Leading UK game developer Creative Assembly partners with NetEase to bring Total War series to China

Announcement included the reveal of CCG Total War: ELYSIUM for PC and mobile

The Creative Assembly™ Ltd., part of SEGA® Europe Ltd., today announced a long-term partnership with NetEase, Inc. (NASDAQ: NTES), one of China’s leading internet and online game services providers, which will see Total War™ published in China. NetEase, Inc. has secured rights to publish the franchise’s award-winning historical catalogue up to and including the wildly successful Total War™: THREE KINGDOMS.

In addition, the announcement included a tease for the upcoming Total War: Elysium, a brand-new collectable card game targeting an initial release on PC and mobile in China.

Total War, one of the key pillars of the SEGA business, is one of the most successful and influential strategy franchises of all time, mixing massed battle gameplay with deep tactical and strategic elements. Total War’s strengths have resonated strongly with a new Chinese fanbase following the recent record-breaking release of Total War: THREE KINGDOMS.

Tim Heaton, Creative Assembly Studio Director and EVP of SEGA Studios, said: “For nearly two decades, the Total War franchise has been a leader in the strategy games genre, thanks to its trademark gameplay and a focus on authenticity. We are excited to bring the historical titles of the franchise to the Chinese market where we have already seen a huge appetite for Total War. Our partnership with NetEase is an ideal pairing with our shared mission for bringing quality gameplay experiences to our passionate fans across the globe.”

Gary Dale, President and COO of SEGA Europe, added: “We are very excited for Creative Assembly to partner with a leading company like NetEase. SEGA Europe are looking forward to expanding the business in China, as it is the fastest-growing market in the industry.”

“NetEase is very pleased to work with Creative Assembly, a leading game developer in the strategy games genre, to bring the critically acclaimed Total War series to players in China. We see great potential in this long-term strategic partnership,” said Ken Li, Vice President of NetEase Inc. “Since its initial release in 2000, the Total War Series has given players an extraordinary game experience, allowing them to feel the thrill and excitement of various historical wartime battles. This is exactly the type of high-quality content NetEase has been and will continue to offer our users.”

Creative Assembly’s growth into the Chinese market follows a succession of recent major releases and the acquisition of a Bulgarian studio from Crytek in 2017, now named Creative Assembly Sofia.

Creative Assembly is currently working across nine projects including a major new IP; an unannounced tactical team-based shooter.

Notes to editors:

1. Players can sign up to receive future updates on the upcoming CCG title Total War: Elysium, by visiting www.totalwarelysium.com.
2. Creative Assembly Ltd. is one of Europe's leading games development studios, founded in 1987 and located in West Sussex, UK and in Sofia, Bulgaria. With a heritage of award-winning AAA titles, including the multi-million selling Total War™ series, Creative Assembly continues to build an impressive portfolio of games and world-renowned partnerships; working with Games Workshop on Total War™: WARHAMMER®, Twentieth Century Fox on Alien: Isolation, plus 343 Industries and Microsoft on Halo Wars 2. Creative Assembly has, with their exceptionally talented team of over 500, amassed a wealth of awards, including multiple Best Place to Work awards and recent accolades from BAFTA, Music+Sound and Develop’s Industry Excellence awards. www.creative-assembly.com
3. SEGA® Europe Ltd. is the European Distribution arm of Tokyo, Japan-based SEGA Games Co., Ltd., and a worldwide leader in interactive entertainment both inside and outside the home. The company develops and distributes interactive entertainment software products for a variety of hardware platforms including PC, wireless devices, and those manufactured by Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony Interactive Entertainment Europe. SEGA wholly owns the video game development studios Two Point Studios, Creative Assembly, Relic Entertainment, Amplitude Studios, Sports Interactive and Hardlight. SEGA Europe’s website is located at www.sega.co.uk  
4. With more than 25 million copies sold, Total War is one of the most established and critically acclaimed series in gaming. A drive for historical authenticity and superb gaming quality has helped establish the franchise as one of the most successful PC games of all time. Alongside the core historical-based games, the Total War series has expanded to include free-to-play mobile (Total War Battles™: KINGDOM), fantasy epics (Total War™: WARHAMMER®), and historical snapshots (Total War™ Saga: THRONES OF BRITANNIA). www.totalwar.com
5. NetEase, Inc. (NASDAQ: NTES) is a leading internet technology company based in China dedicated to providing premium online services centered around content, community, communication and commerce. NetEase develops and operates some of the most popular PC-client and mobile games in China and has been expanding rapidly into other international markets such as Japan and North America in more recent years. In addition to its self-developed game content, NetEase also operates some of the most popular international online games in China by partnering with Blizzard Entertainment, Mojang AB (a Microsoft subsidiary) and other global game developers. NetEase also operates Kaola and Yanxuan, two e-commerce platforms that cater to the rising middle-class consumer market in China as well as offering advertising, e-mail and other innovative services including music and online education. For more information, please visit: http://ir.netease.com/.