Players have claimed more than 7.5 million copies of A Total War Saga: Troy in a 24-hour giveaway on the Epic Games Store, according to the developer Creative Assembly. The latest entry in the long-running strategy franchise has received widespread critical acclaim and was eagerly anticipated.

As suggested by its name, A Total War Saga: Troy takes place during the Trojan War between Troy and Ancient Greece. Creative Assembly previously claimed that the game would aim to uncover the truth behind Homer's Iliad, separating the truth from the myths about the conflict. The setting means that the title is also the earliest entry in the franchise from a chronological perspective.

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Creative Assembly has revealed in a press release that players have claimed 7.5 million free copies of A Total War Saga: Troy. The game launched yesterday exclusively on the Epic Games Store and had a 24-hour giveaway where players could purchase the game at no cost. The title has since reverted to its $49.99 / £34.99 price tag following the end of the promotion. The number of players who took part in the time-limited giveaway surprised the developer, who said: "We were optimistic but we couldn't have predicted this level of excitement." According to Creative Assembly, this has helped the series reach a brand new audience who has never experienced it before.

"It's been incredible to work with Epic on giving this brand new release away for free. Now we get to welcome so many strategy players - new and old - to experience this incredible Saga. We're very happy."

Unlike previous games in the series, A Total War Saga: Troy is only available on the Epic Games Store. The title will be exclusive to the digital storefront for 12 months, meaning it won't come to Steam until 2021. Epic Games not only contributed towards development but also met the cost for the free giveaway deal on launch day. It is just the latest in a series of exclusive titles on the Epic Games Store, with high-profile releases like Control also avoiding other stores.

Considering that A Total War Saga: Troy has only been available for a day, it's incredibly impressive that it has already been claimed 7.5 million times. Many of those who took advantage of the free giveaway have probably never even played any of Creative Assembly's other games, but it shows just how lucrative it can be for developers to take advantage of exclusivity deals with Epic Games. More and more studios are likely to sign up for similar arrangements following the success of this one.

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A Total War Saga: Troy is available now on PC via Epic Games Store.