Total War: Warhammer 3 review bombed by Chinese players Eurogamer.net If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our editorial policy. Total War: Warhammer 3 review bombed by Chinese players Core fans upset by the game's promotion in China. News by Ed Nightingale News reporter Updated on 17 Feb 2022 29 comments Total War: Warhammer 3 has been review bombed on Steam ahead of release as Chinese players are unhappy with the game's promotion. Daniel Ahmad, senior analyst at Niko Partners, has explained the reasoning in a Twitter thread, noting that the game has been received positively but that 72 percent of Chinese language reviews are negative. That's due to the way this new game in the series, released today, has been promoted in China. Watch on YouTube The Total War series is incredibly popular in China despite not receiving an official release there. Total War: Three Kingdoms is the fastest selling game in the series thanks in part to Chinese players purchasing the international version. And with one of the factions of Total War: Warhammer 3 being based on China, anticipation has been high, with strong pre-orders of the international version on Steam by Chinese players. However, players are upset with how developer Creative Assembly and Chinese game live streaming site DouYu handled promotion. Despite not having an official release in China, the Total War series is very popular in the country.Total War: Three Kingdoms became the fastest selling game in the series thanks to sales in China.Warhammer III was anticipated due to one of the factions being based on China.- Daniel Ahmad (@ZhugeEX) February 17, 2022 To see this content please enable targeting cookies. Manage cookie settings Previously, influencer promotion was targeted to core fans and certain parts of the game were locked out to avoid spoilers. But with Total War: Warhammer 3 a wider array of influencers were used, many of whom were disinterested in the game and spoiled elements of the plot. Core fans are upset that these influencers received copies of the game in advance and spoiled it, when they themselves had to wait until release. Creative Assembly has ensured the game appeals to the Chinese market, which has led to high pre-orders. Yet by scuffling promotion in the eyes of core players, the game's launch has been scuppered. It certainly proves the impact the Chinese market can have on Steam reviews. As Ahmad says in his thread, Creative Assembly has acknowledged the issue. Eurogamer contacted publisher Sega, who declined to comment. We described the game as "a thrilling, exhausting mosh pit of strategy" in our Total War: Warhammer 3 review. Become a Eurogamer subscriber and get your first month for £1 Get your first month for £1 (normally £3.99) when you buy a Standard Eurogamer subscription. Enjoy ad-free browsing, merch discounts, our monthly letter from the editor, and show your support with a supporter-exclusive comment flair! Support us View supporter archive More News Atari will hold RollerCoaster Tycoon rights for another decade Ups and downs. 7 Lady Dimitrescu will be a tad smaller in Resident Evil Village's Mercenaries DLC Level the playing field. 1 Overwatch 2 suffers another DDoS attack and character roster bugs Mei Mei. 7 Nintendo Switch firmware update lets you take screenshots in the Switch Online app The app on your console, not your phone. 7 Latest Articles Atari will hold RollerCoaster Tycoon rights for another decade Ups and downs. 7 Jelly Deals Logitech's G Pro X gaming headset is its lowest-ever price during Amazon's Early Access sale Prime Members can get it for just £52. Jelly Deals Save over £500 off the retail price on this beefy ASUS TUF Dash gaming laptop from Amazon Under £1080 for an RTX 3070 laptop. Lady Dimitrescu will be a tad smaller in Resident Evil Village's Mercenaries DLC Level the playing field. 1 Supporters Only Premium only Off Topic: Take a minute to appreciate Cookin' with Coolio's incredible scallops recipe. What a great book. Premium only Off Topic: Reading City of Glass in comic form "Where exactly am I going?" Premium only Off Topic: Il Buco is a transporting film about a really big hole Underlands. Off-Topic Netflix handled Sandman brilliantly It was Dreamy. 9 Buy things with globes on them And other lovely Eurogamer merch in our official store! Explore our store