@gronndar

[@Sparticulous]

@@Shadow.24772are there any fan boys left?

[@nathancatalano2480]

Players literally tell them what games they want but the execs from CA think they "know the market" better than their audience. Its like if a restaurant had their most faithful customers asking them to include fish n chips on the menu, with the chefs agreeing and asking for the ingredients, and they decide that pasta is the way to go

[@robosoldier11]

I cant imagine how anyone would think the Medieval period and the pike and shot era. Wouldn't be points of interest? Like they could easily have a slam dunk on Empire 2 alone. Since thats following an initial premise with lets be fair. Kinda awful in execution. Which they could've had way more empire management and improve upon their initial implementation of musket warfare. Creative assembly leadership would have to be absolutely absent of brain function to think these two titles wouldn't be a major thing the audience wants. Now to be fair this is all assuming CA could actually do competently which at this point I doubt it. Which maybe there just being honest with themselves. They are inferior compared to their founders.

[@King.Leonidas]

Pike and shot can be the early campaign of empire 2​@@robosoldier11

[@Tinylittledansonman]

WH kind of took over and corrupted CA. I think thats how we got all this Saga crap. They figured they could appease both audiences by adding heros and all that bs. Sadly though CA could just keep pumping out WH titles and do fine financially. WH seems like one of those hardcore fandoms, where even if the game sucks, they still have to buy it to say they played it.

[@etienne8110]

If at least the pastas were great, why not? But here they are unsalted and undercooked.

[@PatrickOMulligan]

​@@TinylittledansonmanPlayers wanted WH.

[@dickinwurfer]

Imagine wasting a million dollars on a fortnite clone instead of hiring talent to make games for the franchise you're mostly known for, mega foolary

[@Volound]

a hundred million dollars

[@dickinwurfer]

@@Volound LMAO even better the fact I even forgot the name for the game speaks volumes on how irrelevant and generic it was, I feel bad for the devs who were forced to work on this mess

[@deguberseg9878]

New leader of studio hcomes epic games, worked on fortnite development

[@ajitae1460]

@@deguberseg9878 so thats why , does he get fired after throw 100 mil out of the window?

[@wile123456]

Not even a fortnite clone, it was a overwatch clone, after almost a decade after it's peak.

[@Princeps2]

They will avoid making those games at any cost, because people will have expectations CA does NOT want to meet at all. No new engine, new mechanics, inovative gameplay. They want to recycle Rome 2 ‘till the end of days.

[@deguberseg9878]

CA is afraid of making big titles like med and empire

[@LiquidDIO]

Want? Try can't. They aren't capable of it.

[@addochandra4745]

And access to modding too. Warscape engine limit modding in order to monopolize it as DLCs...

[@donfrossa1432]

Time for another company to challenge creative assembly.

[@IronHorse1854]

It's only a matter of time. CA rely on the scale of their games and their proprietary engine which enables the scale of battle and campaign we enjoy in TW games. These days dev tools are becoming cheaper and more accessible, it's only a matter of time before some small indie team of historical strategy enthusiasts manages to come up with tech that will rival CA and allow them to pull off a TW-like. In the last 5 years alone we've seen games come out developed by small teams that look and play miles better than AAA games 10 years ago. The market is there, we are all screaming for CA to give us something to throw our money at, someone else will come and give us that game if CA refuses to.

[@undead9999]

@@IronHorse1854 manor Lords is a step in that direction

[@donfrossa1432]

@@IronHorse1854 Can’t wait, if they can give us a better Victoria 3 map with total war battles, it’s a wrap.

[@IronHorse1854]

@@donfrossa1432 Yeah I'd be set for life if someone ever made that a reality. I'd never need another game again.

[@donfrossa1432]

@@IronHorse1854 facts

[@First_Sea_Lord_Ford]

I dont even want CA to recover anymore. The oroginal talent has gone and the company doesnt deserve success after their shoddy business practises. I hope a new company rises from the ashes

[@irishbeermarine]

Do not worry about healing. This wound was brought by its own poison and a sword sharpened by vengeance, a sword wielded by Volound and his henchmen. CA is a dying bloted conglomerate. To final succumb inevitable.

[@Alex254561]

same and i'm playing TW warhammer but didn't buy any of the last 2 dlc, i cracked them i don't want to give them my monney

[@munkofpunk]

Honestly I don't want medieval 3. Med 3 would just be a 3 kingdoms or Atilla clone with the exact same mechanics and a few "new" ones. £11.99 for the Teutonic order and Lithuania DLC!!! £14.99 for the kingdom of Jerusalem and Caliphate of Egypt pack!!!! Medieval 2 is still excellent and holds up really well, and if you want to play Warhammer, lotr or elder scrolls you can download the mods.

[@tommyfortress7515]

As much as i like medieval 2 its diplomacy is bad. They dont have to make a med 3 in my mind they could just remake it and improve diplomacy like they did with rome 1

[@tylerman39]

It does not hold up. Delusional.

[@munkofpunk]

@@tommyfortress7515 yeah that's true. One thing that pharaoh and Troy did really well was diplomacy and trade, which is arguably the strongest it's been in total war period.

[@chico9805]

​@@tylerman39Exactly, that game is ancient and certainly feels like it. Best thing we have right now is the 1212 mod.

[@reheyesd8666]

Making any game is gonna be terrible for CA lol

[@AHersheyHere]

@Volound you should check out ‘Ultimate General: American Revolution’. This studio has expanded from just battle simulation to this game having a campaign map where positioning will influence where soldiers will be deployed. Maybe it will help drip feed us, as we wait another 10 years for Empire 2.

