A Sega financial report reveals unexpected performance figures for the Total War series. Total War: Three Kingdoms outperformed Total War: Warhammer 3 in total sales despite the publisher ending development years ago.
Creative Assembly’s decision to drop support for Three Kingdoms remains a point of contention. Many players believe the title—one of the highest-rated games in the series—never reached its full potential.
Sega reports that Three Kingdoms sold 2.1 million copies during its first year. The Chinese market drove this demand due to the setting of the Three Kingdoms era. Sales grew by 410,000 and 230,000 units in subsequent years, bringing the lifetime total to approximately 3.3 million copies.
By comparison, Total War: Warhammer 3 sold roughly 960,000 copies in its first year. Even with consistent updates and expansions, its total sales currently hover around 2.7 million.
These numbers highlight the scale of the success surrounding Three Kingdoms. Creative Assembly halted support because the game’s expansions failed to meet the publisher’s commercial expectations.
Three Kingdoms remains a standout project in the history of the franchise. It serves as a rare example of a title where development ceased despite high sales for the base game.
Source: iXBT.games