Total War Warhammer 3 Tides of Torment is delayed, as CA reshapes its next DLC

The new Total War Warhammer 3 Tides of Torment DLC has been delayed from its planned summer launch, as Creative Assembly concludes the expansion does not yet meet its current standards. The next pack of legendary lords and associated accouterments includes overhauls for two of the most long-deserving factions in Slaanesh and Norsca, and the developer apologizes for the sudden change in plans while also teasing its final inclusion. It also talks about upcoming updates in the meantime, along with a response to conversations about the strategy game's long-term future.

"We are delaying the release date of Total War Warhammer 3 Tides of Torment from our previously stated summer release window and now intend to launch later this year," head of community Adam Freeman writes in a new blog post. While it's long been one of our best strategy games, TWW3 has been through a rollercoaster ride across the past couple of years, most notably with its Shadows of Change DLC in late 2023, which was met with a widespread negative response due to its pricing and perceived lack of content.

That particular thorn was gradually extracted with updates and reworks, and it was followed by the much more successful Thrones of Decay launch; the most recent pack, Omens of Destruction, has fallen somewhere in the middle, with all three of its paid legendary lords sitting at a 'mixed' user score on Steam. As for Tides of Torment, Freeman says, "In recent playtesting, we asked ourselves if this next DLC met the standards we've set in recent releases, and the short answer was no."

"However, we know it can and so we want to spend more time working on it, reviewing the content, and improving the gameplay experiences that it's set to bring." Freeman notes that this means the previously discussed inclusions for Slaanesh and Norsca will also see changes, which will be discussed in a future developer video, currently scheduled for August, alongside the DLC's third feature faction, which he reveals are the High Elves, led by Sea Lord Aislinn.

"We know this is disappointing news," Freeman continues. "2025 has been a slower year for many of you in our Warhammer communities, and we're not oblivious to that. We're proud of the updates that we've released for the game this year, but we know that what you love most about this game is the option to experience more of it, especially through the new gameplay styles offered by new legendary lords, all of the unique new units, and the focus we give to reworks and core game improvements.

"While the game is in a better space than in previous years thanks to the efforts we made through 2024, we are currently not meeting our commitments to be more active on these fronts, and we apologize for not being more transparent. The next few months we plan on addressing that." Freeman then covers some of the planned updates we can expect while we wait for the new Tides of Torment release date.

July will see siege improvements coming into public testing. In August, Total War Warhammer 3 update 6.3 will include "overdue quality-of-life improvements to Tomb Kings and Lizardmen, and revisions to generic starting traits," along with a refresh for some of the generic Orcs and Goblins units. Aside from "any necessary hotfixes" following the 6.3 patch, September is reserved for Tides of Torment development.

Freeman also takes a moment "to acknowledge the growing conversation we see about the game's future beyond Tides of Torment." While he says that the team is currently "singularly focused" on the new expansion, he does discuss the potential for new, smaller types of DLC designed to accommodate community-requested characters that don't fit the current format. These could include "a single legendary lord, or hero unit, alongside a few favored additions."

CA is far from done, however. "Next year, we'll return with one of the biggest Total War Warhammer content packs ever created in the trilogy, alongside some free content," Freeman teases. "You'll get to see some of this nice and early as part of this year's 25th anniversary showcase." He also promises the return of "community livestreams on a regular weekly schedule so you'll have a one-stop space for us all to get together and updated on what's happening across Total War."

"We want to apologize again for the disappointment of today's news but hope that you'll look forward to a brighter road ahead," Freeman concludes. I'll always argue in favor of taking the extra time to ensure any launch is as polished as possible, so I'm happy to wait. We'll be sure to bring you the new release date once it's confirmed, along with a look at Aislinn's High Elves when CA unveils them in detail.

For now, you can browse our picks of the best Total War Warhammer 3 DLC, or step up your management skills with the best gaming mouse you can buy right now.

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