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The game entered open beta on February 22, 2018, and was the first project to emerge from the strategic partnership between Wargaming, Sega, and Creative Assembly.

Chris Kerr, News Editor

November 22, 2018

1 Min Read

Total War: Arena will shut down in February 2019 after the results of its open beta test failed to meet expectations. 

Developed by franchise custodian Creative Assembly, Arena was a free-to-play Windows PC title that combined elements of real-time strategy with multiplayer battle arena gameplay. 

The game entered open beta on February 22, 2018, and was the first project to emerge from the strategic partnership between Wargaming, Sega, and Creative Assembly. 

"It has been an absolute privilege to work with you all on this project, but unfortunately the results of Arena open beta test did not meet all our expectations," explained Creative Assembly in a blog post

"I would like to take a moment to thank the Arena team, who have poured their heart and soul into this game’s development and are just as disappointed by this as you. For those of you wondering about the team, they will all continue working on Total War, sharing their experience and learnings from Arena."

To soften the blow for players, Creative Assembly is offering a free piece of Total War content, including a full game in the form of Total War: Medieval II - Definitive Edition, through the Wargaming Game Centre. 

Wargaming is also dishing out 30 days of Premium Account time to any Arena player that tries out World of Tanks, World of Warships, or World of Warplanes -- provided they played 100 or more battles in Arena over the past year.

About the Author(s)

Chris Kerr

News Editor, GameDeveloper.com

Game Developer news editor Chris Kerr is an award-winning journalist and reporter with over a decade of experience in the game industry. His byline has appeared in notable print and digital publications including Edge, Stuff, Wireframe, International Business Times, and PocketGamer.biz. Throughout his career, Chris has covered major industry events including GDC, PAX Australia, Gamescom, Paris Games Week, and Develop Brighton. He has featured on the judging panel at The Develop Star Awards on multiple occasions and appeared on BBC Radio 5 Live to discuss breaking news.

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