Total War: Pharaoh free update arrives next week

Creative Assembly has announced a free update for strategy game Total War: Pharaoh will be available from next week.

Titled High Tide, the update will add two new factions from the Sea Peoples culture, Sherden and Peleset, who are more than willing to drive the Bronze Age Collapse. Alongside the factions are 37 new units to use in battle.

Sea Peoples factions have access to new mechanics including War Spoils, in which you can raze settlements to raise resources, and will benefit from the Crisis and Collapse world states which put other factions at a disadvantage.

High Tide will be free for all current and future owners from 25th January. Originally intended as paid DLC, High Tide was changed to a free update following negative reception from players of Total War: Pharaoh. Last month, Creative Assembly apologised for its «missteps» with the Total War series, and offered partial refunds to customers.

Tom Senior awarded the game three out of five stars in Eurogamer's Total War: Pharaoh review, describing it as a «dependendable great strategy game» with «dull warfare».

Following Sega's dramatic cancellation of the «challenging» multiplayer shooter Hyenas, the owner said it would refocus Creative Assembly on real-time strategy games, which the studio is well-known for.