[@Volound]

17 years wait at least and i tried age of sail. i really need more granular gameplay, for the land at least.

[@moose8128]

Ultimate general American revolution looks awesome. I love how it will do a slow auto resolve and you can enter the battle at your leisure

[@Skittles14]

That game is trash. Very casual. Doesn’t accurately depict combat of that age by any means. The only game even remotely worthy of being a TW successor is Grand Tactician American Civil War.

[@bart_ender6116]

@@Volound Did you try Grand Tactician Civil war?

[@theluckynumberis7]

​@@Skittles14 like total war ever accurately depicted combat.

[@TheKipchak]

This is the most heartbreaking thing I've heard all year. Honestly I'd just rather CA burn to the ground and a competitor rise up and gobble up the historical player market at this point.

[@SplendidFactor]

Good Total War games were a lightning in a bottle moment, I doubt this is ever going to be done properly again. Yea you'll get some RTS with battle mechanics, but they won't feel as epic as TW did at its prime. It's over.

[@TheKipchak]

@SplendidFactor I hate to admit you're right, but you likely are. At least we still have the old games and at least the modding community for them is alive and well.

[@irishbeermarine]

Ultimately, it was your longing for change, which caused this catastrophy, the decline of an whole international community. Your blind hopes for progress, just fuelled the raging fires of Volounds campaign, leading his personal war of retaliation against CA. When the fires of revenge have died off, you can dig among the ruins, gobble up the debris which is left.

[@Alex254561]

manor lords is coming

[@hbfb1123]

This would be the logical step. I heard that when companies mess things up, the parent company comes in and installs a temporary "crisis manager". This manager usually stays for like 2-3 years(or 5 depending how fucked the situation is) and their sole aim is to reduce the damages caused by the previous managementand stabilise the company. Judging by how much money they lost due to hyenas and pharaoh, i expect these windbags to play safe for at least 5 years. Mostly dlcs to warhammer and maybe to older titles hoping it would rekindle some interest in them. Maybe the biggest project they make would be a remaster of empire, shogun2 or medieval2 but even that is unlikely

[@Sparticulous]

Hard pass on their “remasters”. Isnt rome remastered worse than the original?

[@hbfb1123]

​@@Sparticulous That is their only option now. If sega has them on a leash, they won't take the risk and invest time and money on a grand project at a such turbulent time. So the only safe,quick and cheap revenue options are dlcs and remasters. Words cant describe how much fucked this company is. I hope that the decent chunk of that 40% fired is from the pr department because they are the reason for this shitshow.

[@MChagall]

​@@Sparticulous Rome remaster is great, especially because you can turn on/off all the extra features they added.

[@MsSirAndy]

@@hbfb1123 so you think a med2, med1 and shogun 1 remasters to be likely?

[@MidlifeCrisisJoe]

Something that’s really screwed up the last 15-20 years of media business, whether you’re talking about video games, movies, TV, or even mainstream news, is the companies purposeful audience training toward brand loyalty above all else. Because whether you’re talking about Marvel fans or Warhammer fans or Buffy fans or Nike fans or any other group, they’ve all been conditioned to continually accept less while paying more. And this has been deleterious to actual quality media production all around as a result and for everyone. The only good news seems to be that in 2023, this model seems to be collapsing everywhere. In films and games and comics and elsewhere, the “brand loyal” reliable consoomer is apparently less and less reliable. Audiences trained to accept their one flavor of slop over and over are finally starting to realize they’re eating slop and turning away from it. The future is going to belong to those who have high standards and higher quality, I think. Though it’s very possible that many major cornerstones of the past, like CA and Total War, are unlikely to adapt to this transition as they’ve become addicted to and organized around the easy money of slop production.

[@Tom_Quixote]

I think the problem is that computers and games have become more and more available for younger groups. It's easy to sell a game to kids. The younger you are, the more easily you are entertained.

[@ynraider]

@@Tom_Quixote A problem even in the 1960s..."Slop" music and dancing, was just called "the good ole days/White Radio"... Taylor Swift/FIFA DLC/MicroTrans, is just the new slop. BTW, it was called #LateStageCapitalism, 200yra...

[@nomennisceo6495]

As a Warhammer fan I can promise you that TW warhammer is a brilliant warhammer game, with my 15 years as a fan of warhammer and 40K I got sucked in. I like TW Warhammer as I get to play in a sandbox with the characters I know and get to l cancel the fucking end times. But as a TW fan since Medieval 2, well... There is a reason the last actual TW game I bought was Rome 2.

[@MrAnihillator]

Check the Warhammer mod for Medieval 2. It also doubles as a good pike and shot TW in Empire vs Empire battles.

[@PatrickOMulligan]

They did a lot of things right with WH, but would have preferred a better TW experience. As soon as I saw rediculos health pools, I knew it would be a problem.

[@Dr.AvenVon]

that's the thing that many people who defend the total warhammer games don't want to admit. those games are great at showing the warhammer world, and playing as those characters that are important in the story is cool. but gameplay wise, they have huge problems that probably never will get fixed. hell, I'd be surprised is CA doesn't make the AI even worse than it allready is.

[@nomennisceo6495]

@@Dr.AvenVon I will freely admit it, much of it I can excuse to CA and to myself based on this being a fantastical warhammer setting... Why are there giant monsters, and why is there a madlad able to take it on in a one on one? well, it's warhammer and that i Karl Franz... Why do these naked forest goats and my elite knight in full plate have the same armour stats? well, it's warhammer and old, filtet, dirty beastmen fur is as though as kevlar... That wierd fucking shaman with green skin and a loin cloth just danced in the right way and a god came and stomped away my right flank, fuck you Wurzzag you great green cunt, but well, IT IS Warhammer.

