NetEase Deal Announcement FAQ

FAQ

So, NetEase. What’s the deal?

At ChinaJoy 2019, we announced a long-term partnership with NetEase, Inc., one of China’s leading internet and online game services providers and publishers. The deal includes the publishing rights for Total War’s historical catalogue in China up to and including Total War: THREE KINGDOMS, plus they will also be publishing Total War: ARENA and our just-announced new collectable card game, Total War: ELYSIUM, in China.

I’m in China. When can I play these games?

You can’t officially publish games in China without a local publishing partner, so partnering with NetEase is a first but very big step! We’re excited to work with NetEase to get our Total War games in your hands as soon as possible.

What does this mean for players outside of China?

Not much! This hasn’t changed our road map. It just means that more people around the world will be able to play more of our games. That’s a good thing for our studio, and in turn, a good thing for Total War players.

We’ve always developed Total War games in line with local age rating and legal requirements based on the country they are sold in. We’ll be working with NetEase to make sure our games can be released in China, but that won’t affect the content of our games in other countries.

What does this mean for the future of Creative Assembly and Total War?

We keep full control of our studio, our titles, our road map, and the support we give our community. We’ll work closely with NetEase to deliver on player needs in China specifically, but if you live anywhere else you won’t even notice. Business as usual.

What about Total War: ELYSIUM?

As part of the ChinaJoy announcement, we confirmed that we have a collectible card game (CCG) on the way called Total War: ELYSIUM. It’s slated to launch in China first, where CCGs are particularly popular and NetEase has some extensive experience, but we hope to bring it to players worldwide before too long.

Wait, I won’t be able to play ELYSIUM where I live?

No, not at first. Total War: ELYSIUM is a new title and a new genre for us, and we want to give it the best possible chance for success. China gives us a huge audience of CCG fans to learn from so we can eventually bring the game to the rest of the world in better shape than ever.

If you want to keep up to date with any future news or announcements, however, you can sign up here: TotalWarElysium.com

Did I see Total War: ARENA in that trailer?

Yes, the deal includes Total War: ARENA as part of the historical catalogue. While we shut down the game in the west last year, we still see loads of potential there and luckily NetEase wholeheartedly agrees. ARENA will make its return as a China-exclusive, but we’d love to bring it back to the rest of the world some day.