In 2025, Creative Assembly is celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Total War franchise — and on December 4th, during a special jubilee livestream, they did it with a real bang.
The studio announced something fans had been hoping for for years: Total War Medieval 3 announcement. And even though the reveal lasted just a few minutes, it was more than enough to fire up the imagination of the entire fan community.
Why? Because it marks a return to the series’ historical roots — to an era many players consider the “true face” of Total War. And on top of that, the reveal was exceptionally early, almost raw. Creative Assembly showed only a tiny teaser and a pinch of concept art, openly saying: “Hey, we’re just getting started. We want you with us from day one!”.
TL;DR
Total War: Medieval 3 Announcement — Quick Summary
Creative Assembly announced Total War: Medieval 3 as part of the franchise’s 25th anniversary, marking a return to historical strategy roots with a community-driven development approach.
- Early announcement: The game is in preproduction, with a teaser and concept art showing the foundations of the late Middle Ages era (12th-15th century).
- Development philosophy: CA aims for full transparency, including community feedback and development diaries, to shape the game step-by-step.
- Authentic historical focus: Medieval 3 will emphasize meaningful historical choices, reimagining events like the rise of new powers, the fall of empires, and post-Rome state trajectories.
- New engine: The game will run on the Warcore engine, providing more advanced technology for animations, battles, and campaign maps.
- Why it matters: The medieval era holds a special place in Total War history, and this new installment aims to capitalize on the nostalgia while fitting into the current renaissance of historical strategy games.
- What’s next: The game is still early in development, with no release date yet, but CA’s new, open communication approach suggests a promising direction for the franchise.
Announcing the revival of the Medieval series 20 years after the last entry? That’s nothing short of a dream come true for many fans — a real historical strategy revolution.
Total War Medieval 3 Announcement — What Did CA Show Us?
During the event, the devs didn’t pretend to be further along than they are. Medieval III is just entering preproduction, so instead of showing ready-made systems or gameplay, CA presented something more basic but also more honest: the tone and the foundations of the project.
We saw only a moody live-action teaser and stylized illustrations of the late Middle Ages — fortresses, towns, battlefields. No battles, no armies, no campaign footage. And, importantly, this wasn’t because of a “saving on marketing” approach but because of a chosen philosophy: the game is meant to be developed with the doors wide open, step by step, and with community input.
Creative Assembly talks about community updates, production diaries, consultations with players, and shaping game mechanics based on their feedback. It’s a major shift from the old habits, where only the final product revealed all its cards. This time, it’s all about game development transparency.
Goals And Ambitions: “The Most Authentic Total War Ever”
Although Medieval III is still extremely early in development, CA has already outlined its biggest ambitions. This is meant to be a Creative Assembly strategy game that redefines what historical strategy can be — grounded in facts, yet full of meaningful choices that let history unfold differently.
The developers want to capture the spirit of the late Middle Ages (roughly the 12th to 15th century), a time when old empires were collapsing, new powers were rising, and Europe was entering a period of dynamic transformation.
They mention examples like alternative outcomes for Byzantium, a different trajectory for post-Rome states, or the impact of expansion and crises shaping the entire continent. The idea isn’t to recreate a history textbook, but to build a living world that reacts to how we choose to play out the “what if” scenarios with historical grounding.
The whole thing will run on a new engine called Warcore. More advanced technologically, aiming to give animations, battles, and the grand-strategy campaign map a fresher, more authentic feel. In other words: big upgrade, big ambition, big expectations.
The Bigger Picture — Why This Announcement Matters So Much
For Total War as a franchise, the medieval era is special. Medieval and Medieval II were the entry point for countless players, and their atmosphere and mechanics are still remembered with huge nostalgia. No surprise then that a new installment is sparking major excitement.
The strategy genre is also going through a renaissance — players are once again craving historical authenticity, fact-based conflicts, and systems that make you feel like you’re part of something bigger than a simple battle simulation. Medieval III fits this renewed demand like a glove — especially as a full-scale grand strategy project.
It’s also impossible to overlook the shift happening inside Creative Assembly itself. The studio is rebuilding trust with the community after years of Warhammer focus, the failed Hyenas project that was supposed to redefine the studio’s direction, and several controversial business decisions. Their new approach — early announcement and open communication — is a clear signal that CA wants to regain goodwill, show professionalism, and prove once again that they can deliver incredible historically grounded games.
What’s Next?
First of all: we wait for Medieval III. With the game at such an early stage, proper showcases, systems, or a release date are still far away — so all we can do is to be patient and speculate.
But for the first time in a long while, it genuinely feels like Creative Assembly is building something big, thoughtful, and respectful toward its audience. And it wants players to be part of the process right from the threshold.
If CA truly maintains transparency and consistency — and delivers the level of quality they’re aiming for — then Medieval III might end up being much more than just another entry in the series. It could be a brand-new beginning for all of Total War.
Source:
- https://www.creative-assembly.com/blog/total-war-medieval-iii-unveiled-25-anniversary-showcase