Total War: Pharaoh announced with dung beetle wrestling, so you know it's going to be a banger

The next Total War game was announced a pair of wrestling dung beetles, so you already know it's one of the best reveals of the year.

Earlier today on May 23, Creative Assembly announced Total War: Pharaoh, the next entry in the long-running strategy series. You can see the full announcement trailer just below, in which we're treated to the heroic and epic journey of a lowly dung beetle with his ball of shit.

Our hero powers on through bleak desert atmospheres and rainstorms alike with his prized dung. No sooner has the dung beetle set foot on a bloody battlefield when tragedy strikes, and he's forced off his shit by another, rival dung beetle! This one's literally had his shit rocked.

But then the dung beetle reclaims his poop with a brilliant move, throwing his opponent over his head with a suplex-like counter. It's a fantastic tall tale of the dung beetle, charting his epic voyage through the desert.

Oh yeah, this is a Total War game announcement. No sooner has the dung beetle reclaimed his prize when he's nearly hit by an arrow, destroying his shit and sending him into the hands of the majestic Pharaoh. With a dung beetle by your side, who couldn't single-handedly conquer an opposing army?

Back to the game. Total War: Pharaoh is slated to launch later this year in October 2023, and as expected, it's a PC exclusive as usual. Pharaoh will be out on both Steam and the Epic Games Store though, so at least there's a little flexibility with where you purchase Creative Assembly's new strategy epic.

Check out our new games 2023 guide for a look ahead at all the other big launches hitting later this year.