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Creative Assembly has invited the Total War community to directly vote on which playable factions make it into Total War: Medieval III at launch. Players can fill in a survey, giving them four votes each to allocate across a shortlist of 23 additional factions.
The studio has published a blog from game directors Leif and Pawel explaining their approach, alongside a survey that will directly influence which factions receive priority during pre-production.
Confirmed Factions in Medieval III: Total WarSix factions are already locked in for launch, meaning the following are pretty much guaranteed:
Kingdom of England Kingdom of France Holy Roman Empire Byzantine Empire Sultanate of Rum Kingdom of JerusalemThose nations cover the core of the European medieval theatre at the game’s starting date of 1140, along with the major trends and events that happened around that time.
Players can vote for the other factions from a possible 23The remaining slots are up for grabs, and this is where the vote comes in. The shortlist covers 23 factions across several regional groupings. You can vote for any four of the following nations across the different theatres. If you’re ready to vote, check the voting survey on the game’s forums.
Italian city states including Venice, Genoa and Milan offer a merchant republic playstyle. Then there are the Eastern European realms like Hungary and Bulgaria, which have significant strength and are large considering the period, but are open to world events that tear them down.
The Northern European kingdoms of Scotland, Norway, Denmark and Sweden also feature. Scandinavia slowly rises to prominence over the medieval period, with Sweden eventually becoming a major power and Denmark’s naval dominance making it a force in Northern waters.
There’s obviously also the Iberian powers of Castile, Leon-Galicia, Portugal and Aragon. Castile is in the midst of its Reconquista, while Aragon is in position to rival for control of the Mediterranean.
There’s the Kingdom of Sicily, which, by 1140, was firmly under Norman rule, dismantling Byzantine influence and contending with North African Muslim states. For those seeking a playthrough with an Islamic state, there are the Almohad Caliphate and the Ayyubid Sultanate of Saladin.
More Orthodox or Crusader State options remain on the table too, with the Principality of Antioch, the Kingdom of Georgia, and the Balkan realms of Serbia and Croatia all in the shortlist.
All of the different theatres offer different historical goals and unique playstyles. Some lean toward military objectives in key locations, while others favor maritime trade or something else entirely. Personally, Georgia, Croatia, and Sicily seem like the more interesting options, but there’s a lot there to explore for those wanting different historical flavor.
The survey is now live on the Total War website, with 4 votes available per player. Creative Assembly has noted that while community feedback will heavily influence the outcome, they reserve the right to exercise creative control if the results clash with design or production priorities, and have promised a follow-up blog if that happens. Keep in mind, Medieval 3 plans on having in-depth regional influences, so it might be worth looking into other blog examples to get an idea of how each nation might be affected by potential mechanics.
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