[@Dr.AvenVon]

@@Slie1988 trying to make a change from the inside? Well, apparently they failed. Not only is the quality of recent content really bad, the Programm is now gone so they will never change anything. And also, Statements of those content creators about how effective their Feedback is, is very contradictory. Some say they change many things before they become public, others say that no Feedback ever changed anything. So yeah.

[@Carwash2]

When I used to play Warhammer 2 a lot I thought it was really weird doing land battles at sea. You don't have to have played the old total war games to think this campaign map with a lot of ocean in it should have actual ship battles in it tbh.

[@ladahieno2382]

yeah only with warhammer they never got the green light from Games Workshop to make sea battles cuz they'd have to buy another license since warhammer sea battles is a different IP

[@exelenttee]

​@@ladahieno2382No they don't. It is a myth that was invented on Reddit. They are actually completely free to develop naval warfare. They dont need a license. They themselves even admitted that it is just too complicated for them. Even if they would need to buy a license - it would be extremely cheap due to how unpopular and bad the naval Warhammer is.

[@PatrickOMulligan]

I would have liked to see WH naval battles, but they would have pulled them off. Just look at the sieges.

[@ladahieno2382]

@@exelenttee have Games Workshop confirmed that too? Cuz whatever the fuck CA says cannot really be trusted either way and GW is heavily adamant about not giving an inch to anyone who doesn't buy the right licenses

[@exelenttee]

@@ladahieno2382 it was one of the leaks if I remember correctly.

[@FF-pi9fq]

The fact that they call their video games "content" is all you need to know about Creative Assembly.

[@PatrickOMulligan]

Well, it is.

[@supersardonic1179]

We know these are their "Break glass in case of emergency" games. But at this point, I'm not confident in their ability to break the glass in the first place. Just the games.

[@artemshir436]

I remember playing Rome 1 as a kid. I remember playing Med2 and believing it was a gorgeous sight. (I was still a kid btw). Now I'm feeling... Deserted, thrown out and forgotten. TW is like SW for me now. It's painful to admit yet I have to do it. Thanks for Volound for covering this shit, and thanks for not giving up while being harassed.

[@jarjars3261]

SW?

[@Vadim_Ibragimov]

​@@jarjars3261star wars probably

[@Roman_Eagle]

Same, our only hope for a decent total war experience is really if another developer like Paradox moves into the real-time battles, but they will still be 90% DLC games. Another studio to keep an eye on is Ashborne Games. They just released The Last Train Home, an excellent historical management strategy game with real-time battles, though COH adjacent. If they went into grand battles with their management strategy campaigns on a global map it probably would destroy CA's monopoly, and likely with minimal DLC, as their latest project doesn't seem to be a complete game with minimal room for DLC.

[@artemshir436]

@@jarjars3261 Star Wars

[@nicholasshaler7442]

@@Roman_Eagle This has been said many times, but I don't think people mind DLC's if they are real additions. With the increase in prices in everything that has happened over the past two decades, I would happily pay $40 for the expansions that are in Rome 1 and Medieval 2.

[@facethemoosikrts6527]

Empire 2 on the same engine would be a crime against humanity.

[@deguberseg9878]

thats true,with this engine imposibble to make it, gunpowder are is very demanding system

[@rogerflatt8054]

CA have utterly lost their way, Volound. Clueless suits in charge of a franchise that could earn them millions.

[@pigspigs76]

Creative assembly went the route of Electronic Arts and sports games .. just updating rosters and adding/subtracting features to make it appear different

[@WhatDarrenPlays]

At 5:25 you said "here's what I heard from a current or former CA employee" - Why don't you know if they work there or when they did? It's true, Empire and Med 3 aren't coming, I've been saying that for 7 years now, it really shouldn't be news but I guess not everyone in the audience pays attention to everything, and I've also said that 40K is coming, and it is. But anyways, the reason I felt the need to comment was people tagged me when you mentioned a "WW1 game was in development as recent as 2 years ago and is likely scrapped". This doesn't line up with the info I have. Also, there was no Empire 2 set in the Caribbean, ever. There was a game that was scrapped in the concept phase because it was too ambitious around 2017, and they worked on 3K instead. The reason they wanted to go with something quicker to make or less ambitious, was because WH1 left far more players from historical games behind than anticipated, they had market research to indicate that about 10% of players who bought Rome 2 wouldn't buy WH1, but it was more like 30%. CA went panic mode as they had just promised 3 of these titles and decided to greenlight Rome 2 DLC, Thrones of Britannia, and change the future mainline historical to something with one culture and more easily do-able, Three Kingdoms. It also lined up with the idea of capturing a new audience too from China. This, ironically was all an effort to give something to historical fans fast, to keep them happy while Warhammer did its thing. It's ironic because these games turned away fans more and more because they weren't full budget titles. Although the Rome 2 updates actually did give some new life to that game I guess. Despite what people think, WH doesn't make that much for CA as a base game. They give a very large % to Games Workshop, much more than the 19% we've seen Insomniac pay to Marvel. Much more. So when WH1 sold the same as Rome 2, and they gave a big chunk away, that wasn't the outcome they expected. You don't take a license to make the same gross revenue but less net revenue. However the DLC is quite high margin and ended up selling extremely well, so that made up for it. But CA know that something like a Rome 2 would earn them more than WH, and they are making a new historical game that is .... well, should be going big, though from what I've heard, concessions are having to be made, so we'll see about how grand it really is. Since then, there has been no plans for an Empire 2, and I said it before, but there are 3 future TW games in development and that was the plan before Pharaoh and Hyenas shit the bed, and it still is, as of a few weeks ago anyways. The reason I write these comments is so that you know to look for better sources. This stuff is largely wrong. I agree with your take on Pharaoh and the DLC cancelling, clearly just saving themselves money etc.

