Total War: Three Kingdoms has sold 1 million copies in its first week, making the most successful launch in the long-running series of strategy games. In the run-up to release, it was obvious that Creative Assembly had a lot of confidence in the game. We received review copies well in advance of the release, and the embargo on reviews lifted a full week before the game went on sale. These are always strong signs that a developer truly believes in the game they have made.
Creative Assembly was right to feel so confident. Total War: Three Kingdoms has done nothing but set records since it launched. First, it knocked Rome 2 off the top spot for concurrent players within the series, and now it has hit 1 million units sold inside a week.
A huge amount of the success comes from the Chinese market, where the Three Kingdoms saga is a huge cultural interest. PC gaming is a massively expanding market in China, and Total War: Three Kingdoms has allowed Creative Assembly to tap into that market.
The game itself is fantastic. I thoroughly enjoyed my time spent with it, and feel like the game does a fantastic job of providing something for everyone. With two different campaign modes, Romance or Records, you can either explore the dramatized stories of one of the most tumultuous times in Chinese history or instead opt for the harsh realism of history itself. It’s a quality game that marries accessibility with a deep challenge for experienced players. I get the feeling that one million sales is just the start for the latest entry in the Total War series.
