How many copies did Warhammer 3 sell?
As a hardcore strategy gamer and industry analyst, I‘ve been following the launch and reception of Total War: Warhammer 3 closely. By all accounts, the epic conclusion to Creative Assembly‘s fantasy trilogy is off to a strong start commercially after selling over 1 million copies in its first week this February.
However, controversy around the game‘s optimization and stability took the wind out of its sails shortly after launch. While review bombing campaigns and cries for fixes from vocal fans often overstate issues, Warhammer 3‘s post-launch period can be deemed "rocky" at best.
Launch Week Sales Hit Franchise Record
CA and publisher SEGA have to be pleased with Warhammer 3‘s opening sales, which set a new franchise record for the 25-year-old Total War series.
| Warhammer 3 Launch Week Sales | 1+ million |
| Previous Record Holder | Total War: Three Kingdoms – 1 million |
Selling over a million copies at $60 a piece amounts to a $60M+ launch week, well above average for the strategy genre. For comparison, THQ Nordic revealed $12M in week one revenue for its city builder City of Gangsters in January. So Warhammer 3 is playing in an entirely different league commercially.
How Launch Sales Stack Up for Total War Games:
- Total War: Three Kingdoms – 1 million launch week (May 2019)
- Total War: Rome 2 – 800K launch month (Sept 2013)
- Total War: Warhammer – 500K launch week (May 2016)
Review Scores Strong but Fan Backlash Intense
Warhammer 3 impressed critics out of the gate, resulting in an excellent 86 critic average on Metacritic and healthy user score of 6.3 at time of writing. As a fan myself, the game checks all the boxes when it comes to scale, depth, visuals and respect for the dark Warhammer fantasy universe.
However, post-launch fan reception is a different story. Furious over performance issues and glitches, some players review bombed the game on platforms like Steam. Others decried the tutorials and UI as not user-friendly enough for new players. The result was a "Mostly Negative" period where only 40% of Steam reviewers recommended the game.
This fan hostility seems to have shocked developer Creative Assembly, known for its robust support of Total War titles with years of updates and improvements. While player numbers have rebounded on Steam since launch lows, only time will tell if complaints around optimization hugely impact sales moving forward.
What Do Future Sales Prospects Look Like?
As an ardent strategy gamer, I believe Total War: Warhammer 3 has effectively unlimited potential if properly nurtured by CA in the coming months. The beloved WARHAMMER IP and Silksong creates a massive built-in audience over time. One million copies is only the beginning.
Unlike shooters and other reaction-based genres, complex turn-based titles often exhibit substantial sales "long tails" as positive word of mouth spreads. Significant discounts during sales don‘t hurt either. I could foresee 5 – 10 million lifetime sales with proper updates and expansion packs catering to pent up demand from strategy fans like myself.
The bottom line: Warhammer 3‘s launch could be deemed an overall success given critic scores and out-the-gate sales milestones met. But whether it peters out quickly or sustains on the back of improvements relies completely on post-release support. As foul chaos beasts bare down, Creative Assembly must hold the line for Ultuan and gamers everywhere in the months ahead!
