It is 190CE and China is in turmoil. The Han Dynasty crumbles before the child-emperor, who is a mere puppet for the tyrant Dong Zhuo. The brutal and oppressive regime’s power grows as the empire slips further into anarchy. Yet hope blossoms in the form of three heroes, sworn to brotherhood in the face of calamity. Warlords of great families follow suit, forming a fragile coalition in a bid to challenge Dong Zhuo’s remorseless rule. The future of China will be shaped by their hands, but personal ambition threatens their already crumbling alliance.

Inspired by the beauty and artistic style of the age, Total War: Three Kingdoms breathes life into the heroes of this fascinating period as they struggle to unite China under a single banner.

Dynasty mode brings a brand-new free game mode to Total War: Three Kingdoms, designed in collaboration with Intel. This new horde-style mode allows players to test their survival prowess against waves of enemies with ever-increasing difficulty levels using an army comprised solely of three hero units.

Characters in Dynasty mode are legendarily powerful and have access to a plethora of unique abilities, from healing buffs to area-based attacks which can floor droves of soldiers at a stroke. As your enemies fall to the might of your heroes, they grow in strength and size over time with generals taking to the field of battle every third wave in an attempt to halt your dominance. Defeating them earns your heroes extra points to spend on new skills between waves.

Players can also increase the challenge using the new unit size slider which enables players to drastically increase the unit size of the enemies they face from the standard 80 men up to a gargantuan 960 men per unit. This will test both their heroes' skills – and their PCs' performance – to the max!

Will you and your dynasty survive the forthcoming tide?

Dynasty Mode comes to Total War: Three Kingdoms on August 8, 2019.

Total War: Three Kingdoms is currently available on PC.