Sega: Shogun 2 Complete Edition Pulled From Sale After Two Days
By Indie Kings | October 16, 2026
Updated October 16, 2026: Sega and Creative Assembly have pulled Total War: Shogun 2 - Complete Edition from sale just two days after its October 13 launch, with the Steam rating at Overwhelmingly Negative within 48 hours. The companies say they are working with platform holders to take the remake down and reinstate the original 2011 game while they investigate.
The reinstatement is the telling fact: Sega delisted the beloved 2011 Shogun 2 to funnel buyers at a remaster, and two days later the 2011 game was declared the better product.
Image: Total War: Shogun 2 header art. Credit: Sega / Creative Assembly, via Steam. This is the original 2011 game's art, the version returning to stores.
The two day timeline, from announcement to reversal
Sega announced a remaster of Total War: Shogun 2 in September 2026, set to launch one month later, per PC Gamer. The game, titled Total War: Shogun 2 - Complete Edition, launched on PC on October 13, 2026 across Steam, the Epic Games Store, the Microsoft Store, and GOG. Credits list Sega, Creative Assembly, and MATABOO as developers.
Before the Complete Edition arrived, Sega pulled the original 2011 Total War: Shogun 2 as a standalone Steam purchase, effective from September 28, 2026, per Creative Assembly's own pre-launch FAQ. Existing owners kept playing and received missing DLC for free, but new buyers had exactly one option: the Complete Edition.
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| September 2026 | Sega announces the Shogun 2 remaster, per PC Gamer |
| September 28, 2026 | Original 2011 Shogun 2 delisted as a standalone Steam purchase, per the pre-launch FAQ |
| October 13, 2026 | Complete Edition launches on Steam, Epic Games Store, Microsoft Store, and GOG |
| October 14, 2026 | Sega's Japanese statement says sales are temporarily stopped for investigation |
| October 15, 2026 | Joint Sega and Creative Assembly statement announces removal from sale and reinstatement of the original |
| October 16, 2026 | No timeline for the Complete Edition's return, no refund statement, AI accusations unaddressed |
What Creative Assembly promised before launch
The pitch was substantial. Per Creative Assembly's pre-launch FAQ blog, the Complete Edition promised updated visuals, a full Japanese voiceover and text, over 50 newly playable minor factions, and all DLC in one package. The Complete Edition was also remaking all cinematics in traditional Japanese woodblock style, per PC Gamer's earlier coverage.
PC Gamer's preview the day before launch found a modernised but incomplete package. The reviewer wrote that any reason to return to Shogun 2 in 2026 is worth celebrating but wished the Complete Edition "felt more extensive and essential versus leaving so much undone."
Overwhelmingly Negative in two days
The launch went wrong within hours. Per Delisted Games and Time Extension reporting, players quickly noted that long-standing bugs from the 2011 game were still present alongside new ones, and that upscaled in-game assets showed what they judged to be clear evidence of AI retouching. PC Gamer describes thousands of negative user reviews spurred by old bugs, ignored quality of life complaints, and accusations, thus far unconfirmed, of undisclosed generative AI use.
The Steam rating reached Overwhelmingly Negative within two days of launch, per Time Extension and Delisted Games reporting. The AI accusations remain unconfirmed, and as of PC Gamer's October 15 report, Sega had not yet responded to them directly.
Sega and Creative Assembly's October 15 statement
On October 15, 2026, Sega and Creative Assembly issued a joint statement, first quoted verbatim by Delisted Games:
We're aware that Total War: Shogun 2 - Complete Edition has fallen short of both your expectations and our own standards. We've seen your feedback, comments, and reviews. We agree that the current experience is not where it needs to be. As a result we are working with platform holders to remove the game from sale and to reinstate the original game while we investigate the issues. Existing owners will still be able to access and play the game. We are working closely with our development partner to identify the causes of these problems, deliver improvements, and ensure Shogun 2 - Complete Edition meets the quality standards players expect from Total War.
