When Total War: Warhammer 40,000 was finally announced, the hype levels were unsurprisingly high. Despite the popularity of the 40k franchise, it somehow never made the jump to Total War until now. However, the attitude towards Total War has become complicated over the years. Though it remains as popular as ever, some controversial practices made fans wary of this upcoming entry.
Fortunately for fans, Creative Assembly quickly responded to one major concern.
Total War: Warhammer 40,000 will be the first Total War game in years to not have factions locked behind pre-order bonuses. Although preorder bonuses will still be offered, Warhammer 40k factions will not be part of those offerings. Creative Assembly reasoned in an official blogpost that players shouldn't "miss out on content" before the game has proved itself. The choice was celebrated by Total War fans, especially those who've felt the burn of missing out on popular factions.
For many critics, this was a low bar that nevertheless needed clearing. The choice to lock factions behind preorders was never popular for obvious reasons. When something in-game exists and the only way to grab it is by having money in a very specific window, it's not exactly consumer-friendly. Again, it's a low bar, but in an era of increasingly invasive monetization for video games, this is a refreshing change of pace.
In addition, games such as Total War: Warhammer 40,000 and Medieval 3 will have a "different" approach to blood and gore. Before, players could only get such visual enhancements via "Blood Pack" DLC. The developers claim that blood and gore will now become core to games where such effects are expected. The shaving down of unnecessary purchases does spell good things for frugal Total War players.
Given the sheer amount of factions we'll likely get for Total War: Warhammer 40,000, that will be very necessary.
The Wargamer Discord has plenty of the Imperium's finest to talk Warhammer 40k with. For more about the upcoming game, check out our breakdown of Total War: Warhammer 40,000's reveal.