Creative Assembly, the studio behind the Total War and Halo Wars series, is best known as one of the pioneers of the real-time strategy genre, with over 20 entries in the Total War series alone under its belt. Despite this, many of the studio's leads have openly discussed wanting to move away from the real-time strategy genre through titles such as the cult hit Alien: Isolation, which many have dubbed one of the most underappreciated horror games of this generation. Two years ago, fans learned that Creative Assembly had begun development of a AAA first-person shooter game, now Sega Europe's Chief Studios Operator has confirmed the title is still coming.
Creative Assembly's first-person shooter was initially leaked in 2018 after a job listing confirmed that the studio was working on a "tactical FPS." While little to no other information has been shared, Alien fans should probably settle down, as the studio has confirmed that it is a new IP. Some of the game's mechanics sound similar to the likes of Perfect Dark, but it is too early to tell just by the vague job listing.
Speaking to GamesIndustry, Sega of Europe's Chief Studios Operator Tim Heaton discussed how the publisher is encouraging Creative Assembly to develop its own IP saying, "Each one of our studios really does own a franchise, and they're all mature now by and large. So what we're trying to do now is look at new IP." Discussing the studio's first-person shooter title, he claimed "There's a new FPS game coming from Creative Assembly, and they're growing teams around new IPs. Our internal studios have this two-pronged strategy: do more with what you've got, and think about new IP."
While it looks like Creative Assembly will continue to work on real-time strategy games such as Total War and Halo Wars even after its first-person shooter title is published, it is quite refreshing to hear a publisher support its developers in creating new IP, even if it is still prioritizing work within franchises that continue to sell. It's easy to forget that Sega, with many eyes on its Japanese output with franchises like Sonic the Hedgehog and Yakuza, along with divisions such as Atlus, has a very successful western branch that publishes huge franchises such as Total War, Two Point Hospital, and Football Manager.
While we have no idea when to expect Creative Assembly's first-person shooter title to release, let alone any idea what the game might look like, it seems like the title could be announced very soon, possibly even at The Game Awards 2020. Sega Europe previously showcased gameplay for Amplitude Studios' Humankind at Geoff Keighley's Gamescom Opening Night Live showcase, and The Game Awards has previously proven a successful show to reveal new IP in.
Source: GamesIndustry