Sega Pulls Total War: Shogun 2 Remaster Over AI Art and Bugs

Sega and Creative Assembly released the Complete Edition of Total War: Shogun 2 on Oct 13, 2026. The new version replaced the original 2011 edition on Steam, a move that left many owners without access to the functional game. Players quickly posted negative reviews that cited new and old bugs, poor performance and a noticeable use of AI upscaling on unit cards and other art. The AI‑generated images were criticized for missing fingers and distorted faces, and some art was left unchanged, appearing as tiny thumbnail‑sized originals. Steam reviews for the remaster fell to an overwhelmingly negative rating, with only about 19 % of players recommending the game.

Removal and reinstatement

In a statement posted on X, Sega said it was aware that the Complete Edition fell short of both player expectations and its own standards. The company is working with platform holders to temporarily remove the game from sale and to reinstate the original 2011 edition while it investigates the issues. Owners who already purchased the remaster can still play and access the game. Sega pledged to identify the causes, deliver improvements and bring the edition up to the quality players expect from Total War.

The controversy centers on the undisclosed use of generative AI to upscale artwork, a practice that violates Steam’s AI disclosure policy. Reviews noted that many unit cards had been altered by the upscaler, producing featureless masks and missing fingers, while other parts of the game’s encyclopedia remained in their original, low‑resolution form. The removal also swapped Steam Workshop support for Mod.io, breaking compatibility with mods that had fixed bugs in the original version. No specific timeline for a return of the remaster has been announced.