[@Volound]

that isnt me not knowing, thats me simply refusing to elaborate. been doing this the whole time, for months now. and i said "a few" not "2". even the youtube transcription thinks i said a few. and you can refer your sources to me if you want and i can compare their info to what ive been getting. they dont even have to message me immediately. they can wait a while and write to me completely anonymously with a proton.me and ill be none the wiser. and they can correct anything that is wrong and explain why, at no risk or cost. ive never signed an NDA with CA or SEGA and dont give a shit about how angry they are at me as my sources get more extensive and thorough. if your sources are good and they have substantive things to say, ill be happy to add them to my repertoire and theyll be totally safe. im in ongoing contact with multiple current and former CA and they can also correct me on anything, but i dont expect that to happen, i already checked everything with them. i even sent one the script for this before i started on it. the only thing i could be wrong about would be an actually ambitious non-warhammer that isnt simply a warhammer derivative itself (another 3k, troy, pharaoh), but that seems pretty much solidly impossible. so the thrust of the video is largely correct no matter what my sources are keeping in reserve. the thing about 10%/30% is interesting and further reinforces with hard numbers my hypothesis of a hard divide between the pre-rome 2 jaded fans and the post-GW license captive audience.

[@WhatDarrenPlays]

@@Volound Sorry didn't mean to misquote you, but a few or 2 is really not the bit that's not accurate. The sources I have aren't leaking things to me, or at least not with the intention of it being leaked, its more just talking with my friends and ex-colleagues about what's going on. 3 or 4 of them work at the studio, and 5 have left over the years and we game and chat regularly about what's going on there. That's why I don't leak it myself, because it's just a chat with friends, but its also why I'm perplexed about your leaks sometimes because they can seem a bit off. An alarm bell just went off for me when you said "A current **or** former CA employee" - I feel like if you don't know that, then you can't know if what they're telling you is accurate. I'm assuming then using proton you're looking to get multiple people saying the same thing, then follow up and pursue that as a leak. Again saying "the only thing i could be wrong about..." - shows a bit of ego, you could be wrong about a few things, I feel like you're somewhat unwilling to believe that. Our opinions on these games broadly align, but you shouldn't let that cynical approach of everything is shit, everything is greed cloud your judgement. You're clearly leaping to the worst possible scenario with each bit of info you get. If you have a source that you trust, as you say you do, then ask them this: -What is the next Total War game? -What is the next Total War game after that? -What is the next IP Total War will use? -Why are SEGA being more strict with Total War, even before Hyenas closure? -What is Jack Lusted working on now? -Is a new engine planned for the next game? If they're willing to leak the things you've said so far, there's no reason this can't be leaked either. If you get an answer, I'll confirm it for you if you like, I know the answers to these things, and if you have sources, it shouldn't be hard to find out as their 5 year plan is outlined for the studio every few months, every employee from QA, to HR, to Game Director knows these basic questions, whether you were on Hyenas or in Sofia.

[@Volound]

to be as clear as possible, i absolutely know with every leaker so far if they work there currently or not. i cant think of any that i dont. usually they tell me at the outset of first interaction, even commenting on if their job is safe. so i usually know far more than just if they work there. i just dont disclose it alongside leaks because it makes it needlessly easy to narrow down who im talking to, if that is being attempted. "current or former CA" is way easier to say than "someone that may or may not still be a CA employee and that i dont want to say"... and ive already heard through the grapevine that CA are doing some things internally as a result of leaks, which makes me even more motivated to continue to be ambiguous. i also have never used gendered pronouns as terms of reference. but i obviously know that too. i could be wrong about almost anything, but at the same time i dont value absolute certainty because i understand basic epistemology. i go where the evidence leads, or leaks. and the only thing i could be wrong about that could make the video largely wrong, was the context for what i was saying. the main thrust of this video is clearly that CA are not intent on making a properly ambitious TW game (which is what everyone wants, and the language they use to describe that are "medieval 3"/"empire 2"). thats the only thing that i can be wrong about and that would stand to make the video largely wrong. anything else pales in comparison. youve already acknowledged no medieval 3/empire so the title is literally right. likewise you mentioned the 40k that i was leading people straight towards so they can come to the conclusion on their own. the even bigger picture is also right - they are just making warhammer derivative shitshows on a fucked attila engine, and have been for nearly a decade. the engine question was even answered in the leaks i showed just in this video, but has been commented on before with other leaks ive given out. i can answer other questions you have too but im saving them for videos. and by the way, leakers dont tend to want to talk about upcoming games that still have a shot. the motivation to do it increases though with every attempt CA makes at leaker crackdowns, or at misconduct towards people leaking. @@WhatDarrenPlays

[@WhatDarrenPlays]

