Creative Assembly, Developer of Total War, Makes a Comeback to Real-Time Strategy Games
Creative Assembly, renowned for its Total War series, renews its focus on real-time strategy games after the cancellation of Hyenas, reaffirming their excellence in the genre
Creative Assembly is returning to its roots in the real-time strategy genre following the cancellation of its multiplayer shooter, Hyenas. Sega president Haruki Satomi explained during a financial briefing, "To put it simply, Creative Assembly excels in offline games in the RTS genre, but they took on the challenge of creating Hyenas, an online game in the FPS genre."
In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, Sega sought to drive growth by redirecting its studios to new areas of focus. While some adapted successfully, others did not. As a result, Sega is now refocusing its studios on their core strengths.
Satomi added, "As part of the structural reform process centered on Creative Assembly, we aim to streamline workflow and allocate resources to the development of their specialized genres."
Hyenas was canceled in September as part of a Sega restructuring, along with other unannounced titles. The game was reportedly Sega's most expensive, but suffered from lack of clear direction in development. It was originally a premium game before transitioning to a free-to-play model with microtransactions.
Creative Assembly is most famous for the real-time strategy Total War series, with the recent release of Total War: Pharoah for PC in October.
Editor's P/S
Creative Assembly's return to real-time strategy games is a welcome development for fans of the genre. The studio has a long and storied history in the RTS space, and its Total War series is one of the most popular and critically acclaimed franchises in the genre. The cancellation of Hyenas was a disappointment, but it's clear that Creative Assembly is committed to making great RTS games.
The studio's focus on its core strengths is a wise move. Creative Assembly has a proven track record of success in the RTS genre, and it's clear that the studio is passionate about making great games in this space. The Total War series is a testament to the studio's talent and dedication, and I'm excited to see what the studio has in store for us in the future.
