Total War: Warhammer III - Tides of Torment

In recent weeks and months, there has been considerable turmoil within the Total War: Warhammer III community — and not just because the release of Tides of Torment was postponed from summer 2025 due to the product not meeting quality standards and requiring more time for improvements.

A wave of criticism and negative user reviews on Steam focused on bugs and issues in the game, as well as how Creative Assembly handled them. Of particular concern is the flawed AI of the Lizardmen and Tomb Kings, whose factions are barely controlled by the AI at all. These factions remain completely passive: they do not recruit armies or expand, which greatly affects the game balance. This bug has existed for several months and was not satisfactorily resolved by update 6.3 (end of August 2025) and subsequent patches, causing significant frustration. Players tested and reported this bug to Creative Assembly during the beta for patch 6.3.1, but it was not addressed. Then, when people started contacting Creative Assembly to tell them that they needed to fix it, Creative Assembly said that they would fix it with the next big update - and then all hell broke loose.

Another driving force behind the unrest was content creator Legend of Total War, who announced his intention to leave the Total War community due to persistent bugs and a lack of support from Creative Assembly. In an attempt to draw attention to these issues, he had mobilised the community to post negative reviews on Steam. Creative Assembly responded with several hotfixes that addressed some, but not all, of the issues. Since then, the mood in the community has improved somewhat, as reflected in the Steam user reviews - although approval ratings have been higher in the past.

But now it's time to move on to Total War: Warhammer III – Tides of Torment. Like the previous DLC packs, it will be released in three separate instalments, each priced at €8.99. Collectively, they are known as Tides of Torment.

Tides of Torment introduces three new Legendary Lords to Total War: Warhammer III. Each character - Aislinn the Sea Lord (High Elves), Dechala the Denied One (Slaanesh), and Sayl the Faithless (Norsca) - offers a unique campaign experience, complete with their own mechanics, units, and narrative arcs. These new Lords can be played in Immortal Empires and Custom Battles.

Aislinn is a ruthless high elf prince who commands Ulthuan's entire navy. As master of Ulthuan's navy and of a mighty dragonship, he must scour distant shores, conquering enemy strongholds and dedicating them to the mighty elven lords. In return, these legendary figures grant him relics, elite followers and blessings, strengthening his fleet. His fleet is brimming with maritime might and is led by the Sea Helm Lord and legendary hero Caradryan. It is also reinforced by units such as the Sea Elemental, the Merwyrm, the Oceanids, the Ship's Company and the Lothern Sky Cutter.

Dechala is a warlord in the legions of Slaanesh. She wields a blade in each of her six hands. She wages a campaign of conquest and excess, turning captured settlements into Thrall Camps to fuel her economy. As these settlements are drained of resources and then discarded, Dechala's empire grows ever more decadent, thriving on the suffering of her enthralled populations. The units in her army include the Chaos Sorceror Lord of Slaanesh, Styrkaar of the Sortsvinaer, Druchii Anointed, Exalted Hero of Slaanesh, Pleasureseekers, Devotees of Slaanesh, Champions of Slaanesh, Slaangors and the monstrous Preyton.

Sayl is a Chaos Sorcerer known for his mastery of betrayal, manipulation and dark magic. He pursues arcane ascension by constructing Chaos Altars, which fuel his journey towards a grand ritual. His cunning manifests through the various manipulations he can inflict on his enemies to weaken them, but inevitably, this attracts the attention of more sinister powers. Sayl brings a combination of brute force and monstrous might to the battlefield, bolstered by the Great Shaman Sorcerer, Beorg Bearstruck, Fimir Noble, Marauder Bearmen, Kurgan Horsemen, Curs'd Ettin, Runecaller, Chimera, and Dreadmaw.

The Masque of Slaanesh Legendary Lord will be available for free as part of Patch 7.0, providing a new campaign experience for the forces of Slaanesh. To coincide with its release, the High Elves, Slaanesh and Norsca will receive new legacy updates.

The Total War franchise is also celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. To celebrate this milestone, Sega and Creative Assembly have announced Total War: Medieval III and a new expansion for Total War: Warhammer III. Thanks to their new engine, Total War games will also be available on PlayStation and Xbox consoles.

"It's incredible to think Total War is 25 years old. We’re extremely grateful that we get to make games that our community get to play for decades, and without them we wouldn’t be here. This year was a moment where all Total War fans; old or new, historical or fantasy, could come together and celebrate the exciting next chapter in our story. Here's to 25 more years!" - Vice President of Total War, Roger Collum

To coincide with the series' 10th anniversary, the Total War: Warhammer III: Lords of The End Times Expansion will introduce four new Legendary Lords to the Immortal Empires campaign experience in summer 2026. One of these Lords is the great necromancer Nagash, who returns to reclaim his lost power and drown the world in undeath. The arrival of these new lords also heralds the free End Times Update. Drawing inspiration from the lore, players will encounter a transformed campaign experience, complete with apocalyptic scenarios and cataclysmic events. The Immortal Empires campaign in Total War: Warhammer III is now also available to players of Warhammer I & II free of charge.

Founded in 1987, Creative Assembly is a European games developer and the creator of the multi-million-selling Total War franchise. The games in the series have now sold over 48.3 million copies. Alongside the core historical-based games, the Total War series has expanded to include free-to-play mobile (Total War Battles: Kingdom), fantasy epics (Total War: Warhammer), and historical snapshots (Total War Saga: Thrones of Britannia). The games and DLC are published by Sega Europe, the European distribution arm of the Tokyo-based Sega Corporation. Sega wholly owns the video game development studios Two Point Studios, Creative Assembly, Sports Interactive and Hardlight.

Conclusion

The (long) wait for Total War: Warhammer III - Tides of Torment was actually worth it.

Features

• Three new Legendary Lords
• Free Legendary Lord with version 7.0
• Numerous improvements and upgrades