Total War: Three Kingdoms – A World Betrayed adds a new start date and more factions

Total War: Three Kingdoms is getting a new chapter pack this month, letting you start the game from a new historical bookmark. Mandate of Heaven kicked things off a few years earlier, but A World Betrayed starts mid-campaign, after the Han Empire has already fallen apart and some major players are dead. 

Lü Bu and Sun Ce are the focus on the DLC. One killed their father, the other's died, and both lead new factions of their own. You'll be able to pick one of 13 factions, and while you'll recognise most of them if you've already played the campaign, they'll have new starting positions, events and story missions. 

New units being added to the roster include the Tiger Guard, Flying Riders and Handmaid Guard, and you'll be able to recruit some new characters, too. A patch will accompany the DLC that will include some improvements for all players, with more details on its contents coming soon. Along with the mystery improvements, everyone will get access to a new warlord, Yan Baihu, as well as some new units and buildings. 

Three Kingdoms' chapter packs are a first for Total War, zooming in on a specific period and fleshing it out. While Mandate of Heaven did extend the game by a few turns, they're woven into the campaign and taller than they are broad. Mandate of Heaven intersected with the regular campaign quickly, but the impact of the new starting positions and all the revolts still completely changed the later turns. 

A World Betrayed is due out on March 19 on Steam for £7.99/$8.99, or 10 percent off if you pre-purchase it.

Fraser Brown
Online Editor

Fraser is the UK online editor and has actually met The Internet in person. With over a decade of experience, he's been around the block a few times, serving as a freelancer, news editor and prolific reviewer. Strategy games have been a 30-year-long obsession, from tiny RTSs to sprawling political sims, and he never turns down the chance to rave about Total War or Crusader Kings. He's also been known to set up shop in the latest MMO and likes to wind down with an endlessly deep, systemic RPG. These days, when he's not editing, he can usually be found writing features that are 1,000 words too long or talking about his dog.