Sega has officially announced the release date for Total War: Warhammer 3, and has also confirmed that the game will be coming to Xbox Game Pass for PC at launch.
In an update to its website, Sega announced that Total War: Warhammer 3 will be released on February 17, 2022, and that it will be coming to Xbox Games Pass subscribers on day one.
CRUSH! STOMP! GORGE! The Great Maw’s hungry! ? Get yer appetites ready because the Ogre Kingdoms are ‘ere and they’re ready to feast.
Join ’em in WARHAMMER III launching on 17/02/22
Any questions? Check out the updated FAQ: https://t.co/AwYP4CTqGl pic.twitter.com/PScp2BYri4
— Total War (@totalwar) November 4, 2021
“It’s fantastic to finally put a release date on our epic third instalment,” said Creative Assembly’s Chief Product Officer, Rob Bartholomew in the post. “And, in partnering with Xbox Game Pass, we’re able to bring the ruinous powers of Chaos to as many players as possible. May all serve within their glorious embrace.”
News of the game’s official release date comes after Creative Assembly previously told fans that it was delaying the launch of the game from late 2021 to early 2022. As part of its earlier announcement, the studio explained that this would allow the team to accomplish far more with the game prior to launch and avoid a situation where fans received a rushed version of the final product.
Total War: WARHAMMER III will now release in early 2022.
We know this is disappointing, but the extra time means we can accomplish more than we could if we rushed to release this year.
We won’t be staying quiet however, join us tomorrow for the global reveal of Grand Cathay… pic.twitter.com/R4GdObAs9P
— Total War (@totalwar) September 13, 2021
For those not subscribed to Xbox Game Pass but still looking to pick up Total War: Warhammer 3, there are various ways to get your hands on the game. Aside from being able to pre-order it directly from Creative Assembly itself, fans will also be able to pick up a copy of Warhammer 3 at a number of third-party storefronts including Steam, the Microsoft Store, and the Epic Games Store.
As part of the update, Sega also confirmed that the game would launch with an early adopter bonus. The Ogre Kingdoms Race pack will be available to anyone who buys the game in advance or purchases it during its first week after release.
The pack adds the Ogre Kingdoms and their two legendary lords, Greasus Goldtooth & Skrag the Slaughterer, into the grand campaign – enabling players to “lead an army of colossal warriors and primeval monsters in search of plunder, gold, and meat for their insatiable bellies.”
While the Ogre Kingdoms early-adopter bonus does come free when purchased from retailers, Xbox Game Pass subscribers won’t automatically gain access to the pack at launch. Instead, subscribers to the platform hoping to get their hands on the additional content will need to purchase it separately from the Microsoft Store.
While Total War: Warhammer 3 finally makes the Ogre Kingdoms playable, they’re arguably the least exciting of all the factions. The next game in the series adds Grand Cathay to the mix, an empire from Warhammer lore that has never been seen on the table top, never mind in a videogame. Opposing them and the Kislevs will be the forces of Chaos, including those that follow the god of change itself, Tzeentch. You can check them out in the trailer below:
Jared Moore is a freelance writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.