The announcement carries no timeline for when the Complete Edition may return to sale, and makes no mention of refunds. It also does not address the AI retouching and upscaling accusations that drove much of the backlash.
Sega had already signaled the reversal a day earlier. Per Sega's Japanese statement on sega.co.jp dated October 14, the company said sales are temporarily stopped for the investigation and that existing buyers keep playing.
What happens to buyers and the original game
Anyone who purchased the Complete Edition keeps access to it. The joint statement says existing owners will still be able to access and play the game, but, per PC Gamer, Sega did not clarify how or whether those buyers can go back to playing the original version.
The bigger consequence is the reinstatement itself. Promising to reinstate the 2011 original while investigating, as the statement does, is a signal that a simple patch is not days or even weeks away, per Delisted Games' read of the announcement. The 2011 game, delisted from September 28 to funnel buyers toward the Complete Edition, becomes purchasable again because the replacement could not hold its ground.
MATABOO's role and its 2024 history
Alongside Creative Assembly's name as developer of the Complete Edition sits MATABOO, a studio that specializes in co-development and porting, per Delisted Games. MATABOO first drew criticism in 2024 over accusations of AI use, specifically generative AI fill, in the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Legends of the Zone Trilogy port on consoles, per Delisted Games.
PC Gamer adds separate background pressure on Sega: in 2024, Sega's Aegis-CWA union accused the company of outsourcing QA and some localization services, resulting in the layoff of 61 people. The union argued at the time that the move would harm quality of future games, per PC Gamer's quotation of the union's post.
Our take
Pulling the remake and reinstating the original within 48 hours is the fastest, most honest reversal a publisher could have made, and credit is due for acting on day two rather than day thirty. But the sequence that led here was self-inflicted twice over: first by shipping a remaster that carried forward old bugs while adding new ones, and second by delisting the original three weeks earlier so the flawed new version was the only thing a new buyer could purchase. The unaddressed AI accusation is the part that should worry fans most, because Sega answered everything except the question that fueled the largest share of the anger. If a game with the goodwill of Shogun 2 launched in this state, the promise of future Total War quality rests entirely on whether the investigation produces visible accountability, not just a patch.
FAQ
Is Total War: Shogun 2 - Complete Edition still on sale?
No. Sega and Creative Assembly said on October 15, 2026 that they are working with platform holders to remove it from sale across Steam, the Epic Games Store, the Microsoft Store, and GOG while they investigate.
What happens if I already bought the Complete Edition?
You keep it. The October 15 statement says existing owners will still be able to access and play the game, though PC Gamer notes Sega did not clarify how buyers can return to the original version.
Can I buy the original 2011 Total War: Shogun 2 again?
Sega says it is reinstating the 2011 original while the issues are investigated. As of October 16 there is no confirmed relisting date, and the original had been delisted as a standalone Steam purchase from September 28, 2026.
Are there refunds for the Complete Edition?
No refund commitment appears in the October 15 statement. Existing buyers are confirmed to keep access instead.
Did Sega confirm the remaster used generative AI?
No. The AI retouching and upscaling accusations are unconfirmed, and neither the October 15 joint statement nor a direct reply to the accusations had followed as of PC Gamer's October 15 report.
When will the Complete Edition return to sale?
There is no timeline. Per Delisted Games, the promise to reinstate the 2011 original during the investigation suggests a fix is not close.
Bottom Line
Total War: Shogun 2 - Complete Edition lasted two days on sale before Sega and Creative Assembly pulled it, after old and new bugs plus unconfirmed AI retouching accusations drove the Steam rating to Overwhelmingly Negative by October 15. Sega is reinstating the delisted 2011 original, existing Complete Edition owners keep their copies, no return timeline or refund position was given, and the AI accusations remain unanswered.
Sources
- Delisted Games: After just 2 days on sale, Sega's Total War: SHOGUN 2 update has been delisted on PC (October 2026, including the verbatim joint statement)
- PC Gamer: The Shogun 2 remaster is so bad, Sega is removing it from sale and bringing back the original (October 15, 2026)