10 Video Game Developers Who Made The Right Decision To Ignore Fans
6. Embracing Fantasy - Creative Assembly (Total War: Three Kingdoms)
The two halves of the Total War community have been in a state of all-consuming conflict (if only there were a phrase for that) ever since the 2016 release of Total War: Warhammer.
With half of the fanbase clamouring for additional content and iterations of the fantasy side of the series, and half waiting for a return to the more grounded historical settings of the early Total War games, Creative Assembly seemed guaranteed to disappoint at least half of their fans with their next title.
Still, a Total War based on a heavily-romanticised retelling of history complete with god-like hero units seemed the perfect way to upset everyone, containing neither historical authenticity or zombie dragons. What's more, the setting - third century China - caused consternation by being unfamiliar territory for players, at least in the West.
Creative Assembly somehow managed to pull the opposite trick, however, producing a slick strategy title which gave both history buffs and fantasy fans something to chew on.
Three Kingdoms became the fastest-selling entry in the whole franchise, driven both by Western sales and by the lucrative Chinese market, glad to finally get some representation after decades of Total War kicking about almost exclusively in Europe.