SEGA vs SHUEISHA

Total War VP: Shogun 2 Complete Edition Not Developed by Creative Assembly

Creative Assembly has responded to the removal of Total War: Shogun 2 – Complete Edition from sale amid generative AI concerns. Total War vice president Roger Collum clarified that the game was not developed internally, but by an external partner, and that it 'wasn't subject to our same internal reviews and quality assurance.' He acknowledged that the team 'took our eyes off its external development' and announced that a small team of senior developers is now working with Sega and the external developer to address the issues. Collum reiterated that Creative Assembly does not use generative AI to create game assets and demands the same from external partners. The situation is being investigated. The game was pulled last week after falling short of quality standards.

• Total War: Shogun 2 – Complete Edition was removed from sale last week amid generative AI concerns.
• Total War VP Roger Collum confirmed the game was not developed by Creative Assembly.
• Collum stated that Creative Assembly does not use generative AI to create game assets.

Sega Cautious on Generative AI in Creative Work

Sega's senior executive officer Tsuyoshi Saito stated that the company is 'very cautious' about implementing generative AI in game development, emphasizing it won't entrust creative aspects to AI. Instead, Sega uses AI to improve efficiency in publishing and corporate departments. The company has established a Generative AI Committee and an AI Task Force to develop in-house AI tools and collaborate with PR departments on disclosure requests. This follows controversy over AI use in background assets for Crazy Taxi: World Tour. Crystal Dynamics also uses generative AI for early prototyping but ensures final content is human-created. The article also includes a separate market report on US game sales, unrelated to AI.

• Sega uses AI to improve efficiency in publishing and corporate departments, but not for creative game development.
• Sega established a 'Generative AI Committee' and an 'AI Task Force' to develop in-house AI tools.
• Crazy Taxi: World Tour used generative AI for background assets, sparking controversy.

Sega Pulls Total War: Shogun 2 Remaster Amid AI Backlash

Sega and Creative Assembly have temporarily removed Total War: Shogun 2 – Complete Edition from sale following overwhelmingly negative reviews on Steam, citing AI upscaling and performance issues. The remaster, launched on October 13, drew criticism from players who reported AI-generated artifacts such as extra fingers and armor merging into characters. The companies issued a joint statement acknowledging the game fell short of expectations and their own standards, and they are working with platform holders to reinstate the original game while investigating. They emphasized that existing owners can still play. This decision follows Sega's earlier use of generative AI in Crazy Taxi: World Tour, which had included a disclaimer. The article also includes a separate section on US game sales for September, unrelated to Sega.

• Sega and Creative Assembly temporarily removed Total War: Shogun 2 – Complete Edition from sale on October 16, 2026.
• The remaster received overwhelmingly negative Steam reviews since its October 13 launch due to AI upscaling and performance issues.
• Players reported AI-generated artifacts including extra fingers and armor merging into characters' bodies.

Kagurabachi Anime World Tour Part 2 Announced for 2026

The anime adaptation of Kagurabachi, based on the manga by Takeru Hokazono, will continue its global promotional tour with Part 2 of the Anime World Tour. Starting in September 2026, the first 20 minutes of Episode 1 will be screened at Comic Con Africa in Johannesburg and PAX Aus in Melbourne, with panel sessions featuring producer Kenta Suzuki. The tour follows the success of Part 1, which began at Anime Expo in July 2026 and included stops in Paris, Mannheim, Washington D.C., and New York. The anime is produced by Cypic, a CyberAgent group company, with broadcast and streaming scheduled for April 2027 on platforms including Crunchyroll, MUSE, and SMG HOLDINGS.

• Anime World Tour Part 2 includes screenings at Comic Con Africa (Sept 27, 2026) and PAX Aus (Oct 11, 2026).
• Part 1 of the tour had screenings at Anime Expo, Japan Expo, AnimagiC, Otakon, and Anime NYC in 2026.
• Production is led by animation studio Cypic, part of the CyberAgent group.

Shueisha authors receive Honda Yasuharu Nonfiction Award and Shimase Ren'ai Literature Award

Two Shueisha-published books have won major literary awards: '炎と水 中村哲と名もなき人たちの旅' by Junichiro Yamaoka won the 48th Kodansha Honda Yasuharu Nonfiction Award, and '女王様の電話番' by Yu Watanabe won the 32nd Shimase Ren'ai Literature Award.