Medieval 3 has been unveiled, but is still in pre-production. According to the developers, however, this does not mean that the game does not yet exist.
The excitement was followed by disillusionment. At the big showcase for the 25th anniversary of Total War, Medieval 3 was finally announced. However, shortly afterwards, there was talk that the game was still in pre-production.
For many, this was a very bad sign, because pre-production sounds as if the actual development hasn’t even started yet. It gives the impression of a pure planning phase, in which the designers are still thinking about their vision before the game is actually developed, i.e., produced.
In a new forum post, Creative Assembly has now clarified that this is not the case. Medieval 3 is further along than many might think, and its release is therefore closer than previously assumed.
Medieval 3 is already playable
Creative Assembly makes it clear that Medieval 3 is not just a rough idea on paper, nor does it exist purely as a prototype. For Creative Assembly, pre-production means actively refining their current vision for the game and determining the mechanics that are guaranteed to make it into the finished game. Everything has to fit together before production can weld the components together.
That’s why Medieval 3 not only exists, it’s already playable. According to Creative Assembly, it’s in a playable state earlier than any other Total War game to date. Sieges, formations, and the new population system are currently being tested.
That’s why it was already possible to show gameplay from Medieval 3. A few days ago, the developers revealed many early gameplay scenes from the campaign map in a large stream.
When will it be released?
The fact that Medieval 3 is more than just a few ideas on paper is a good sign. Many fans had feared that we might have to wait another five years for Medieval 3. However, since the game is already well underway, we don’t expect the wait to be quite so long.
The developers even jokingly remark that they expect to release Medieval 3 before Elder Scrolls 6. They also hope that Bethesda will feel a little spurred on by this.
In any case, Medieval 3 will not be released next year, and probably not the year after that either. But if we’re lucky, 2028 might not be out of the question.
