The finale for the Total War: Warhammer series has been announced. Total War: Warhammer 3 retains the fantasy Warhammer setting while finally unleashing the Chaos Gods in full force. Considering Creative Assembly's pedigree and what we've experienced from the first two titles, this promises to be one of the best PC games available.
After this initial mystery surrounding what's in store with this game, the developers have been hard at work sharing a ton of information on the factions, new gameplay mechanics and more. Here's everything you need to know about Total War: Warhammer 3.
What is Total War: Warhammer 3?
Total War: Warhammer 3 is the third game in the Total War: Warhammer strategy games series. Developed by Creative Assembly and published by Sega in partnership with Games Workshop, Total War: Warhammer is a sub-series of the larger Total War franchise, a series that mixes real-time strategy battles with turn-based management mechanics.
The grand strategy sections of the game are turn-based, as players move armies around the map, recruit units, construct buildings and more. Meanwhile, the actual battles are real-time, though players have the option to skip playing a battle in exchange for a calculated outcome.
Total War: Warhammer 3 trailers
So far, Creative Assembly and Sega have shared numerous trailers for the game. The reveal trailer pits Kislev against the forces of Khorne, and amusingly confirms one of the factions in the game. You can check it out below:
Another trailer launched on May 12, 2021, showcasing the daemonic armies of Khorne.
Another trailer is dedicated to the reveal of Grand Cathay:
Total War: Warhammer 3 factions and gameplay
Total War: Warhammer 3 includes an unprecedented number of factions. While the prior two games each launched with four factions (not counting any DLC), this entry will include six. Each of the four Chaos Gods gets a distinct army, while the Tzardom of Kislev, long a palette-swap of the Empire and little more than a punching bag, will now be a kingdom in its own right. Even more amazingly, the mysterious eastern empire of Cathay is the sixth faction available at launch!
Here's every new faction we know about so far:
- Chaos Daemons — Nurgle: Available at launch
- Chaos Daemons — Tzeentch: Available at launch
- Chaos Daemons — Slaanesh: Available at launch
- Chaos Daemons — Khorne: Available at launch
- Kislev: Available at launch
- Cathay: Available at launch
- Ogre Kingdoms: Race Pack DLC
Each of the Chaos Gods embodies particular aspects of evil. Nurgle is god of pestilence, evolution, and disease; Tzeentch is god of knowledge, scheming, and deceit; Slaanesh embodies lust, desire, and hedonism; and Khorne thirsts for blood and skulls as the god of war.
At launch, there will be nine Legendary Lords spread across these six factions. There will be another faction available as DLC at launch, the Ogre Kingdoms, with Creative Assembly promising the Race Pack for free to anyone who preorders Total War: Warhammer 3 or buys the game within the first week.
The game description indicates there is a mysterious figure with a role to play who is yet to be revealed, stating "And there is one who schemes to achieve just that, an ancient figure who desires nothing less than to wield supreme power. But to succeed, he will need a champion …" It's possible this is referring to Nagash, an ancient lord of the dead with connections to the Vampire Counts and the Tomb Kings.
Game director Ian Roxburgh says that the map in Total War: Warhammer 3, which includes the frozen north of Kislev, the far east of Cathay, and the Chaos Wastes leading into the Realms of Chaos, is about twice the size of the Eye of the Vortex map for Total War: Warhammer 2.
Several major features are being reworked in Total War: Warhammer 3. There's extra depth in siege battles, providing defenders with multiple walls and additional options. Meanwhile, diplomacy is also being reworked, as the forces of Chaos will not barter with all but a tiny handful of mortal factions, such as the Skaven.
There are also several new Lores of Magic:
- Lore of Tzeentch
- Lore of Nurgle
- Lore of Slaanesh
- Lore of Yin
- Lore of Yang
- Lore of Ice
- Lore of Tempest
Total War: Warhammer 3 will support a Mortal Empires-esque combining of games. Sometime after launch, there'll be a free update so players who own all three games can to combine them into one mega-Warhammer campaign. When this is eventually released, there'll be a total of 22 different factions, when you count all three games and their DLC so far. Many of these factions, such as the Tomb Kings, divide down into multiple further sub-factions.
With the focus now on this third game, Creative Assembly is done supporting Total War: Warhammer 2 with new content, with one more DLC pack having launched after the Twisted and the Twilight addition.
Total War: Warhammer 3 map
Creative Assembly hasn't revealed the official map for Total War: Warhammer 3 yet. We know it's the largest one yet, as it includes a part of the Old World in the form of Kislev and the Chaos Wastes. The eastern empire of Cathay will also be present, while both factions are invading the Realms of Chaos, a confusing and tumultuous place ruled over by the four dark gods.
Is Total War: Warhammer 3 coming to Steam?
Yes, just like the first two games, Total War: Warhammer 3 will be available on Steam. It's also going to be available on the Epic Games Store, but it isn't an exclusive title. Creative Assembly is working to offer the first two games and all DLC on the Epic Games Store, but there's no timeframe for when exactly that'll happen.
Creative Assembly also plans to offer cross-store multiplayer at launch, so you and you friends can play together across different storefronts. Feral Interactive is working on ports of the game for macOS and Linux, which will be available "as close to launch day as possible."
Is Total War: Warhammer 3 coming to Xbox Game Pass?
Yes! Total War: Warhammer 3 will be available at launch through Xbox Game Pass for PC. Sega is working on the bringing the prior games and DLC packs to the Microsoft Store as well, so players who choose to play there can have a full experience.
When is Total War: Warhammer 3's release date?
Source: Sega Corporation (screenshot)
Total War: Warhammer 3 is slated to launch on Feb. 17, 2022. It'll be available on PC through Steam, the Epic Games Store and the Microsoft Store.
Originally, Total War: Warhammer 3 didn't have a release date outside of a vague early 2021 release window. The developers at Creative Assembly have been very open about how the ongoing pandemic has altered development of their games, so while the game was originally scheduled to launch at some point in late 2021, it's clear that more time is needed to completely polish the experience.
The Ruinous Powers awaken
Total War: Warhammer 3 promises an incredible amount of content for players to enjoy. If you preorder, you'll also get the Ogre Kingdoms race pack. Best of all, if you have the first two games, you'll be able to combine them sometime after launch into one ultra-Warhammer campaign.
Expand your PC gaming library
Xbox Game Pass for PC is tailored specifically for PC users, giving a unique lineup of Game Pass games that has lot of crossover with the console list but with more PC-only games.
