The open beta for Total War Arena is now live worldwide, starting from today, February 22nd, 2018. The Total War series ventures into the games as a service model for the first time in almost two decades of the franchise’s history.
Total War Arena is a free-to-play, team-based strategy game developed by Creative Assembly and published by Wargaming Alliance. Speaking to Red Bull, Creative Assembly Developer Communications Joshua Williams says that the game was inspired by Total War Shogun 2‘s Avatar conquest system, as that was the first time that the developers saw the demand for a competitive Total War. The Total War series has always focused on a single-player experience, although previous titles have had multiplayer co-op campaigns.
Williams explains that Total War Arena plays differently compared to past iterations. The gameplay contains familiar elements to veterans but there is a higher emphasis on speed and teamwork. Instead of relying solely on their own wit and tactics, players will need to work with allies to win battles.
The biggest difference this time is the length of the battles. Total War veterans may be used to spending an hour or more in a single battle. However, the battles in Total War Arena usually takes a maximum of 15 minutes without sacrificing any of the strategic depth players expect from Total War.
Players take part in massive and fast-paced RTS 10-vs-10 battles, where they each control three units with hundreds of warriors and clash across ancient battlefields. There is a total of four factions to choose from at the moment, including the Greeks, Romans, Barbarians and the surprise addition Carthaginians. These factions are led by some of history’s finest generals and commanders such as King Leonidas and Julius Caesar.
Additionally, Williams says that the developers have no plans to release Total War Arena on consoles, as the game was built for the PC. Total War Arena is slated to arrive sometime in 2018. Head on over to the site here to participate in the open beta.
Image Credit: Red Bull / Creative Assembly
