‘Shōgun’ fans can now play the war that inspired it, thanks to a 'Total War: Shogun 2' mod

Following the success of FX’s hit show Shōgun, players are rediscovering a Total War: Shogun 2 mod that takes place in the same time period.

• READ MORE: What now for ‘Shōgun’ after that life-and-death finale?

Shōgun is a historical drama based on the 1975 novel of the same name by James Clavell, and has achieved critical acclaim since it launched earlier this year. Set in feudal Japan, the dramatised events of Shōgun take place in the run-up to the Battle of Sekigahara, which took place in 1600 and changed the course of Japanese history.

Players can now experience a number of historical battles from that period with a mod for Total War: Shogun 2 (via PC Gamer).

The Sekigahara Campaign is a “reworked Shogun 2 scenario and overhaul mod, set up in 1591 around the Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu factions’ final climactic clash for the domination of Japan right before the Battle of Sekigahara”, according to the Steam listing.

“It introduces new clans that appear during the 1590’s Japan and represents the attitudes of prominent clans and personalities that brought about the Battle of Sekigahara, a decisive battle that helped the Tokugawa overwrite the Toyotomi.”

The events of Total War: Shogun 2 take place around 1540, so The Sekigahara Campaign jumps things forward by 50 years, and introduces several new factions to the game.

The most recent game in the Total War series was Pharaoh, which was released at the end of 2023 and allows players to experience ancient Egypt at the “zenith of its power and experience the dramatic events that threaten its destruction”.

There are currently no plans for a second season of Shōgun, but following the huge success of the show that could always change.

In other news, hit indie game El Paso, Elsewhere is reportedly set to be turned into a movie starring Atlanta’s LaKeith Stanfield.