Alrighty then fair enough, I understand the need to be vague to protect sources. Just for future reference, the engine is called "Total War 3", it's been in use since Empire. (It was Total War, for the first games, Total War 2 for Rome/Med2 and now Total War 3 since). "Warscape" is the graphical rendering pipeline that Total War 3 uses. It's purely graphics. Also the engine doesn't control collision, a lot of people think it does, but it doesn't. There is no "Attila Engine" really, it's just Total War 3. You can find references to Empire: Total War and Total War: Shogun 2 assets in Warhammer's database and some images of mon's and emblems even. Some games closely resemble others though as a team will copy and paste a game over, start a new project, strip the assets out and start adding in new things, this is why we have legacy bugs and why their codebase is a mess. Almost every company does this but CA's engine is particularly old, and wasn't built for modular content updates like DLC or patches, combined with their high turn-over and designers barely know what's going on in it anymore. I think Thrones is the only game spun off from Attila's project. Warhammer came from Rome 2's project, (on my first day working there, I booted up Warhammer, Karl Franz looked like the Roman Advisor and the game crashed saying "Rome 2.exe has stopped working" - fun times! Three Kingdoms came from Warhammer 1 project I think. Considering they are all the same engine though, what's done in one project can often be forward or backward ported to other games. I think the optimizations of 3K made it backwards into Warhammer 2, which in part gave rise to the turn-time reduction update, though I think it was needed anyway for WH3. Anyways, just thought I'd give you an info dump from the tech side. @@Volound

[@Volound]

yep i know the terms for TW1/TW2/TW3 and ive been reading endless "ahkshaully 🤓warscape is just a graphics engine" people on forums for literally years. ive always avoided the pitfall ever since i first heard it and googled, and likewise usually dont bother correcting it either because it means nothing to most people and usually just gets in the way. i was told years ago by a software engineer that worked on it that the attila engine was the basis for everything to come since. i dont mind that being disputed at all, that guy was a prick in the end. maybe he meant something else. the thing is though, that other ones ive described that claim to, didnt tell me that was wrong. usually was affirmed, and then a similar description to the one you gave with the codebase, their description "creaking at the seams". you could be right about everything regarding this, and your anecdote is compelling of course. either way, we have been getting rome 2 for a decade and i cant stand rome 2, and im not the only one. i hate its entire combat system and always have. i was told "codebase tetris" as a description for the engines between projects. so yep that fits what you describe. no problem then, thanks for the comments again. @@WhatDarrenPlays

[@petresko1041]

Good. I don't want a Medieval III. I don't trust CA and odds are they will bastardize the hell out of it. More limp-dick sound design, flock-o-birds unit animations and star wars missile trails... I'd rather not witness that again.

[@gronndar]

Agreed.

[@pigspigs76]

At this point .. I can’t understand why this massive whole in the market is not being plugged by upstart companies .. a community driven medieval could be superior to whatever ca could manage at this point

[@Sparticulous]

Sega will probably try to sue them claiming tactical battles belongs to only them

[@pigspigs76]

@@Sparticulous 😹 that would be epic advertising and if it’s a decentralized project than it’s a win

[@habibishapur]

It is very, very difficult to make a game with mechanics as innovative as TW. Its not like making a platformer, where youll find thousands of guides to teach you to make every aspect of a platformer game. Games like TW, theres literally just TW.

[@pigspigs76]

@@habibishapuryet ca spits them out almost as frequently as electronic arts does sports games .. keep liking your own comments bro. You could literally scrap together something similar on unreal engine that could tricky an average noob into believing its a total war title

[@eskebrun]

@@habibishapur Civ is different but certainly competes as a good historical turn based strategy game.

[@thewolfpack5290]

The saddest thing about this is that Volound has to make those videos and by my reckoning wishes nothing more than to be proven wrong which will almost certainly, but most certainly unfortunately, not be the case. Thank you for you!

[@user-ii1jy3mc5v]

You can be a simp for a KZbinr as well as a company you know

[@ladahieno2382]

@@user-ii1jy3mc5v yeah only in this case the company is shitting in your mouth whlist the youtuber wants what's best for you as a fan of the game series

[@user-ii1jy3mc5v]

@@ladahieno2382 Why are you shilling for a KZbinr you don't know? I've been playing this game longer than he has and I don't need some angry kid to tell me how I should 'feel' about a game.

[@ladahieno2382]

@@user-ii1jy3mc5v that sounds a lot like you have some pent up anger but I'm sorry to say everyone can have their own opinions, it's just that people supporting CA and their parasitic business practices are wrong ¯⁠\⁠_⁠(⁠ ͡⁠°⁠ ͜⁠ʖ⁠ ͡⁠°⁠)⁠_⁠/⁠¯

[@irishbeermarine]

He merely perfomed the duty of his office. None but own conscience led his hands Further grief would be redundant, for this events were set in motion long before and the responsibility by those who now succumb to their own shortcomings.

[@dickinwurfer]

BRUHHH I MISREAD THIS AS MED 3 AND EMPIRE 2 ARE COMING mannnnnnnnnn this is so hilarious and sad at the same time

[@vagrant2863]

Warhammer fans will consume literally anything. They are like the stereotype of a battered house wife. So used to being mistreated that literally anything that is borderline passable is hailed as the best thing ever.

[@coh2conscript851]

This applies both for the games and miniatures.

[@davidshaw123451001]

What a dumb take. There’s a reason not many WH games do well.

[@NergalStigma]

God, you're making me reinstall Shogun 2. It's sad to think that in an alternate timeline, where CA is competent, we would have Shogun 3 as a masterpiece. I dread to think what current CA would do to it now...

