Total War: Warhammer 3 review bombed by Chinese users

With the release of Total War: Warhammer 3, fans of the series were excited to play the third installment in the mass-battle strategy game. But some were shocked to find the game only received a “mixed” reception on Steam.

This was due to a series of review bombs posted immediately after the game’s release. The vast majority of negative reviews came from Chinese language users, as highlighted in a tweet by Daniel Ahmad.

These reviewers were critical not of the game, but instead were angered by publisher Creative Assembly’s promotional efforts in the region. Fans of the game who preordered were upset to find codes for the game given out to a large number of streamers and influencers, many of whom were not fans of the Total War or Total War: Warhammer.

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This promotional strategy meant some who got early access to the game acted disinterested or spoiled aspects of the game. Some in the Chinese fan base are upset that the game was given away early to these streamers who didn’t seem to care about the game, while fans who preordered were left to wait.

Ultimately, the review bomb will likely just be a blip on the radar for the game’s review score. But the effort by Chinese fans is a powerful message to Creative Assembly, who have made a large misstep in the promotion of their game in China. 

For more Total War: Warhammer 3 information, check out How to unlock Boris Ursus in Total War: Warhammer 3 on Pro Game Guides.