Creative Assembly, the studio behind Total War, is developing a new franchise entirely in Unreal Engine 5. Creative Assembly has developed a large number of games, though most of the titles have been part of the Total War franchise, including its most recent Total War: Warhammer III. The strategy series is a turn-based, resource management game with real-time tactical battle control. The studio has developed over twenty different Total War games, though Creative Assembly’s other projects include the 2014 survival horror game Alien: Isolation and the sequel to Halo’s real-time strategy game, Halo Wars 2. Now it seems the studio is expanding its repertoire, building a new franchise with a brand-new engine.
Since its formal release, Epic Games’ Unreal Engine 5 has become synonymous with game development, as dozens of developers, big and small, have confirmed that they are building games in the new engine. CD Projekt Red confirmed it is developing the next The Witcher game in Unreal Engine 5, and Hangar 13 is reportedly developing Mafia 4 in the next-gen engine as well. Part of what makes the engine special is its robust, hyper-realistic graphics and enhanced lighting, physics, and performance. Demonstrating the engine’s capabilities, The Matrix Awakens was most gamers’ first foray with Unreal Engine 5. The game demo showed off an incredibly detailed game world, and since then many mainstream and indie developers have started their own projects. There is a massive list of developers using Unreal Engine 5 already, but it’s no surprise that more are joining the party.
In a job listing spotted by SegmentNext (via PCGamesN), it was revealed that Creative Assembly and Sega are looking for a Senior Gameplay Programmer who has knowledge of Unreal Engine 5 that can be “part of a new franchise team.” The team will be developing the new franchise title “on top of Unreal Engine 5,” though what the game is or what it entails has not been revealed. The job listing did not clarify the genre or any gameplay specifics of the new project, though there are already some hints as to what it might be.
Back in 2018, Creative Assembly posted job listings for a first-person shooter set in the sci-fi genre that was radically different from the FPS before it. Considering the studio’s success with Alien: Isolation, many were excited to see what a Creative Assembly-led sci-fi FPS might entail. A screenshot of the game attached at the time showed the Sega logo, as well as the inside of what appeared to be a spacecraft orbiting a planet. Though that was four years ago, it’s certainly plausible that the Senior Gameplay Programmer position would be working on the sci-fi shooter, especially if it’s still in the early phases of development. Since the job listing uses the term franchise, it’s also possible that the studio intends to expand the IP beyond the first title.
A sci-fi FPS from Creative Assembly could bring an interesting twist to the genre, especially if the studio intends to utilize gameplay elements or mechanics from its Total War franchise and Alien: Isolation. Rumors have suggested that the unrevealed project will be a multiplayer game with tactical elements in a deep space environment, though there has not been any official confirmation on that front. Based on current speculation, the game could shape up to be a remarkable addition to the studio's portfolio, though to know for sure, fans will have to wait until Creative Assembly sheds light on its new franchise project.
Source: SegmentNext (via PCGamesN)