[@Sparticulous]

Shogun 2 is amazing. Especially with some mods to tweak units and extend the map to 135+ provinces and 12 turns per year

[@antoniodelaugger9236]

Shogun 3 doesn't make much sense unless they're completely reworking the engine

[@gronndar]

This CA is not capable of doing Medieval 3. I don't get it why gamers want these people making it

[@Latinkon]

Agreed! Players clamoring for _Medieval III_ from current CA are in for a rude awakening if the company does greenlight the game.

[@JB-hp5ii]

Given the serious back tracking on the development of Pharoah, CA seem done. Their overlords aren't going to have any faith that they can produce 'lucrative' titles, so having any creative freedom in the historical strategy genre seems unlikely. The masters have stepped in, the gig is up.

[@Sparticulous]

Not surprised. Those games require actual effort

[@isaiahjerue6564]

It's amazing to me how the community can let it be known they want something so badly and would be more than willing to pay for it given it's a good game just to be ignored so blatantly. I can't help but think that they KNOW they would screw it up and in the process lose the few hopeful people of the original fan base.

[@LiquidDIO]

Those delusional people, you mean. Hope is great, but if anyone truly believes that CA is even capable of making Med3 or Empire 2, they've ascended hope and are deluding themselves.

[@thinkwithurdipstick]

It’s wild that a medieval sequel isn’t at all in the works considering the 20 year anniversary is on the horizon

[@ryanbritain3752]

Why is this company so bad? Just make the games people want and sell them. How hard can it be?

[@Azhini]

Shareholder profit promise: publicly traded companies are under a constant squeeze as their sold shares require constantly increasing payouts. This material pressure means they have to continuously find avenues to increase their profit from games; less content for more money. It's why almost all games companies go on this downward slide over time.

[@deguberseg9878]

CA seems afraid, they are not able to make it, new studio may success with new leaders

[@chico9805]

​@@Azhini Shareholder capitalism is an abomination.

[@interstellar_duh7431]

@@Azhini All publicly traded companies in general actually. There's only so much a company can do to innovate before eventually they'll need to start cutting corners in order for the stock price to keep rising and that's what shareholders demand.

[@Azhini]

@@interstellar_duh7431 Yeah, it's all essentially a ponzi scheme

[@Gdsryrox]

The steam store pages doesn't count people playing Rome 1 on IOS or on their old disk copies too, so the amount is probably even higher

[@_ArsNova]

I've wanted to get into Total War for a long time, and have a lot of peripheral knowledge about the series I've just fort of picked up. Sad to hear this, I know people have been begging for these two for forever. Looks like I'll just be picking up Medieval II and playing that! I used to play 40k the tabletop game, and I can totally confirm the insane brand-loyalty and the negative impact that entails for the games. People who spend hundreds of dollars on single plastic pieces for their armies won't bat an eye at $25 unit packs. They've been conditioned into it.

[@IrregularrAF]

CA is just Call of Duty at this point. They just keep reskinning their game and selling it as new.

[@ngkhaijie]

What I don't understand is that no other companies is taking up the mantle to provide an alternative. Is the dissatisfied historical total war playerbase not big enough demand for a Total War alternative?

[@alexrexaros9837]

It baffles me how much they shat the bed with Warhammer Fantasy. So many aspects of the original war game and its universe that could've worked miracles with Total War, and instead we got a diet Heroes of Might and Magic

[@alexreiz6128]

How high someone needs to be for even wishing new Medieval and Empire entries, when company not being able to produce anything even remotely up to expected standards, or any production standards really Untill some major restructuring and at least one new solid entry to happen - have more faith in most insane modders than CA

[@CaesarAugustus27_]

On the bright side we won't have George Washington dual wielding cutlasses with gun handles and King George holding a musket with a golden axe on it dualling each other and solo wiping an entire army.

[@aldraone-mu5yg]

Divide and Conquer surpassed Third Age years ago, and personally I think its the most finely tuned Total War experience out there.

[@DonnellGreen]

Also don't forget this is another example of the Disney Nostalgia Paradox. where they will bank on IP's that already our beloved and established with a classic following (Med 2 Empire 2 Shogun 2) and keep hyping it up for it to be shit then people will forget about it after a few years then get hit with another wave of nostalgia "VOLOUND YOU WILL BE MAD WHEN MEDIEVAL 4 AND EMPIRE 4 SAVE CA STAY HATING"

[@siegessaule]

Total war is a franchise that will now pander to fans of non-CA ips. It's easier to market DLCs to them as you mentioned. With the recent restructuring of CA, I doubt they have the personnel to do the medieval or empire sequels justice. They can just hold them over the head of classic TW fans and keep them adjacent to the TW franchise.

[@benjamindover2601]

This is why I still play empire and napoleon. They actually tried to innovate when it came to naval combat.

[@angshumanroy277]

All these typical BS from CA and shillfluencers aside, this ongoing decade has been very tough on gamers like us (i.e. the 80s, 90s, and early 2000s gamers). We've lost most of our beloved gaming franchises to corporate profiteering and malpractices. It was inevitable anyway in this era of late-stage capitalism, but I never expected it to happen so rapidly within just 2 decades.

[@Jtretta]

I think that the only Medieval 2 or 3 project I would trust them with would be if they let Feral do a Med 2 remaster where mod support gets the same treatment that Rome 1 got. Med 2 modding is already pretty advanced, but it would be amazing if the modders didn’t have to gut and reassemble the binaries themselves to get features like more memory access to work.

[@williamthehammer1]

We really need a company to become a competitor to Creative Assembly.

[@rod9829]

What exactly happened to the company between FOTS and Rome II, I’m genuinely curious for insight about this

[@Volound]

i talked to an ex-ca from that era (had been gone from the company for ages) over a year ago and they said basically exactly the same things as my main leak video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/a4O6aIRorK2nh7M they were confirmed in everything by all subsequent leaks, having already broached it all to me.

