Total War's next stop is Ancient Egypt with Total War: Pharaoh
It's coming this October
The next Total War game will be taking players to the Egyptian New Kingdom period, Sega and Creative Assembly have announced today, with the reveal of Total War: Pharaoh. Releasing in October 2023, Total War: Pharaoh will see the three great cultures of the people of Egypt, Canaan and Hittite battle it out as they determine who will be the next pharaoh. And it's all set against the backdrop of the Bronze Age collapsing in on itself, with natural disasters to plan for, foreign powers to defend against, and the general unravelling of society as we know it. Lovely stuff. Come watch the reveal trailer below.
You'll be stepping into the role of a leader of one of these three cultures, choosing from eight unique factions within them to determine the style and tactics of your campaign. The Egyptians have the Ramesses, Seti, Tausret and Amenmesse to choose from, while the Canaanites have the Bay and Irsu factions, and the Hittites the Kurunta and Suppiluliuma factions. There's the usual warmongering to get stuck in with, of course, but Pharaoh also looks to be building on the diplomatic routes laid down by Three Kingdoms and Creative Assembly's Total WarHam games, with the promise of charming the courts and becoming conniving diplomats.
The theatre of Total War: Pharaoh will also encompass all the great sights of Ancient Egypt, extending from the banks of the Nile to the deserts of the Sinai Peninsula and the mountains of Anatolia, according to Creative Assembly. With different terrain also comes different weather conditions, and you'll need to account for sand and thunderstorms, and the ever-present threat of fire. The latter sounds particularly deadly in Total War: Pharaoh, as it won't just eat up forests and spread across battlefields, but it can also damage settlement foundations. A good tactic to smoke out your enemies, no doubt, but alas, I don't think you'll be able to keep the fire at bay in your own towns and cities by simply plonking down a network of good old-fashioned firehouses a la city-builder Pharaoh.
The thing that sounds most exciting about Total War: Pharaoh, though, is its new Campaign Customisation feature. This is good news for those who like to play multiple campaigns of Total War games, as Creative Assembly are hoping it will mean that no two campaigns will ever feel the same. You'll be able to determine things like each faction's starting position (or randomise them completely, if you prefer), tinker with natural disasters and play around with a detailed set of resource settings to name just a few of the options on offer, so if you want to create impossible scenarios for yourself or live out the ultimate cakewalk power fantasy, you should be able to do just that.
Total War: Pharoah is coming to Steam and the Epic Games Store for £50/€60/$60 in October, but there will be an early access weekend taking place ahead of launch for anyone who pre-orders the game (which are also open now). We don't have exact details of when the early access weekend will be taking place just yet, but we'll keep you up to date as soon as we hear more.