A Total War Saga: TROY is set to be an Epic Games Store exclusive, but you can cop yourself a free copy for the first 24 hours of its release.
For fans of the Total War games, the release of Creative Assembly’s latest historical title; TROY has been expected to debut in 2020 ever since it was announced, complete with a flashy launch trailer back in September 2019.
We already knew that TROY would be a smaller game than the likes of the studio’s recent main releases including Three Kingdoms and, of course, the hugely popular, Warhammer 2. The Saga spin-off series of the main Total War games first debuted with A Total War Saga: Thrones of Britannia which was received well by fans and gave a smaller, more concise style of gameplay compared to the large-scale strategy we have come to expect from the franchise.
New details released on June 2 explained not just when but what players can expect from A Total War Saga: TROY when it finally arrives.
Firstly, not all of the news has been received positively, with Creative Assembly themselves pre-empting anger and frustration at the game being released purely as an Epic Games Store exclusive for the first 12 months. In their main press release that accompanied the announcement, the developer had this to say about TROY and its Epic Games Store exclusivity.
“We’re really excited about TROY, and we’re even more excited that this will give more of you the chance to play and enjoy it than might have had it otherwise. While we know that some of you won’t like the Epic Games Store exclusivity, we feel like this is a great opportunity for us in a lot of ways, and we’re hoping that you’ll take some time to hear us out and for us to answer what some of the questions we think you might have.”
Giving more backstory on the deal they had come to with Epic Games, Creative Assembly was surprisingly open and upfront saying; “Epic approached us and asked if TROY could be an Epic exclusive, as part of a commercial deal. That’s not to say that we immediately signed on the dotted line, or that money was the only reason that we did this (it’s not!). It was a difficult decision, and you can be assured that there were a lot of differing opinions in the studio, and a lot of discussions about it – which largely focused on what it would mean for you, the players.”
“However, ultimately we considered two things. First, we’re at a time when we’re looking to invest more into the ongoing development of Total War this felt like an opportunity to really move the franchise forward by getting it in front of more people. Secondly, Epic were paying for our players to have our latest release free on day one. For Total War’s 20th birthday, that felt like an opportunity too good to pass up.”
Despite the expected outrage from many players about the exclusivity, the opportunity to pick up a free download of the game for the first 24 hours from release does seem to have been a linchpin in the deal reached between the two developers. We won’t know the full extent of the impact on players until we see some download figures, which brings us onto the important bit; when can you get your hands on TROY?
The game is set to release on August 13, 2020, and as long as you’re quick, you’ll be able to redeem your free copy, no questions asked, for the first 24 hours. After that, the game will have to be purchased through the Epic Games Store and won’t be available on steam for a full year.
Is this just a spin tactic to lessen the blow to fans of the surprising news of exclusivity or is this a genuine attempt to give back to a community who have followed the franchise since the days of Shogun Total War in the year 2000? Who knows, but one thing is certain; the community will decide the fate of TROY.
What do you think? Are you excited for A Total War Saga: TROY? Tell us below!