[@paulolopes5939]

At this point i just want a Med 2 Remastered with the mod's capabilities of the Rome Remastered, other thing from CA i dont give 2 f's about

[@Volound]

ive had it leaked to me that they planned on remastering every TW game release before empire. but those plans are apparently scrapped when rome was botched.

[@chico9805]

Well, you're not getting it.

[@vakkius]

If only they could get the UI right

[@user-ii1jy3mc5v]

Is that the same leak that said Rob B had been sacked? I wouldn't take his leak info seriously.

[@rrai1999]

What? But those are what anyone who gives a flying fuck about Total War at this stage want? Those are the things that would sell? The decision making process must be truly labyrinthine

[@jarjars3261]

At this point I just hope CA just completely collapses. I hope they never release another game again, so that another company can take it back up and actually have to make a game that has to prove itself to a consumer base that doesn't know them yet.

[@ivan55599]

Sad, but at the same time good. Mixed feelings from a person, who likes Medieval 2. It needs updates, but not same treatment as latest games have. L'd have liked TW Warhammer, if it would have been a good game (mechanics), and without high end graphics. Do we need a this kind of game where you can see eyeballs of your models, and do some special animations when idle? You don't have time to look at those models, when battles end in like 10 minutes.

[@Luci4her]

i agree, the models could be the same for all i car. possibly just add a few variation for the amor. but facial wise. nah i dont care. im always on bridside view enjoying both armies clashing.

[@mikaelgrande6968]

CA doing everything they can to avoid having to surpass their own achievements 10 years ago

[@Lawlietho]

It's pretty clear to me that not only they will not make those games and it's not a good idea to make those games (due to the state of CA), but they also lack the skill to make those games.

[@deguberseg9878]

probably lack the skill , big titles are challenging

[@emuannihilator5774]

Honestly, thank God that CA ISN'T making Medieval/Empire in their current state. I shudder to imagine my fusiliers shuffling into a wonky line, taking aim, and launching flaccid arrow-bullets into the identical units 2 foot away.

[@yurdi_yuri]

Im honestly fine with not getting anouther medieval/empire game. I know this is a strech (considering how their new game turned out) I hope CA will make a fleshed out game in a setting they haven't already done, such as the 30 year war, English Civil War, or something like the Franco-Prussian war. I just want something new and good.

[@RomanHistoryFan476AD]

To be honest, would anyone with any sense of respect really want current CA to make Medieval 3 or Empire 2? No they would ruin those games and tarnish the legacy of them, especially Medieval 1 and 2s legacy.

[@brothir]

The lead content visionary for Medieval 3 has in fact not even been born yet.

[@SmoughTown]

Wow - thanks again as always for tempering expectations. But while I am a little disappointed, I've just moved on from CA anyway at this stage.

[@mootedtols4865]

Looking at the way the new one has been released, I think they had planned to release campaign map "upgrades" as DLC going forward, and they would see it as "extending the life cycle"

[@GAMER123GAMING]

Why is CA so comedically inept

[@KG-1]

Thank goodness for Larian & Game Labs to make up for a-holes like CA & PDX.

[@enjoythestruggle]

Phew. I would hate for them to attempt this and ruin it.

[@Boosted_aj]

Just imagine if this series took everything from each game and implemented it or improved upon it with each game? They’d have not just a monopoly. But an actual profitable monopoly that people would look forward to even each year if they wanted to make that many games. But jeez just dropping garbage like pharaoh and leaving the fans out to dry…

[@marduk1734]

Beta Half Life 3 vs Alpha Medieval 3 vs Sigma Hotline Miami 3

[@M4rcom44]

Thank God we saved the medieval series, Medieval 3? I couldn't stand it one of my favorite games in their hands after the disaster of the various remasters NEVER

[@Peatingtune]

They said before they have no intention of EVER making Medieval 3, and considering how bone-headed most of their decisions are, I believe them.

[@Kaiser282]

This is basically the way of all the industries atm. I mean look at BG3 and how all the corps lost their minds because now everyone is going to expect more.

[@DaWhim2380]

"thrones of britannia the most ignored tw" breaks my heart, had a fair bit of fun with that one

[@aldraone-mu5yg]

I broadly agree but not sure how you can lament the loss of naval battles whilst showing a one that looks about as fun as passing a kidney stone. They've always been shit, but I genuinely have no idea how they could make them realistic and fun, not without going in a more arcade direction.

[@Toshiro_Mifune]

That's good news, we won't see these games defiled.

[@TheDivingboy]

I was a big fan of the total war series since i was a small kid. started with medieval 2 and had my absolute peak with shogun 2 avatar conquest. I remember being in the top league with the clan back then when i was 16-17 years old. Always played 2 on 2 and had one of the best times in my life with the community and other clan members. Sad how deep CA has fallen. [MCS] Minamoto for ever 👺

[@jhnshep]

anytime this comes up i get the image of a comic strip in my head, the one that has the director shouting at the board how do we make money, the guy leaning the table 'make empire 2 or medieval 3' and the last image was him being thrown out the window. The ultimate general game that's out soon, looks good. I hope they give CA a run for their money.

[@evanater13]

CA corpos: "we hear you, and we're sorry." Also CA corpos: "...n'huh?"

