The latest update for Total War: Warhammer II will introduce a ton of new content, including a surprise but welcome addition of Ogres. This update, which launches on July 14, contains the last DLC pack for Warhammer 2, The Silence and The Fury. This pack will launch with an additional patch, introducing overhauls for several races, new free Legendary Lords, and this new glimpse of the Ogre Kingdoms.
From the 8th Edition Army Books of the Warhammer Fantasy universe, the Ogre Kingdoms are the only faction that has not been showcased. Likewise, Creative Assembly’s upcoming title, Total War: Warhammer 3, has yet to confirm them. While the Daemons of Chaos, Kislev, and Grand Cathay are all confirmed to be in the next and final installment of the Total War: Warhammer franchise, there has been no news regarding the Ogre Kingdoms. That is, until this update.
The upcoming update for Warhammer 2 has surprised many with the sudden inclusion of Ogres. However, it is important to note that the Ogre Kingdoms have not been implemented as a full faction. Instead, the update introduces several Ogre unit types that can be hired as mercenaries during a campaign. Ogre camps will now have a chance to spawn after battles take place, granting the player the ability to move to the camp and enlist the services of the Ogres. While it is far from the full Ogre Kingdoms faction that players might hope for, there are several reasons why this new inclusion may hint at their full introduction in Total War: Warhammer 3's gameplay.
Why Ogres May Be Added To Total War: Warhammer 3
Most importantly, the Ogre units included in this upcoming update are entirely new unit assets and models. These mercenaries are comprised of five units: basic Ogres with maces, basic Ogres with dual weapons, Ogre Maneaters with great weapons, Ogre Maneaters with pistols, and Mournfang Cavalry. Furthermore, the Ogre units have their own unique mechanics. One ability, called Ogre Charge, allows the unit to retain half of its charge bonus when running into braced units. Ogres are renowned for their devastating charges, so to see that deliberate thought has gone into their unique models and gameplay mechanics is a step in the right direction for full faction implementation and continued support in Total War down the road.
There is also somewhat of a precedent for including partial races before full implementation. Bretonnia from Total War: Warhammer is the quintessential example of this. When the first game was released, a skeleton crew of Bretonnian units was only playable in custom battles and multiplayer. After some time, an update was released that added an expanded pool of units, unique campaigns, and major overhauls for the Bretonnian faction.
It is possible the Ogre Kingdoms may receive a similar treatment. In the Warhammer lore, the Ogre Kingdoms occupy the same general areas on the map as Grand Cathay and have traditionally clashed with Cathay as well. With the inclusion of Grand Cathay in TWW3, the faction will surely need something else to fight aside from the Daemons of Chaos. The game could initially include a minor Ogre Kingdoms faction based on the preexisting units and then later flesh out the faction along the borders of Cathay.
Creative Assembly has confirmed that the preorder bonus for Warhammer 3 will be a race pack, so there is also some potential for these Ogre mercenaries to be an early test for that. Regardless of how they’ll be handled down the line, the Ogres are a welcome addition to Total War: Warhammer 2, and players will be able to smash infantry lines with these new units when the free update launches on July 14.