Total War: Warhammer 3 is being reviewed bombed, but for the weirdest reason. Before, the developer of the game, Creative Assembly, would give promotional codes to streamers known to like Total War Games. However, with the release of Total War: Warhammer 3, the developer gave codes to a broader range of streamers, most of which reportedly spoiled parts of the game. As a result, players, the majority coming from China, are review bombing Warhammer 3 due to the spoilers, but also that they deserve codes over the disinterested streamers.

While the Total War series hasn't been officially released in China, it is one of the most popular, with Total War: Three Kingdoms being the fastest-selling game in the series due to sales in China. Despite a delay, Total War: Warhammer 3 was able to keep its promise of a release in early 2022, hitting stores in early February. However, it seems that a subset of franchise fans are not only review bombing Total War: Warhammer 3 but also Total War: Warhammer 2.

Related: Total War Three Kingdoms is Now Totally Gory

Total War: Warhammer 3 is just the newest addition to a long line of review bombed games. From the exclusivity of the single-player first-person shooter, Metro: Last Light, to the Epic Games Store, to players review bombing The Last of Us: Part 2 to express their biases, review bombing is a staple in the gaming industry. However, the "tactic" is never an answer and is nothing more of a digital version of a tantrum. Although the frustration with the promotional spoilers from the game is fair, no one likes spoilers, especially popping up during a stream; the way the players went about it, especially their reasoning, is muddled with the review bombing.

Why Total War: Warhammer 3 Is Being Review Bombed

Total War Warhammer 3 reveals chaos realm

The review bombing of Total War: Warhammer 3 stems from a vocal minority of fans upset that the streamers shouldn't have gotten early access codes as they were not fans of the franchise and seemed uninterested in the game. Those upset players were also frustrated that they had to pay for their copy while the disinterested streamers got it for free. Putting aside that Total War: Warhammer 3 updates Warhammer 2, bringing in more content for fans and the return of classic Warhammer factions, the game is getting negative reviews anyway. Creative Assembly attempting to reach a broader audience is reasonable; unlike most video game genres, strategy games seemingly have the highest niche and the steepest learning curve.

Whether or not review bombing Warhammer 3 will affect sales remains to be seen. However, considering that it is one of the highest played games on steam after its launch and is on par with Total War: Three Kingdoms in player count, it's most likely that the game will do just fine. Review bombing is nothing new, with reasons ranging from disappointing anniversary rewards in Genshin Impact to a VR mode in Hitman 3. While it's a practice that will be less unlikely to change, the reason behind the review bombing of Total War: Warhammer 3 is one of the strangest yet.

Next: Total War: Warhammer 3 Gameplay Revealed & Explained By Developer