[@vikingcathq]

I'd kinda been clamoring for a Total War set in Mesopotamia for a while, now we got Pharaoh so we'll never have a proper game in that setting (from CA anyway). Better for them to not mess up another potential setting either. Imagine if current CA made what I've been dreaming of for years, Total War: Genghis Khan... *shivers* 'Get 7 different cosmetic packs for Genghis' horse!'

[@Tom_Quixote]

Hoping for a Medieval 3 from CA is like hoping that a great band you used to like releases a new album - even though the lead singer is dead, the lyrics writer left, and the rest of the band are session guys.

[@unowno123]

CA is likely high af on money for warhammer 3 So now they just want more. Which means total war warhammer 40k. The only thing I want to know now if its going to be a single game, two games or another triology.

[@ZipperZbieracz]

I'm relieved. I won't have to see the sh*t done to good historical Total Wars like I saw what EA did to NFS Most Wanted years ago. CA will stick to producing clone-games at a low cost, can they really do anything else? Nope.

[@dietrashman]

The funny thing is that, if you ask me, "simulations" on the level of the total war empire naval battles got taken off by the two Ultimate Admiral games so far where you get a still gamified but pretty good quality game.

[@jschex123]

Just remember that we are not their audience anymore. They are seeking a new younger audience who are fast paced, arcade style, and more into fantasy than anything historical, or at least into non European/or non “controversial” history.

[@antoniodelaugger9236]

lol imagine how they would handle the marriage system in a Medieval 3. The ladies in medieval 2 were always referred to as nothing more than "breeding stations" and how they're a possible victim to a dreadful General if he were to beat you.

[@justinaccount9920]

I am 16 and I love the historical total wars. I just wish CA can listen to their fans and make a new game engine

[@reheyesd8666]

Maybe ultimate general civil war will be my empire 2 replacement. Just need to wait for steam release.

[@SSR2902]

I saw once a video where someone said that they made a survey where they asked people how to improve their phones so that they could sell them better. And he said that the phone he made didn't sell. And he came to the conclusion that you shouldn't listen to your customers that they don't know what they are talking nor they know what they want. If someone knows what video i am talking about, please respond with the title of the video. But the bottom line is that CA is the same; they don't think that they should listen to you. Lets take, for example, single entities. Everyone says that single entities are stupid and bad for the game. Well, three kingdoms and Troy sold and have a higher player base than Pharaoh so way should they listen to you? Clearly, the community doesn't know what they are talking about. Another thing is that people said that the new "historical" total wars have been like a warhammer, but without magic, monsters, and other things. Well, that is because they are. total war Warhammer games have been the best-selling game in the total war francize so it must have done something good. How wouldn't they think that the warhammer formula of battles is the best when it soled the most? That is how CA makes decisions, it haz a list of variables in their database of each individual feature that they put into a game and how well the game did. In their way of assessing features, I really wonder how much context they have about way did the sed feature did well ore not. I don't think they even understand how much their brand matters in selling their game or how much combining it with an even bigger Brand like Warhammer matters. Naval battles are the same; they get feedback that they are bad, but they don't have much context about way they are bad. They just think that total war players don't want naval battles. They say that yes, people say they want naval battles until they actually get them, and then at best it will be ignored, and at worst it will be considered a chore( at least for any naval battles that don't have cannons). There is no reason to think that in this system, Medieval 3 or Empire 2 would have designed decisions that would differ from the already established working formula.

[@apu2458]

Who couldve guessed lmao. Cant wait for the n-th installment of pharaoh/troy/soyhammer reddit ass bullshit. If we ever get empire 2 i can almost guarantee that fuckin george washington will be a single character unit with instant reload musket or some goofy shit like that.

[@LordVader1094]

Thank God for that. I'd hate to see Medieval and Empire ruined by current CA

[@Alte.Kameraden]

Empire 2 is the game that could save the company personally. The first Empire was a broken mess of a game but personally still the best game they've made in my opinion. Mostly because of the size/scope of the game.

[@dunovancarr4879]

So why has no other company tried to step up and take over as this type of game's genre leader?

[@shadowwarriorshockwave3281]

Don’t forget Shogun 2 and dynamic weather fog, rain, snow or nothing. All had effects unique and before you mention how rain might not make much impact due to gunpowder Otomo and FOTS it could be very impactful.

[@amhumanperson3592]

They fear a second rome 2, where they promote somthing that isn't polished that isn't ready and reaches the market to loads of sales for a week before the whole thing crashes down due to bugs and preformance issues.

[@pyry1948]

I really don't even understand why people would ever want these people to make Medieval 3??? Do you really think these people would not make it terrible!? 😅😂

[@sethleoric2598]

I'm actually half glad considering the quality CA has been putting out recently.

[@Usako2000]

Thank you for making this video and all of your leaks so far. Stuff like this is important given the amount of grifting done on Medieval 3 and Empire 2 hype and speculation by pretty much every single shill.

[@madwellmusic8995]

They blame their audience who make bad reviews as influences towards the masses. Thats like government spending tax dollars on foreign aid that don't need to itemize their laundry list, and then punishing citizens for not working hard enough for their scraps.

[@WuCSquad]

The positivity flowing here is quite refreshing... And yes, I do mean the positivity that this will anger many devs and while they see the massive hole CA is creating in the market which they will be eager to fill; it may take a few years but it will happen; there's money in it.

[@patavinity1262]

If they released an Empire 2 for example, then yeah I'd be happy as long as it's moddable. It might be complete shit, but as long as the problems can be fixed with mods I'll just wait a year or two and play it then.

[@Dangerooman]

I miss when games were games. Now they're just cheap mass produced products.

[@Korvinian4601]

games are still games though