Last night at The Game Awards, David Harbour announced the new game from Creative Assembly. The latest addition to the Total War series will be heading to the Grimdark Future with Total War: Warhammer 40,000.

Total War: Warhammer 40,000 // Announcement Trailer

This is something brand new for Creative Assembly and will be a whole new way of experiencing Total War on the tabletop. Rather than just battling across one planet, you're now in a (as they put it) galactic sandbox during the Era Indomitus. They are seeking to make the ultimate Warhammer 40,000 strategy experience over battlefields crawling with troops and vehicles alongside iconic heroes.

Space Marines // Total War: Warhammer 40,000

When you dive into the campaigns, covering four different factions, you'll be able to explore unique ways to approach warfare. It wouldn't be a Warhammer 40,000 game if the Space Marines weren't present and they will be included in the game alongside the massed ranks of the Astra Militarum.

Alongside those factions for the Imperium, you'll also be able to play as the relentless tide of green that is the Orks. Bring an unstoppable Waaagh! to the galaxy that could turn multiple worlds into ruined husks. Last but not least, you will also be able to fight as the Aeldari. They are aiming to bring a bit of grace to proceedings, working behind the scenes to try and make sure the galaxy doesn't turn into a Chaos-infused soup!

Pre-Alpha Battle // Total War: Warhammer 40,000

Some familiar elements of the tabletop game will pop up in the digital version of Warhammer 40,000 here as part of Total War. You'll be able to personalise your army, naming your warband, choosing your colours and the banners that you fight under. You will also be able to modify your warriors, giving them different wargear alongside tactical abilities, traits and more

Orbital Fighting // Total War: Warhammer 40,000

As mentioned above, this is going to be something of a sandbox in an era of Only War. You will still be expanding your empire but by capturing planets, upgrading fleets and keeping an eye on your economy. Your fights to command worlds will have you developing strongholds, using your ships in orbit to bombard the planet and fighting over cities, planetary installations and more. You could even enact Exterminatus if a planet becomes too much of a threat.

Campaign Map // Total War: Warhammer 40,000

From this very early look at the game, it certainly feels like Creative Assembly has managed to bridge the gap between their traditional grand strategy games for the Total War series and something that is suitably Warhammer 40,000. It will be intriguing getting into the nitty-gritty of how it all works but expanding the scope to include galactic conquest feels like a good starting point.

The real test is going to be whether or not those battles feel like Warhammer 40,000. They are definitely feeling bombastic and over the top, which fits, but you have to hope they feel dynamic and fluid rather than just blocks of soldiers standing still, shooting each other.

Creative Assembly dropped a few choice nuggets of extra information in their article HERE. For example, the game won't just be on PC but also on PlayStation and Xbox. It will also feature modding support and Chaos Space Marines are in their plans for later development further down the line.

More will be announced as part of a developer round table on 16th December, so keep an eye out for that.

What do you think so far?