Creative Assembly has announced a significant shift in their development strategy for Total War: Warhammer 3, with future DLCs set to expand the popular Immortal Empires campaign instead of the controversial Realm of Chaos. This move comes in response to extensive player feedback and aims to enhance the sandbox experience that has become synonymous with the Warhammer universe.
Immortal Empires: The Quintessential Warhammer Experience
During a 17-minute developer update titled “What’s Next?”, senior game director Rich Aldridge and associate game director Victor Dosev outlined the new direction. “Our next DLCs will be focused on Immortal Empires specifically for our new characters and factions,” said Aldridge. He emphasized that while the Realm of Chaos will continue receiving bug fixes and balance updates, the primary focus will now be expanding the sandbox mode. “Immortal Empires is the quintessential Warhammer experience,” Aldridge added.
New Legendary Lords and Units
The upcoming DLC will introduce a host of new legendary lords and units to the expansive Immortal Empires map. Among the exciting additions are Gorbad Ironclaw for the Greenskins, Skulltaker for Khorne, and Golgfag Maneater for the Ogre Kingdoms. Each legendary lord will bring unique abilities and units, enriching the gameplay’s strategic depth and variety.
The Greenskins’ Gorbad Ironclaw is set to lead his brutal horde with unmatched ferocity, while Skulltaker will add a new dimension of terror to Khorne’s forces. Golgfag Maneater, a classic character from the early days of Warhammer, will bolster the Ogre Kingdoms with his formidable presence and mercenary prowess.
In addition to the legendary lords, players can look forward to new units such as the giant Thundertusk mammoth and Blood Vultures for the Ogre Kingdoms, as well as the fearsome Slaughter Brute for Khorne. The following “freeLC,” released alongside the DLC, will introduce another legendary lord for Khorne, speculated to be Arbaal the Undefeated.
Looking Ahead: Enhancements and Future Plans
Creative Assembly has also committed to revisiting and enhancing older Total War: Warhammer armies. Aldridge reassured fans of the Vampire Counts and Norsca factions that they are on the radar for future updates. “Vampire Count fans, don’t worry. Norsca fans, we want to come back and address things to do with the monster hunts,” he stated.
DLC lead designer Sean Macdonald added that patches between DLC releases would become more substantial, incorporating reworks and new content to keep the game fresh and engaging. “Things that you wouldn’t normally see in a patch, including things such as the reworks that you might expect to come with a .0 drop like the cults, we’re gonna take a look at them,” Macdonald explained. “And then, even beyond reworking, we might try and add some new content to create some new fresh experiences.”
Release Timeline and Future Communications
While the next DLC does not yet have a firm release date, Aldridge hinted at a launch towards the end of the year. He also mentioned that players should expect another update from Creative Assembly in “late summer,” promising continued transparency and communication with the community.
This strategic shift to focus on Immortal Empires reflects Creative Assembly’s commitment to listening to their players and delivering content that enhances the core Warhammer experience. As the year progresses, fans can look forward to more legendary characters, diverse units, and enriched gameplay that keep Total War: Warhammer 3 at the forefront of epic strategy gaming.
