Hot off the heels of its latest free update, Total War Warhammer 3 has big plans for the future. Developer Creative Assembly is already working on what’s next, with some heavy-hitting names on the cards for the Ogre Kingdoms, Khorne, and the Orcs and Goblins. Crucially, this next set of updates will lean in exclusively on the game’s most-popular mode, Immortal Empires, rather than featuring new campaigns for the Realm of Chaos.
In a new development video, Creative Assembly senior community manager Steve Coleman sits down with three lead members of the Total War Warhammer 3 team to discuss what lies ahead following the launch of the big Total War Warhammer 3 patch 5.1.0 this week, which introduces free legendary hero Karanak. That future, it seems, will see another of Khorne’s iconic faithful servants joining the field of the fantasy strategy game.
“You’ve given us so much important and impactful feedback, especially with your thoughts on Thrones of Decay,” Aldridge says. The team is considering different ways to break up how you buy new DLC, whether it be in smaller component parts or larger bundles. “The big news is that you’ve shown us where the importance of the game is, and that is clear from the campaigns you start and the battles you fight – it’s Immortal Empires.”
The next round of DLC, then, will focus specifically on Immortal Empires, Total War’s ambitious campaign mode that brings together all three Warhammer games into one sprawling map. That doesn’t mean the team will stop supporting the Realm of Chaos mode, but Aldridge emphasizes, “We know Immortal Empires is the quintessential Warhammer experience.”
First up is Ogre Kingdoms, a faction that the team has been wanting to flesh out for some time. Its new legendary lord is Golgfag Maneater, a longstanding name in the Warhammer universe who loves exploring the world in search of adventures and cash. He’ll be joined by a selection of new units including the mighty Thundertusk mount and Blood Vultures, which will give Ogre hunters more aerial options.
Over on Khorne’s side of the battlefield, the legendary lord Skulltaker is finally set to make an appearance. Khorne’s champion himself, U’Zhul, the Slayer of Kings, has been someone that the team has long wanted to introduce to Total War Warhammer 3. If you’re a relative Warhammer newcomer and unfamiliar with him, you’ll be unsurprised to learn that he loves adding the skulls of particularly notable foes to his cloak, enhancing his own power. Joining him is the Slaughter Brute, another powerful and aggressive beast.
Orcs and Goblins, meanwhile, will be getting new legendary lord Gorbad Ironclaw, who lead DLC designer Sean Macdonald calls “one of the most iconic and successful orcs to ever traipse through the Warhammer world.” Matching units to their lord is a key part of the design process, he notes, and Ironclaw is “the perfect character to let us bring in a variety of Orcs and Goblins.”
“Who else can unify them but the single best commander that used Wolf Riders, Squigs, Orcs, and Goblins all in conjunction?” He certainly opens up the potential for an exciting roster, which Macdonald teases will include “some colossal beasties on the journey with him as well.” “There’s so much variety in this faction,” Aldridge adds, “and we really want to get as much of this to you as soon as possible – maybe along the way there might be a few sneaky surprises as well.”
Alongside these new additions, you can also expect some free legendary lords as well. “I think a lot of people still enjoy legendary heroes as well, and we’re still looking to continue with those,” Aldridge explains, “but legendary lords provide you with that new experience and a fresh take on things.” Like the paid DLC, the focus here is also on the Immortal Empires mode – and in fact returns once again to the Blood God as well. “We really want to make sure Khorne gets its moment in the spotlight,” Aldridge remarks.
There’s no set date yet for when these next expansion packs will arrive, although Aldridge says to expect it in “the back end of the year.” The priority for future DLC beyond this next set remains focused on the Chaos God factions, he adds – so fear not, Slaanesh fans, your time will come soon. He also notes that the general shape of future releases should follow the format of the popular Thrones of Decay launch, with three different factions getting upgrades that you can pick up separately or together.
“Beyond that, the Warhammer world is our oyster,” Aldridge concludes. “There’s factions that we haven’t touched upon in some time, and there’s kind of a reason for that. So yeah, Vampire Count fans, don’t worry – you’ll be good. Norsca fans, we want to come back there and address things to do with the monster hunts, just to name a couple. My favorite is still the Lizardmen. But legacy content is super important, so if we haven’t done anything [on a given faction] in a while, just know it’s in our plans.”
With so much out there, we’ve got a rundown of the best Total War Warhammer 3 DLC if you’re unsure what to start with. Alternatively, if you’re in the mood for even more tactical planning you can’t go wrong with the best grand strategy games.
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