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Following the widely hostile reception to Creative Assembly’s latest strategic, Egypt-based series entry, Total War Pharaoh developers have now posted an extensive apology informing players that they’ll be issuing partial refunds to all current owners of the game. This comes after many within the community had complained about Pharaoh’s premium price tag and shallow gameplay, prompting the Total War leadership to reduce its retail price to $39.99/£29.99 from its original cost of $59.99/£49.99.
Though the price reduction and subsequent issuance of partial refunds come as a surprise to most players, writing had already been on the wall for the disappointing turn-based installment. Several critics and casual reviews (including us here at VideoGamer) had previously lambasted Pharaoh for its lackluster quality, which typically hasn’t been the norm for a series as widely celebrated as Total War.
In their lengthy apology post, Total War leadership further noted: “We don’t think it’s fair that our fans, who put their trust in us on Pharaoh, should in any way feel disadvantaged for buying the game at the previous price. We’ve also removed the higher-priced editions of the game, the Deluxe Edition and Dynasty Edition. There’s now only one edition of the game available for purchase.”
In addition to providing partial refunds to every single Total War Pharaoh owner, the game’s development team has also announced that their next content update, which will be released in early 2024, will be free. The as-yet-unnamed expansion was initially supposed to be the game’s first paid DLC, but due to the community’s widespread disappointment, it will now be given out at no charge instead.
Total War Pharaoh leadership also stated that they’re not closing the door on “more ambitious updates to the game in the future,” so there should be plenty to look forward to even if you’re frustrated with their latest strategic project. While you wait for more details, check out our guides on how to win a Civil War in Total War Pharaoh, the best graphics settings in Total War Pharaoh, and the best leaders and factions to play in Total War Pharaoh.
